Attraction
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
A Spanish colonial fortress, a triangular stronghold of batteries, ramparts and tunnels on the San Lázaro hill that guarded the city's land approach.
The things to do in Cartagena start inside its walls: about 11 km of colonial fortifications, begun in 1614, enclose the historic centre, and the fortifications, described by Colombia's tourism board as the most complete in South America, have been part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984. Within them, churches, plazas and balconied houses fill the walled city and the quieter streets of San Diego, while Castillo San Felipe de Barajas guards the land approach and the Convento de La Popa looks down from its hill. Just outside the clock gate, Getsemaní is the neighbourhood of murals, salsa bars and the Plaza de la Trinidad, and the high-rise hotels of Bocagrande line the beach to the south.
Cartagena's food and drink scene is led by Celele, ranked among The World's 50 Best Restaurants, and Alquímico, No. 3 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2026, alongside traditional Caribbean cooking and fresh ceviche. Boats leave daily for the Rosario Islands and Barú. Three or four days cover the old town, the forts and a beach day; add more if you want to slow down on the islands.
Attraction
A Spanish colonial fortress, a triangular stronghold of batteries, ramparts and tunnels on the San Lázaro hill that guarded the city's land approach.
Attraction
Around 11 km of colonial walls and bastions enclosing Cartagena's historic centre, free to walk and at their best around sunset over the Caribbean.
Attraction
A white colonial palace on Plaza de Bolívar that housed the Holy Office tribunal until 1821 and is now the Museo Histórico de Cartagena.
Attraction
Cartagena's 16th-century stone cathedral beside Parque de Bolívar, damaged by Francis Drake's cannon in 1586 and crowned by a tower remodelled in 1908.
Attraction
A Jesuit church, cloister and museum in the walled city where the remains of Saint Peter Claver, defender of enslaved Africans, lie beneath the main altar.
Attraction
An Augustinian convent founded in the early 1600s on the summit of the Cerro de La Popa, with a cloister, a religious museum and panoramic views…
Café
The Plaza Santo Domingo outpost of Café San Alberto, the multi-award-winning coffee estate from Buenavista in Quindío, serving its coffee and running tasting experiences.
Café
A bookshop and café on a corner of a colonial house in the walled city, combining Colombian and Latin American literature with coffee, music and drinks.
Café
An artisan bakery and social enterprise in the walled city led by Noma pastry chef Talia Richard, baking with native Colombian fruits and ingredients.
Café
The Getsemaní café of Colombian specialty roaster Libertario, opposite Café Havana, serving single-origin coffees, cold brew, waffles and cakes.
Café
A specialty coffee shop on Calle del Arzobispado, just off the Plaza de la Proclamación, serving espresso drinks, house blends and seafood and meat dishes.
Café
A coffee shop in a preserved colonial interior in San Diego, known for its range of filter coffees and breakfasts built on regional ingredients.
Hotel
A grand hotel in the 17th-century convent of the Poor Clares in San Diego, with a pool, spa, cloister garden and the acclaimed Restaurante 1621.
Hotel
A luxury boutique hotel of 20 rooms and 11 suites formed from three colonial houses in the walled city, with Alma restaurant, Aurum Spa and a…
Hotel
An 86-room luxury hotel in a 17th-century cloister on the Plaza de Santa Teresa, with a rooftop pool and terrace overlooking the old town and the…
Hotel
An intimate 16-room Relais & Châteaux hotel in an 18th-century mansion on Calle Santo Domingo, with gardens, a pool, AniMare restaurant and two MICHELIN Keys.
Hotel
A boutique hotel near the Torre del Reloj, part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, known for its rooftop pool, bar and restaurant with sea…
Hotel
A long-established seafront hotel in Bocagrande with gardens, outdoor pools, a beach club and several restaurants, now part of Radisson Individuals.
Bar
A three-floor cocktail bar in a historic house in the walled city, ranked No. 3 in The World's 50 Best Bars 2026 and run on a…
Bar
A classic cocktail bar and café on the Plaza San Pedro Claver, listed among The World's 50 Best Bars 51-100 and selected by 50 Best Discovery.
