Flowered balconies
Bougainvillea on wood.
Laslovarga — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edgar Jiménez from Porto, Portugal — CC BY-SA 2.0 · KaremBarreto — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bernard Gagnon — CC BY-SA 4.0
The colonial heart of Cartagena on the Caribbean, a whole old town inside stone walls, listed by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1984 together with the port and fortresses. You walk narrow streets of houses painted yellow, blue and pink, with wooden balconies spilling red and purple bougainvillea. You usually enter through the «Clock Tower», the old main gate, and find squares full of life: fruit sellers, horse-drawn carriages and cafés under arcades. In the squares, fruit sellers from the town of Palenque in colourful dresses carry baskets of fruit on their heads, and photos with them cost a small fee. The best times to walk are early morning before the heat builds, and evening when the streets light up and the sea breeze cools the air. Every street and house has a story, so exploring without a map is a pleasure in itself, and from here you climb the walls to watch the sunset over the sea. It is hot and humid most of the year, so carry water and a hat. Watch for pushy vendors and inflated prices, and agree on any price first. Many governments advise caution in Colombia, so check your own government's travel advice before the trip.
Bougainvillea on wood.
The main gate.
Dresses and fruit.
Historic centre of Cartagena, usually entered through the Clock Tower gate
GetsemaníAn old neighbourhood right beside the Walled City, historically the district of 6 minutes walk
The City Walls and BastionsBroad stone walls ringing the old town for several kilometres, built by the Span11 minutes walk4.7
Castillo San Felipe de BarajasA huge stone fortress on San Lázaro hill overlooking Cartagena, begun by the Spa14 minutes walk4.6A full day covers the streets, squares and walls; two or three days add the castle, Getsemaní and the Rosario Islands.