Cartagena, Colombia
Cartagena highlights
Walled City
Centenario Park
UNESCO world heritage site
Colonial and republican architecture
Why visit Cartagena?
For an insight into colonial Colombia, in a beautifully preserved UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting there and around
In February 2022 we travelled to Colombia. Our kids were 6 and 9 years old.
We took a domestic one hour flight from Medellin to Cartagena with Avianca.
Our accommodation was a 15 minute drive from the airport. We had a private driver transfer us from the airport to the hotel, arranged through our local tour agent.
Cartagena old town is compact and extremely walkable. Once in the city we walked everywhere.
Accommodation
La Passion is a boutique heritage hotel with 10 rooms and restored colonial architecture. The restoration kept rough surfaces and period details so the hotel feels rustic and authentic.
Our family suite had a king sized bed, a separate twin room, a small living area, and windows out onto the internal courtyard.
Upstairs was a rooftop pool with a small bar that served food. Overall the hotel amenities were good but the wi-fi was a bit patchy.
The hotel was fantastically located in the centre of the old town, but provided a luxurious retreat from the busy streets outside. We felt it was very good value for such a beautiful place to stay.
Our star rating: 4
Our cost rating: 5
Downstairs adjoining the hotel was Cafe La Manchuria which had very good cakes and coffee. We also had a tasty lunch at Mila Pastelaria, located on the same block as the hotel.
The main reason we came to Cartagena was to see the walled city which is a UNESCO world heritage site, and to have some relaxation time in the sun! Cartagena is a coastal city but the ocean currents are strong and the beaches aren’t the cleanest.
We therefore spent most of our relaxation time at the hotel’s rooftop pool, rather than the beach.
The hotel pool combined with 35 degree sunny days kept the kids very happy. They spent the mornings and late afternoons practising dives and underwater swimming.
Walled city
We took a short walking tour of the city to get our bearings and hear about some of the history of the place.
We learnt about the slavery and gold; and we learnt about the city walls and how the Spanish strengthened them after Francis Drake burnt and razed the city (cue yet another apology from us for the behaviour of our British empire ancestors).
We also learnt about Catholicism in Cartagena and saw the Spanish inquisition building where local residents could report their neighbours suspected of witchcraft.
Many of the buildings have spikes on the roof corners to ward off and protect against witches and evil spirits.
Cartagena cathedral is an impressive building with imposing doors and ornate decorations.
We took lots of photos of the republican and colonial architecture.
We loved the details on the buildings like the hanging lanterns, balconies and spindles, dramatic doorways and the pretty street name signs.
Centenario park
We made our way beyond the city walls to Centenario park.
The local police force have rescued and provided sanctuary to lots of animals who now live in the park including iguana, monkeys, squirrels and birds.
Final thoughts
We found it interesting walking around the walled city and learning about its history. There were lots of beautiful buildings and architectural details to photograph.
Due to the heat we had to limit our time out on the streets to early mornings and evenings.
Food wise, Cartagena has a mix of seafood restaurants, Peruvian fusion cuisine, and substandard hamburger joints. We aren’t huge lovers of seafood so we struggled slightly with the options. We felt that Medellin and Bogota had a more quality food offer including lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and interesting local dishes.
Many cruise ships dock at Cartagena so the seafront and walled city mainly consist of emerald jewellery shops and touristy restaurants. There are also hundreds of street vendors selling souvenirs and snacks. Ultimately we felt as though the city, as beautiful as it was, had sadly lost much of its charm due to over tourism.
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