Bar
Getsemaní's best-known salsa bar since 2006, with live bands most nights, a packed dance floor and a Cuban-inspired setting on the corner of Calle de la…
Bar
A veteran salsa bar at the Portal de los Dulces run by Fidel Leottau, its walls covered in photos of salsa legends, often called Cartagena's museum…
Bar
A palm-filled rooftop bar and all-day diner above the Townhouse boutique hotel, with two small plunge pools and views over the domes of the walled city.
Bar
The sixth-floor rooftop of the Movich hotel near the Torre del Reloj, with signature cocktails, a restaurant and 360-degree views over the old city and the…
Restaurant
Chef Jaime Rodríguez's acclaimed Getsemaní restaurant, reinterpreting the produce and traditions of Colombia's Caribbean region; No. 48 in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025.
Restaurant
A refined restaurant in a historic house on Calle del Santísimo, serving contemporary cooking inspired by Colombia's biodiversity and Caribbean produce, with craft cocktails.
Restaurant
The Sofitel Legend Santa Clara's signature restaurant, serving six- and ten-course tasting menus of Colombian ingredients within the walls of a 1621 convent.
Restaurant
A popular seafood restaurant beside the Plaza de San Diego, known for its many ceviches, squid-ink black rice and Caribbean seafood dishes, open daily.
Restaurant
A small Getsemaní restaurant founded by culinary researcher María Josefina Yances, serving traditional dishes of Colombia's Caribbean coast and Córdoba.
Restaurant
Bogotá chef Harry Sasson's restaurant inside the Charleston Santa Teresa hotel, serving breakfast to late dinner with Colombian ingredients and Caribbean classics.
Thing to do
The historic barrio just outside the walls where Cartagena's independence movement began, now known for murals, the Plaza de la Trinidad and lively evenings.
Thing to do
An archipelago of about 28 small islands under an hour by boat from Cartagena, with white-sand beaches, coral reefs, snorkelling and an oceanarium.
Thing to do
A row of 23 late 18th-century vaults built into Cartagena's walls, once used as storerooms and prison cells and now filled with craft and souvenir shops.
Thing to do
Cartagena's sprawling central market between the Ciénaga de Las Quintas and La Popa, where some 35,000 traders sell fish, meat, fruit and fried food daily.
Thing to do
The Barú peninsula south of Cartagena, home to Playa Blanca's long stretch of pale sand, the boat-only Cholón and the Aviario Nacional bird park.
Tour operator
A PADI 5 Star dive centre on the Plaza de San Diego running dive and snorkelling trips to the coral reefs of the Rosario Islands national…
Tour operator
A Cartagena boat company with its own fleet, offering private day trips to the Rosario Islands and night tours of the Bay of Cartagena.
Tour operator
A community-run outfit in La Boquilla offering canoe trips through mangrove tunnels, birdwatching and traditional fishing with local fishermen.
Tour operator
A Colombian tour company running a daily pay-what-you-want walking tour of the walled city, plus day trips to the Rosario Islands and San Basilio de Palenque.
Tour operator
A three-hour walking food tour of the walled city with five stops and Caribbean classics such as arepas de huevo, carimañolas and patacones.
Three or four days is enough to see the walled city, Getsemaní and Castillo San Felipe and to take a boat day to the Rosario Islands or Barú; stay longer if you want more beach time.
The walled city and San Diego put you close to the main sights and restaurants, Getsemaní suits travellers who want bars and a lively street life at lower prices, and Bocagrande has beachfront hotels with pools.
Rafael Núñez International Airport is about 15 minutes by car from the historic centre; taxis are the easiest option, and it is wise to agree the fare before you set off.
Prices vary widely: luxury hotels and fine dining in the walled city are expensive, especially in high season, but Getsemaní's hostels and mid-range restaurants keep costs down, and sights such as the walls and the Museo del Oro Zenú are free.
The walled city, Getsemaní and Bocagrande are busy with visitors; take the usual precautions with valuables, use registered taxis and agree fares in advance, and check your government's travel advice before you go.