Wellcome
to my web. I've put touristic information about Cartagena de Indias. Each
section has a link following:
Monuments
and
interest points
Natural spaces terrestrial and in the sea
Activities
Cartagena
de Indias,founded in 1533 by Pedro de Heredia on the pre-columbian village of
Kalamarí, was one of the most important spanish ports in America. By its
tenacious resistence to invaders, Cartagena obtained the name of "La
Heroica" (The Heroic). Nowadays it's one of the main turistic destinations
in Columbia and in the Caribean Sea where coexists old and new cities.
Its
geographic
situation, into a big bay sorrounded by islands and lagoons and its rich history,
convert this city in one of the best destinations in its region. Its historic
down town, the walled city always called “Corralito de Piedra”, (little
stone circle), was declared World Heritage by Unesco in 1984.
Old
City: Closed incide the Walls, is a matriz of beautiful streets with
colonial houses, wood-balconies, churchs from every time and old buildings. Too,
is the most animated district of Cartagena.
House
of Rafael Nuñez: House where lived Rafael Núñez, president of Columbia
for 4 times, its nowadays a museum, in the district of El Cabrero. It's a
beautiful mansion in caribean style, built only in wood.
Heredia
Theater.
Cars Square: Old slaves market. There were the "Rollo" where condemned people where executed.
MILITARY BUILDINGS
Walled
zone: Close the Old City (San Diego, Centro, Getsemani), along 11 Km long and 15
m wide. It has fortifications with 22 bastions with names of sants and has
undergrounds where in old times they lodge ammunitions and troops.
Castel
of S. Felipe: (s. XVII). The biggest colonial fortification built by spanish,
to defend the city of the pirate attacks.
La
escollera: between Bocagrande and Tierra Bomba. Sub-marine wall that prevent the
navigation of big boats.
Bovedas:
adjacent to walls in Las Bovedas Square. In old times where quarters, nowadays
are souvenir stores.
Castels of San Fernando and Bocachica: built in 2 islands in the entrance of the bay near the city. A bronze chain between 2 castel closed boat acces by the sea.
RELIGIOUS
Convent
of San Pedro Claver: Colonial church with beautiful claustro. There lived San
Pedro Claver. His rests are conserved in a box low the altar.
Santo
Domingo Chuch: (XVI Century). Renaissance facade and baroque altar. In Santo Domingo
Square.
El
Cabrero Chuch: In the chappel there are a mausoleo with the rests of the poet
and president Rafael Núñez and his wife Soledad Román. In add to the house of
this personage, it form an structure called Parque Apolo.
Cathedral:
Marmol altar, gold images, neoclasic woody altar with gold covering.
Convent
of La Popa (XVII Century): Situated in La Popa mountain in the most high point of the
town. The altar is made with gold extracted from a pre-columbian statue.
VIEWPOINTS
Clock
Tower: Main acces to walled city from 1631. It's the main reference point and
meeting place. Low the tower there are 3 undergrounds crossing the wall, with
stores of used books and magazines.
Cerro
de la Popa: 168 m above sea level, it is the only point to see all the city. The
reason of its name: it seems the Stern of a boat wheen you see it from the sea.
Bastion of San Sebastian del Pastelillo: Its like a balcony to contemplate the Bay of Cartagena.
MUSEUMS
Gold
Museum: with the most ancient indian cultures: Tayrona, Sinú, Muisca, Calíma
Quimbaya, Tolima and Nariño.
Sea
Museum: dedicate to sea, with boats, maps and another things.
Arqueologic
Museum: precolumbian art and realizations of every culture.
Colonial
Museum: dedicate to spanish Inquisición in s. XVI with torture elements.
Modern
Art Museum: In San Pedro Claver Square.
MODERN BUILDINGS
Convention
Center: for 5000 people, it's the place for almost every internacional event in
the town.
Pegasos
wharf and "Camellon de los Martires": main acces to bay and beginning
point of the sail tours to islands.
Monument
to Old Shoes.
Monument to Indian Catalina: bronze statue of 3m high. It's a symbol of Indian race and american wooman. This image is used to award the prize of International Cinema Festival of Cartagena.
PARKS
Bolivar
Square: With an statue of Simon Bolivar. Many museums in this square.
Centenario
Park: In memory of the first century of independence.
Flowers
Market: In the comercial zone called La Matuna.
Apolo
Park:
Contain the Cabrero Church and Rafael Nuñez House. It has too a monument with
statues of the most important personages from the 3 historic stages of
Cartagena: Indian Stage, The Colony and the Republic.
National
Park of Rosario Islands: ACoraline islands with beautiful virgin beaches. Many
tours depot daily from Los Pegasos Dock. Its too an ecological sanctuary with a
very high level of ambiental protection.
Baru
Island: near Rosario Islands. Populated by native fishermen and with many
navigable chanels between the mangles (trees whose roots grow under semi-salated
water).
Oceanographic
Aquarius: In the island called San Martín de Pajarales. Sharks,dolphins, sea
turtles and many kind of fishes.
Ecological
way: In Isla Grande.
TERRESTRIAL NATURE SPACES
Totumo
Vulcan: Mood vulcan. Its to 60 km direction to Barranquilla. Inside the vulcan
is posible take mood-baths with excellent therapeutics properties.
Villa Babilla: in Turbaco, 15 km from Cartagena direction to Medellin. It shows the local animals. It has an interesting terrarious where you can see the local reptiles like the "Babilla".
