Cartagena is located on the Colombian Caribbean coast. It is well known for its colonial architecture, its beautiful beaches, its rich history and its vibrant culture. The city was founded in 1533 and its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . In this city there are several points of interest such as the Castle of San Felipe de Barajas, the city walls, the church of San Pedro Claver, the Palace of the Inquisition, the Plaza de Santo Domingo, among others. Cartagena is also known for its gastronomy, with a variety of dishes and flavors that reflect the region's mix of cultures. In addition, the city is an important tourist port and a gateway to the beautiful Rosario Islands and Barú beach. The people of Cartagena are friendly and welcoming, and the city offers a wealth of activities and cultural experiences for visitors.
This city has a lot of history and the atmosphere that exists is vibrant where you can do a number of activities and places that you can visit. We recommend that you go on a budget so that you do most of the best activities, such as renting a yacht in Cartagena.
Some of the activities you can do in Cartagena
You can visit the old town, which in fact, Cartagena is known as the "Walled City " and is a must-see if you are on the coast of the country. During the tour you will see the Clock Tower, which is one of the most representative symbols of the city. You can start at that point to tour the historic center. A good idea if you want to enter the Castillo de San Felipe is to join a tour, which is constantly carried out by groups and they will explain the history of how and why it was built, although I anticipate that you will hear about pirates. This would be a more instructive tour to soak up more of the culture of the city. You will explore the 16th century walls that offer wonderful views of the Caribbean Sea.
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You can delight the local food, the gastronomy of the city is in a certain way, a mixture of the African, Spanish and indigenous, which makes it very interesting and delicious. Of course, you will find many seafood dishes, fast food and others for all tastes, preferences and ages; but, you cannot stop trying the rice with coconut, the arepas, the ceviche, patacones, encocado and everything you can taste. Even through the streets of the city you will find the famous palenquera women, who are selling exotic fruits or typical sweets from the coast, such as cocada, papaya candy, potato candy and other delicious snacks. These women represent the first free slaves in all of America who escaped to San Basilio de Palenque and they wear typical and colorful costumes where you can also take a picture with them.
You can visit Plaza de la Aduana and Plaza de Santo Domingo which are popular places for live music and where you will see people dancing, some dance groups and it is a vibrant place where you can enjoy the local culture. As for the Plaza de la Aduana , you will find a statue of Christopher Columbus next to a woman of indigenous origin; while, the Plaza de San Pedro Claver where very close is a church that is also dedicated to this person who was a Catalan missionary who put his efforts to protect and help the black slaves who passed through the port and there is also a statue in his honor; since, he was beatified in the year 1850 for his work with the people. In addition, there is also the Plaza de los Coches , where in the center is a statue of Pedro de Heredia, which is surrounded by palaces from the colonial era. In this last square you will find the Portal de los Dulces , which is where you will find all kinds of sweets, snacks, desserts with shops specializing in typical sweets from the area.
You can visit the Zenú Gold Museum, which is a learning tour about the pre-Columbian culture of the region. This museum has an impressive collection of gold pieces and jewelry. Also, you will be able to find the Naval Museum of the Caribbean, which shows the history of the city and navigation in an imposing building or also, there is the Historical Museum of Cartagena that is located in the building that was the headquarters of the inquisition.
Close to the Historical Museum of Cartagena is the Plaza de Bolívar, which is a place where the sentenced were formerly executed and where a statue of the liberator of Latin America Simón Bolívar is currently located.
While touring various areas of the city, such as El Laguito and Bocagrande, you will find carriages that you can rent as a means of transportation for a coastal tour and it is a slightly more romantic way to tour the city.
Likewise, if you want to go to a place where you can find all the typical food you want and mix with the local culture, the vibe of the people, the ideal is to go to the Bazurto Market , which is a market (worth the redundancy) where you go to have a unique experience, with vendors offering fresh and local products, street food and a great amount of colors and aromas.
In addition, you can go through the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandría , which is one of the oldest cathedrals in all of America, which began to be built approximately in the year 1577 and where admission is free.
An unmissable destination if you are in Cartagena and that you must visit is La Serrezuela , which is a shopping center located within a residential complex that has the same name in the Manga neighborhood, which is an exclusive area and close to the historic center of the city. . The commercial center has a wide variety of shops, boutiques, restaurants and bars. It offers an exclusive shopping experience, with internationally recognized brands and local designer stores. Also, you will be able to find restaurants with a variety of culinary offerings and environments. Also, there is a cinema, a terrace with panoramic views of the city and a play area for children. The person who goes to Cartagena and does not have a photo in La Serrezuela, rather, was not in Cartagena.
Another of the land activities that you can do is take a tour in a chiva rumbera, which is a windowless bus with lots of music and party lights that travels through the best areas of the city. We recommend that it be at sunset or at night so that you can dance and enjoy it to the fullest.
If you are going to stay, we recommend that it be in the top, most modern and developed area of the city, which is between Bocagrande and El Laguito, where there are international level hotels and also more executive ones and for slightly tighter budgets. Or if not, you can walk along the boardwalk or head towards the beaches that remain in the area.
By the way, there are many local beaches that you can visit , such as Laguito and Bocagrande, Manzanillo, among others; however, the destinations most requested by tourists when they arrive in the city are the trips to the islands. For example, the closest is Tierra Bomba , located almost in front of the Cartagena bay; but, there are also the Rosario Islands where some of the most touristic islands are Cholón and Barú ; but, there are also many others that are clearly private with hotels where you can have a day with lunch and rest in all the facilities that are offered; likewise, other larger ones with more options but where you will be able to do water sports, such as diving, snorkeling and others; there are even some areas where you will be able to connect with water and nature in another exceptional way; Since there is a plankton that is luminous and looks spectacular at night , it really is one of the activities that you should do because they are not found on all beaches or in all coastal cities.
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A spectacular plan is to rent a yacht that will take you to these fabulous destinations. You will be able to find mini yachts, yachts, catamarans, sailboats, pontoons and sports boats, whose prices vary according to their capacity (size), if they are luxury or simple, the route that is going to be done (the most nearby ones like Tierra Bomba are cheaper than going to the Rosario Islands, for example) and if it is low or high season. It is an experience that you must live at some point in your life, you are going to have a great time, you are going to enjoy it in a great way and you are going to create memorable moments on board with your companions while enjoying the views of the journey and the city with its buildings and others, perfect to take many spectacular photos for your social networks . Definitely, it is an experience that is not lived every day and that if you have the opportunity, do not hesitate to take it.
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These are just some of the activities you can do in Cartagena; It is one of the must-see cities to visit if you come to Colombia and one of the ones with the most history; in fact, when walking through the streets of the historic center, you will see colorful and colonial houses of the time , but well maintained and decorated so that tourists can take pictures and feel in a different environment. You can do many options both terrestrial and aquatic. It would be ideal if you could do both, you will not regret doing it. Surely if you read about what to do in Cartagena it is because you plan to go; therefore, we wish you enjoy and have a pleasant stay.
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