Cartagena de Indias

It seems we chose our timing well, because our three-night passage from Bonaire to Santa Marta, Colombia, was fast and relatively mild, for an area labeled as “one of the worst passages around the world”. Once in Colombia we faced yet another idiosyncratic and bureaucratic customs procedure. If you stay for more than five days you have to import your boat, for which you need to hire a customs agent. Well… it’s been more than two weeks and we still don’t have our import papers. And if you move the boat within Colombia, there’s more paperwork involved. We thus decided to make Santa Marta our only Colombian stop, and explore land from here. We started right away with Cartagena, four hours away by bus, even before exploring Santa Marta. Semana Santa is a four-day weekend in Colombia, and we wanted to visit Cartagena before the holiday hordes arrived to the historic city.

The city of Cartagena, known as Cartagena de Indias during the colonial era, is a UNESCO world heritage site. Funded in 1533, it has the most extensive fortifications in South America, including a wall that encircles the entire old city—hence the “walled city (ciudad amurallada)” nickname. It’s a real jewel full of history (and full of tourists too, but if you remember that you are just one of them you can endure the crowds for a couple of days, and it’s well worth it).

If you wander around the old town, every street, every corner, every building, everywhere you look, there’s a beautiful picture waiting for you to take. And here is the proof.

Old Town

Getsemani

Getsemani turned from seedy neighborhood to a vibrant artsy and bohemian district. It’s right outside the walled city, which make a meal about three times cheaper, and usually better.

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

Started in 1536, it’s “the most formidable defensive complex of Spanish military architecture”, known for its maze of tunnels.

Notable Cartageneros

Façades