Old and New in Cartagena, Columbia

Why Not Travel To. . . Cartagena?

Cartagena is a coastal city in northern Columbia that is a mix of modern skyscrapers in a chic downtown and a colonial walled city with latino flare.  The areas frequented by tourists in Cartagena reside on an L shaped peninsula, which is approximately 2 x 1 miles.  The peninsula is serviced by a convenient hop on hop off bus system.  These bus companies, often in red or green double decker buses, are common in major cities in Europe.  The idea is for some flat fee usually $25-40 US we can ride the bus all day on its set route with stops.  Riders can get on and off the bus as much as they want all day.  The ride time between stops is filled with a narrated tour.  We used the hop on hop off bus system after having a bad experience with a cab.  We had negotiated that the cab ride would be $10 total.  When we got to our destination the cabbie suddenly stopped speaking english, knowing only enough to demand to pay $10 each.  We gave him the money we originally agreed upon and walked away.  After that experience we decided to use the hop on hop off or walk, which to Cartagena's credit there is beautiful coastline to walk along.

Our first stop in Cartagena was not the famous walled city, but the downtown area.  We had heard that the second floor of the Pierino Gallo shopping center was home to a three toed sloth that we could take a photo with for $4 US.  I went to the San Diego Zoo a couple of weeks before this cruise and stared at the two toed sloth exhibit for fifteen minutes looking for the sloth without luck of finding any animal in the exhibit.  When we went in search of the three toed sloth in Cartagena I was ready to make up for missing the sloth at the zoo.  What we found on the second floor of the Pierino Gallo Shopping center was a cuddly little sloth named Pequito, who upon being draped upon my, or my boyfriend's shoulder fell asleep.  His nail-like toes clung tightly to my shirt as he took a 4 minute nap before hitching a ride on his owner back to Pequito's home in the shade, where he recommenced his nap.

Me and Pequito at the Pierno Gallo shopping center. 

Columbia is famous for emeralds and a few of the stores in the Pierino Gallo cater to this.  A friend of ours who was also on the trip even brought a ring which was missing an emerald to the Pierino Gallo to find a replacement emerald and have it set.  The area around the Pierino Gallo, which is at the end to the peninsula is surrounded by upscale resorts and shops which I am sure would entertain shopaholics for hours.  Jewelry shopping is not an activity I particularity enjoy, so we skipped this activity in favor of exploring the walled city at the base of the peninsula.  

The downtown (new) area of Cartagena.

The walled city of Cartagena (a UNESCO world heritage site) was originally built in the colonial times (1500s-1700s).  It is literally enclosed by a 30 foot thick wall.  The city is approximately a mile long and half a mile wide on the coast.

The exterior of the wall that encloses the old city of Cartagena.  

Within this ominous looking fortress is a bustling latino metropolis.  Vendors sell food from carts on the narrow brick streets, bordered by colorful multistory buildings on either side.  Chic wedding boutiques can be found in the quieter areas of the quarter, while shoe shops peddling cheap sandals inhabit the busier streets.  

A typical street in the walled city, with vibrant colors on every building.

Every once in a while, while winding our way through the maze of streets, the buildings parted enough  for the presence of a square filled with gardens, statues, or both.  

Examples of squares contained within the walled city.  

Usually I am a person buzzing to do a physical or intellectual activity more demanding that just walking around nomadically.  I would rather be hiking or reading plaques at a museum, but  I wandered through the streets of the walled city for two hours aimlessly perfectly content.  Aside from the architecture and monuments, the place was abuzz with life, with most people buying, selling, or yelling at someone to get out of the way of the car inching down the street.  I enjoy people watching, and int his respect the walled city was a treat.

Old Cartagena is not limited to the bounds of the walled city.  It spills out into the surrounding neighborhoods.  Two forts are within walking distance of the walled city, one of which I have heard called a "super fort".  Unfortunately we were unable to visit these forts on our short stay.  If I get the opportunity to revisit Cartagena the "super fort" will be on my to see list.  We did walk into the neighborhoods south of the walled city, where colonial monuments merged into white modern condo buildings.

Just one example of the many monuments to be found outside the walled city.  The main entrance to the walled city can be seen in the background.  It is the arched opening below the yellow clock tower.

Eventually we wandered to the cruise port, where cruise ships dock.  In this little botanical garden, peacocks, flamingos, and macaws wander freely.  We also observed toucans and various other exotic birds in the aviaries on site.  I could easily imagine spending an afternoon sitting at one of the tables in the botanical gardens, sipping a local beer, and watching the animals.

Now for some logistics.  The native language of Cartagena is spanish, but like most other areas of the Caribbean most locals speak enough english for foreigners to get around fine.  I speak a moderate amount of spanish which I try to use when traveling in any country where it is the dominant language, but I had an extremely difficult time with the columbian accent.  This resulted in me speaking in english almost exclusively.  The local currency is the Columbian Peso, but just as with the english language the US dollar is widely accepted.

Now that you know the rich history of Cartagena, why not visit there?  Have another suggesting for a city or area to visit in Columbia?  Post it to the comments below.