Emeralds,
coffee, rum, etc. In Las Bóvedas ample ofert of manual jobs. In the Portal de
los Dulces, tipical sweets from Cartagena.
FESTIVITIES
Carnival:
Febr/March
International
Cinema Festival: March.
Holly
week: March/April
Festival
de acordeones: August. In Arjona, (South of Cartagena). There you can ear musics
from Sucre, Bolívar, Atlántico and Córdoba.
Fiestas
Novembrinas and National Kingdom of Beautiful: Novembre/11, date of independence for
the city. They choose the most beautiful girl of Colombia in a great festival.
Along 15 days the city is full of festivities which end is this event.
Noel:
The most turistic season because many columbians take hollidays in those days.
SUN
AND BEACH
Bocagrande
and El Laguito: The largest and more turistic beaches, in the district with the
greatest ofert in hotels.
Marbella
and El Cabrero: small beaches with semi-circle form. Only are full of people in
the weekends.
La
Boquilla: Out of the town in a fishermen district. Its a nice place wher you can
eat fish reciently fished in the sea. Easy acces in bus or taxi.
Rosario
Islands: Clean waters, white sands beaches. Balneary of blue-green waters, cold
and calm.
SEA
SPORTS
Cartagena
is completly surrounded by the sea and has a great ofert of nautic sports and
activities.
GASTRONOMY
Kitchen
from cartagenera is very variated and flavoury. Its main attractives:
Fish:
Pargo, mojarra, sábalo, lebranche, etc. Roasted, grilled, cooked with rice and
coco, banana etc. Specially in la Boquilla and Rosario Islands.
Meats:
Roasted, cooked in coal and many more. Specially cow and pig.
Sea
fruits: The queen of these coast is the loabster (in many forms). Near the
building there are two restaurants specializated. In down town and all beaches
there are sellers of coctels with shrimps and snails with diverse sauces.
Chips:
arepas (round corn), carimañolas (made of yucca), chip bananas, chicharrones
(chip pig skin), butifarras (small saussages) and many more. In all the city.
Fruit
juices: With water or milk. Made from many fruits, unknown outside of Tropics:
mango, papaya, guayaba, guanábana, zapote, uchuva, lulo.
International
Restaurants: italian, spanish, french, mexican, arab, chinesse, japanesse, thai.
NIGTH
IN CARTAGENA:
Discos
and pubs: ample offert. Main zones: Arsenal Street, Bocagrande, Aduana Square.
Open and close times are more early than in Europe. In the most of the pubs to
entry you must previously pay one drink. Many places ask your identification (passport,
driving licence, etc.) to entry and other ones made one registration (in order
to forbid carring arms). A place much visited by turists is "Mister
Babilla", where is used dancing over the tables.
Coffees
and terraces: In Santo Domingo Square and near.
Horse
Car: Specially in Old City. Along all streets while driver explain history
of each one.
Rumba en "Chiva": Walk arround the city in "Chiva", a bus painted with all colours, where they serve drinks and make music. It is like an itinerant disco.
Arriving:
Direct flights from Bogota, Panama, Miami. Flights with connection in
Bogota from all big towns in the world.
Border
requirements: at entry, for citizens from Europe, USA, Canadá and another
countries is only necessary the passport. At exit, you must pay and "exit
tax". Its like 25 US$ or the same in columbian pesos; Only money accepted
(no cards). Bee specialment careful with your baggage, you must always see it
and close with a pad-lock because Colombia is one of the main exit-points for
drugs. Do not add any person with his baggage.
Coin:
Weather:
Tropical
weather. High temperatures (25/30ºC in all seasons) and very wet. Rains are
short and very strong. Decembre-January is the wind season.
Moving
in the town: Taxis:
More cheap than in Europe or North-America. There is not taximeter, so, better
ask the price before. Bus:
There are not stablished stops. You can get into in every point.
Ships:
To go to the islands. Available in Los Pegasos and behind Bazurto Market.
Health:
In
Cartagena no problem. Only if you are travelling by Colombia to a rain-forest
zone, must prevent against malary.
Security:
In
some forests and remote zones of Colombia exist violent army groups. I ask you
not travel to those zones. In Cartagena do not exists this danger, but there are
common thieves. Be carefull in the markets and human concentrations and do not
show much money in public spaces.
Comunications:
Apartments
have telephone only for national calls and internet conection. For another calls, there are public locutories (called
"SAI"). Celular phones from other countries can be used with roaming
system but the price is high.
PLEASE
RESPECT THE NATURE
Cartagena
de Indias is in a land with high ecologic value. It has eco-systems maritims (islands,
bays, manglars) and terrestrial (lagons, sabana). There are animal and vegetal
species unic in the world. So, I must remind to our visitors:
-
Don´t carrie exotic animals. This commerce is forbidden.
-
Don´t buy objects made with skins or shells of these animals.
-
Don´t eat meat or eggs from protected animals.
-
Don´t use W.C. like a wastebasket. The city hasn´t purifying for dirty waters.
-
Some drinks are selling in retornable bottle. In the appartments there is one
for water (20 l.) changeable in the near market.
-
Don´t leave waste. Special care when visiting Rosario Islands.
-
There are taxis (and some buses) moved by gas. To identify them, have the word
"GASXI" impressed.
"When you leave any place, try leave it better than it was when you arrived".