Little treasure of the Caribbean Sea famous for its emeralds, Cartagena is filled with historic elements that give us the impression of making a trip back in time. While many people imagine the city is a beach destination, I think it’s wrong to classify the place like this! If you’re expecting this, you may be disappointed with the destination. The beaches are not the main attraction of this place. You won’t find white sand and crystal clear water like in other places of the Caribbean Sea! To get on these beautiful beaches, you need to take a boat to the islands that lie near the city. However, Cartagena has other charms. I’ld say that it’s more a historical destination!
Image: Mari and the City.
Image: Mari and the City.
Cartagena lived its best period in the eighteenth century and was once the largest port in Latin America. Gradually it fell into decay and only recently was revitalized. Today, it’s the main tourist destination of Colombia. The walled city is what most impresses in this city! It’s the spot of Cartagena where most of the action takes place. Walk around the streets of the Old Town is a real dive in the history of Spanish colonization in Latin America. Although the museums are small and simple, they show the history of this place that has already been disputed by pirates, Spanish, French, Dutch and English. Among them, we can’t miss the Museum of the Inquisition which is full of medieval torture instruments, the Gold Museum, the Museum of Emerald and the Naval Museum. Another important place to be visited in Cartagena is the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas that was built to protect the city from pirate attacks and is the largest engineering project that Spain has built on one of its colonies. Simply amazing explore the galleries and tunnels of the fort!
Image: Mari and the City
Image: Mari and the City
