You can now book an exclusive adventure with TRIPS by Culture Trip to take in all the sights and more on an eight-day Colombian Caribbean tour.

Colombia

Cartagena

The Most Beautiful Beaches to Visit in Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena is one destination you can't miss on a trip to Colombia – find out the top things to see and do in the Old Town in our guide here.

Things to See and Do in the Old Town of Cartagena, Colombia

With so many amazing things to see and do in Cartagena, it can be hard to make up your mind – so why not book an exclusive adventure with TRIPS by Culture Trip?

Must-Visit Attractions in Cartagena, Colombia

From foodie and art adventures to historic sites, here are Cartagena's best walking tours. Book your next adventure here with our TRIPS by Culture Trip.

The Best Walking Tours in Cartagena, Colombia

From precious gems and golden wonders to a torture dungeon from the 16th century, read all about the best museums in Cartagena, Colombia.

The Best Museums in Cartagena

Featured Articles

Cartagena is a cultural mosaic on the Caribbean coast: vibrant, colorful and enticing. The labyrinthine cobblestone streets lead to colonial plazas, crumbling castles and beaches, where life is always best lived al fresco.

The Insider Guide to Cartagena

The most popular tourist destination in Colombia, Cartagena is an easy gateway to this magnificent country. The Magic City mixes tropical grandeur with 15th-century Spanish architecture, while a modern skyline contrasts against a turquoise sea dotted with islands. It’s a welcoming and multifaceted oasis.

People have been calling the region home for more than 6,000 years – perhaps longer than anywhere else in the Americas. The bounty of natural resources and proximity to global trade routes put it on the radar for the Spanish, who conquered it in 1533. Under their control, Cartagena soon became an affluent hub. So renowned was it that the famous city walls and imposing Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas were built to protect it from invading pirates.


Walking through the maze that is the Unesco-listed Old Town, you can still see the historic riches of Cartagena today. Bask in the opulence of Cartagena Cathedral and Iglesia de San Pedro Claver. Then, immerse yourself in the old market of Plaza de Los Coches while the Convento de la Popa looms above – it’s the highest point in the city. Stroll past crumbling colonial mansions and relax next to the shady fountains of Plaza de Bolivar, before visiting the Museo del Oro. The Palace of the Inquisition is a diverse gem: the 18th-century fortress houses both the Cartagena Historical Museum and the Inquisition Museum – complete with torture devices and dungeons. As you explore the city, you’ll see the seamless fusion of Caribbean, Colombian, Spanish and African cultures, visible in everything from the architecture to the music.

Deserving more than just a few days, take your time wandering the different neighborhoods. They range from snazzy to bohemian, such as Getsemani, where the colorful streets are home to as much contemporary creativity as the Museo de Arte Moderno. Don’t forget though, that there’s so much more to the city, with plenty of picture-perfect beaches and islands bursting with marine life to explore. Keep reading to delve even deeper.

The Main Attractions

Oran

Setif

Algeria

Luanda

Angola

Cotonou

Porto-novo

Benin

Botswana

Ouagadougou

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Tonga

Yaounde

Bamenda

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Kinshasa

Lubumbashi

Congo

Abidjan

Cote Divoire

Florentin

Dijibouti

Djibouti

Cairo

Alexandria

Sharm El-sheikh

Egypt

Equatorial Guinea

Asmara

Eritrea

Addis Ababa

Lalibela

Ethiopia

Gambia

Accra

Kumasi

Cape Coast

Ghana

Guinea-bissau

Nairobi

Mombasa

Malindi

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Antananarivo

Antsirabe

Madagascar

Blantyre

Malawi

Bamako

Timbuktu

Mali

Mauritania

Port Louis

Mauritius

Casablanca

Marrakech

Sale

Morocco

Maputo

Mozambique

Swakopmund

Windhoek

Namibia

Lagos

Abuja

Ibadan

Nigeria

Pointe-noire

Republic Of The Congo

Kigali

Musanze

Butare

Rwanda

Dakar

Touba

Senegal

Seychelles

Freetown

Sierra Leone

Cape Town

Durban

Johannesburg

South Africa

South Sudan

Khartoum

Sudan

Mbabane

Manzini

Swaziland

Zanzibar

Arusha

Dar Es Salaam

Tanzania

Tunis

Hammamet

Tozeur

Tunisia

Kampala

Gombe

Uganda

Western Sahara

Lusaka

Zambia

Harare

Bulawayo

Zimbabwe

Africa

Antarctica

Kabul

Afghanistan

Dhaka

Bangladesh

Thimphu

Bhutan

Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei Darussalam

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Sihanoukville

Cambodia

Shanghai

Beijing

Guangzhou

China

East Timor

Wan Chai

Hong Kong

Mumbai

Delhi

India

Bali

Penang

Jakarta

Indonesia

Israel

Tokyo

Kyoto

Osaka

Japan

Almaty

Astana

Kazakhstan

Pyongyang

Korea

Bishkek

Kyrgyzstan

Luang Prabang

Vientiane

Pakse

Laos

Macau

Kuala Lumpur

Ipoh

Malaysia

Maldives

Mongolia

Yangon

Mandalay

Nay Pyi Taw

Myanmar

Kathmandu

Darchula

Nepal

Hyderabad

Islamabad

Lahore

Pakistan

Manila

Boracay

Baguio

Philippines

Riyadh

Jeddah

Mecca

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

Asia

Events and Activities in Cartagena, Colombia | Culture Trip

Off the Beaten Path

Find the hidden gems and experience the city like a local

Guides & Tips

10 Unusual Things You Didn't Know About Cartagena

See & Do

Alternative Colombia: Fishing In Cartagena’s Slums

Cheap Things To Do

See & Do

The Top Things to See and Do in Cartagena, Colombia

Guides & Tips

A Solo Traveler's Guide to Cartagena, Colombia

See & Do

Top Things To Do for Free in Cartagena

Shopping

Guides & Tips

The Best Places to Buy Souvenirs in Cartagena, Colombia

Fashion

7 Fashion Boutiques in Cartagena, Colombia