Cartagena City, Colombia. A major port since 1533 and located on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean coast region.
It was strategically located between the Magdalena and Sinú rivers. It became the main port for trade between Spain and its overseas empire.
During the colonial era it was a key port for the export of Peruvian silver to Spain and for the import of enslaved Africans under the asiento system. It was defensible against pirate attacks in the Caribbean. It is the capital of the Bolívar Department.
Cartagena has a total population of more than 1 million people according to the 2018 census.
It is the fifth largest city in Colombia.
The urban area of Cartagena is also the fifth-largest urban area in the country. Economic activities include the maritime and petrochemicals industries, as well as tourism.
During the Spanish colonial period Cartagena served a key role in administration and expansion of the Spanish empire. It was a center of political, ecclesiastical, and economic activity. In 1984, Cartagena’s colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
9 THINGS TO DO AND NOT TO DO IN CARTAGENA
- Do not buy and take cocaine. Instead, avoid even talking about this topic to the Colombians.
- Don’t refuse a shot of aguardiente! Instead, when a friendly Colombian offers you shot of the local spirit, just say yes! It is just an offer of friendship and unity.
- Avoid making jokes about Guerrillas and Pablo Escobar. These jokes will just make people avoid you. So instead, just avoid them at all costs.
- Do not bargain aggressively. Instead, keep the haggling light-hearted and fun. You stand a much better chance of getting discount and making a friend!
- Don’t forget to carry cash. Instead, make sure you always have at least enough cash for the day. Colombia is still very much of cash economy hence it’s difficult to transact with credit cards.
- Do not turn up in a restaurant in shorts and flip flops. Instead, dress decently when going to restaurants or even clubbing.
- Avoid hailing a taxi at night. Instead, you can order for one using a taxi app.
- Don’t worry about Punctuality. Colombia are well known to be “slow”. So just relax when the person you are meeting gets a bit late.
- Do not buy anything before asking for price. Instead, always ensure you know the price just to avoid misunderstandings at a later stage.
9 MOST INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CARTAGENA
- The Cartagena walls were not built as a continuous wall. They were built is sections as a series of stand alone bastions.
- The walls were once right on the water.
- The people of Cartagena collected rain for drinking water.
- The walls took 184 years to fully complete.
- Cartagena’s iconic clocktower was not an original feature of its walls. In fact, the city originally had no proper entryway or gate here.
- The harbor was guarded by 29 stone forts.
- It is predominated by its tourism industry.
- In its ancient times, the city was one of the best protected cities in the Spanish empire.
- Cartagena, Colombia is one of the UNESCO’s Heritage Site for its port, Fortresses and monuments. The Heritage sites also includes the old town of Cartagena.
History
Climate
Geography
8 MOST POPULAR THINGS IN CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA
#1 - Castillo De San Felipe De Barajas
This may be the most amazing stronghold at any point worked by the Spanish in any of their states and it's a milestone inside the city of Cartagena. Construction started in 1639, and it's never been taken notwithstanding various endeavors to assault the city. There are burrows inside it explicitly intended to permit even little sounds to travel well so any intruders would be identified easily. You can walk around a portion of these dim ways and advance along with the post's dividers and bulwarks when you visit.
#2 - Mud Volcano
El Totumo is a little volcano of liquid magma containing thick foaming mud that you can wash in and it's found only outside of Cartagena. You move inside the hill-like vat where you'll float in the mud and even have the alternative of getting a snappy message. Give your camera or mobile phones to the person who takes photographs of sightseers canvassed in mud in the event that you need a pic. At the finish of your skin-calming mud shower, there are neighborhood women who'll clean you down in the lake.
#3 - Rosario Island
An excellent day trip while in Cartagena, the Islas del Rosario are 27 islands situated in the perfectly clear Caribbean waters simply off the shore of the city. They're loaded up with coral reefs that fill in as a characteristic environment for huge amounts of aqua life, and you can go through a day here sailing, swimming, or snorkeling. On land, they additionally have inns, an aquarium, and a couple of climbs you can do. Take the open vessel to the greater islands or take a private visit pontoon to see a portion of the little ones.
#4 - Playa Blanca
Situated on Isla Barú, you can take a vessel or a vehicle to maybe the most mainstream white sand seashore around Cartagena. It can get pressed during the day with local people, visitors, and seashore merchants attempting to sell you things, however, remain for the evening and you will love it. From extravagant lodgings to inns to loungers and tents straightforwardly on the seashore, there's a scope of housing available. The water is a splendid blue, and during the nighttimes, it quiets down to turn out to be surprisingly tranquil.
#5 - Bistro Del Mar
This café is one of the most famous in the city on account of its prime location. It's arranged along with the dividers of the old city and it's the ideal spot to watch the sun go down while sitting outside ignoring the Caribbean Sea.
#6 - Convento De La Popa
This hill is the most elevated point in the city, and it's home to a religious circle so named on the grounds that its shape takes after the stern of a ship. Take a taxi up the winding street (make certain to wrangle on the cost) to see this community that was at first established in 1607 and invigorated two centuries later. You'll get the best perspectives on Cartagena and its seashores from here, and you can enter the house of prayer to see the picture of La Virgen de la Candelaria just as the yard loaded up with blossoms.
#7 - The Palace of the Inquisistion
This intriguing historical center is housed in one of the loveliest pilgrim structures in Cartagena, however, it covers a dim time in history. The Spanish Inquisition sent over agents to rebuff apostates in the settlements for "violations, for example, black magic, enchantment, and irreverence which were viewed as dangers to the Catholic Church.
#8 -Museo del Oro Zenu
You can find out about how old societies made gems, how gold was mined, and how the nearby indigenous individuals all through Colombia utilized gold several years ago. There are curios in plain view from the Zenú clan, including stoneware and gold pieces. These individuals were known for their images of fruitfulness, gold breastplates, and gold trimmings portraying animals. Those important pieces and their common utilization of gold pulled in the consideration of the Spanish who everything except murdered them off not long after showing up.