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Best Attractions in Cartagena (2026)

Cartagena's sights are concentrated in a small area, and most of them are inside or beside the walls. The walls themselves, around 11 km of ramparts and bastions built between 1614 and 1796, are free to walk and best at sunset. The Torre del Reloj is the natural starting point, and from there the Plaza de Bolívar groups three essentials: the Palacio de la Inquisición with the Museo Histórico de Cartagena, the free Museo del Oro Zenú and the cathedral on the corner. A short walk away, the Santuario de San Pedro Claver, the Museo de Arte Moderno and the Museo Naval del Caribe form a second cluster around the Plaza San Pedro Claver and the Plaza Santa Teresa.

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas and the Convento de La Popa sit outside the walls on neighbouring hills, so combine them in a single taxi trip, ideally in the morning before the midday heat. San Felipe opens daily from 07:00 to 18:00 and sells tickets online. Several museums close on Mondays, so plan museum visits for other days. Two days are enough for the main attractions at a relaxed pace, leaving time for Getsemaní and an island trip.

10 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 attractions in Cartagena

  1. Castillo San Felipe de Barajas Spanish colonial fortress, Pie del CerroA Spanish colonial fortress, a triangular stronghold of batteries, ramparts and tunnels on the San Lázaro hill that guarded the city's land approach.
  2. Walls of Cartagena Colonial city walls, Ciudad AmuralladaAround 11 km of colonial walls and bastions enclosing Cartagena's historic centre, free to walk and at their best around sunset over the Caribbean.
  3. Palacio de la Inquisición (Museo Histórico de Cartagena) History museum in colonial palace, Ciudad AmuralladaA white colonial palace on Plaza de Bolívar that housed the Holy Office tribunal until 1821 and is now the Museo Histórico de Cartagena.