Explora Journeys in Cartagena

Cartagena is Colombia's old Caribbean fortress city, a UNESCO-listed walled town of balconied colonial houses, plazas, and the largest Spanish fort built in the Americas. Inside the ramparts, El Centro and San Diego hold the cathedral, plazas, and the vaulted Las Bovedas, while just outside the walls Getsemani has turned its lanes into a street-art and nightlife quarter. The heat and humidity are part of the experience, so an early start pays off.

What to do on a day in Cartagena

• The walled Old City, entered at the Torre del Reloj clock tower into Plaza de los Coches, then Plaza Santo Domingo and Plaza de Bolivar
• Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the largest Spanish fort in the New World, with ramps, lookouts, and a network of tunnels over the city
• Las Bovedas, the row of vaulted former dungeons and storerooms built into the walls, now craft and souvenir shops
• A walk along the top of the city walls themselves, best near sunset over the Caribbean
• Getsemani, the lanes around Plaza de la Trinidad covered in murals and street art just outside the Old City
• Cerro de la Popa, the hilltop convent with the widest view over the city, reached by a short drive

Getting ashore

Ships dock at the Cartagena cruise terminal in the Manga port zone, and you walk out through the Port Oasis eco-park, an aviary and small zoo of flamingos, parrots, and monkeys, before reaching the taxi stand. Walking out of the industrial port is not safe, so take a port taxi the 10 to 15 minutes to the Old City. One day is enough for the walled city, Getsemani, and the fort if you pace the heat and head back before afternoon traffic.

When to book the ship's excursion vs your own →

Weather and when to visit

• December to April (typical cruise season, dry season). Typically hot and sunny with highs near 88 to 90F/31 to 32C and lows near 75F/24C, little rain, but humidity stays high around 80 percent. Sea breeze off the Caribbean takes some edge off on the walls.
• November (early season, end of wet season). Typically still humid with the year's highest humidity and occasional heavy showers easing off as the dry season begins.