Top things to do in Cartagena
Everything starts inside the Ciudad Amurallada, the walled Old Town that UNESCO added to its World Heritage list in 1984. Wander from the leafy Plaza de Santo Domingo — where Fernando Botero's reclining bronze nude, Gertrudis, draws a steady stream of photos — to the Torre del Reloj, the clock-tower gate that has marked the entrance to the old city for centuries.
Climb the ramparts of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the largest fortress Spain ever built in the Americas, then cross into Getsemaní for a completely different mood: murals, salsa spilling out of open doorways, and a nightlife scene that now rivals the walled city itself. If you have an extra day, boats leave from the port for the Islas del Rosario, a coral-reef archipelago an hour offshore.
Neighborhoods and where to eat
Inside the walls, El Centro and San Diego hold the grandest colonial mansions and priciest restaurants, while Getsemaní, just beyond the Torre del Reloj, is scruffier, cheaper and — many locals argue — more fun after dark. Bocagrande, the modern high-rise strip south of the walls, is where Cartagena goes for its beaches, though the sand and water are better a short trip further out.
Eat like the coast does: patacones (twice-fried plantain), arepas de huevo, and cazuela de mariscos, a rich seafood stew. Buy fruit straight from a palenquera's basket, cool off with limonada de coco (coconut limeade), and follow the smell of grilled corn and fried fish carts around Plaza de la Trinidad in Getsemaní once the sun goes down.
Getting around and best time to visit
The Old Town and Getsemaní are compact and best explored on foot — most streets are pedestrian or nearly so, and a taxi or rideshare app covers anything farther, including trips to Bocagrande or the airport. Cartagena's heat is constant and humid year-round, so pace your walking for the morning or late afternoon.
The dry season, from December to March, brings the most reliable sunshine and is Cartagena's busiest and most expensive stretch; book tours and hotels early if you're visiting then. The rest of the year is wetter, with short, heavy afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain — free walking tours run regardless, so bring a light rain jacket and, always, sunscreen.
