Iglesia de Santo Domingo

This church, located within the walled city, is famous for the beauty of its colonial architecture and for being the oldest church in Cartagena de Indias: its construction began in the late 16th Century. In front of it you will find the Plaza de Santo Domingo, with indeed attractive restaurants and cafes, nice music and a pretty sight, where you can spend a really fun evening.

The Cathedral

Also known as Minor Basilica. Its construction began in 1575, but it suffered serious damages during the attack of the pirate Francis Drake short before its completion, so the work actually finished in 1612. Its interior walls are splendidly coated with gold.

The Clock Door

This is one of Cartagena’s main symbols. The tower used to be the main entrance to the city, in times when Cartagena did not go beyond the walls. Now there are two more entrances, which not long ago were a small arsenal and a chapel.

The Walls

The walls, an emblem in this as well as in other Caribbean and West Indies cities, were built to protect Cartagena de Indias from the continued pirate attacks. They were built by stages, beginning in 1586, and the work took nearly two centuries. Words would not describe the beauty and grandeur of this construct ion that surrounds what is known by the residents as “Downtown” and is now a refuge for romance.

 

Inquisition Palace

This building is deemed to be one of the typical examples of the 18 th Century architecture. Its rooms and bedrooms used to be the cells and torture rooms used by the Holly Inquisition, which was instituted in Cartagena in 1610 and would remain in these lands up to1821.





And out of the walled city you could see…


Naval Museum

Located on the street known as “Calle de San Juan de Dios”, the museum takes its visitors through the whole naval history of Colombia: scale models, uniforms, weapons and tales that recreate ancient times of pirates and courageous captains.








San Felipe de Barajas

This is a castle-fort, and another classic landmark in Cartage na. It is the lar gest military building in America, whose construction began in 1536, and went through 1657. In its time, it was a military fort of the Spanish Crown, impenetrable by the enemy. The design includes a maze of tunnels, corridors and traps, and on top, an impressive parade ground.








Islas del Rosario (Rosary Islands)

Just thirty minutes away from the bay of Cartagena by motorboat, this little archipelago that resembles a “rosary of islands”, h ence its name, is a paradise for divers. Crystalline water, thousands of marine species and coralline f ormations make these islands one of the most stunni ng places on the Caribbean.
If you do not dive, the landscape will pay the trip: in addition to what nature has to offer, you can feast your eyes on beautiful houses built by local stars and artists, taste excellent food, and of course, enjoy a refreshing swim.