Big on Charm: Colonial Cartagena
Your calendar might say winter’s drawing near, but Cartagena de Indias, just a few degrees north of the Equator, is warm year-round.
One of South America’s oldest colonial cities, Cartagena was founded in 1533, its wealth built on slavery, sugar, and gold. More than seven miles (11 km) of walls and ramparts attesting to its strategic prominence surround the Old City, now a charming UNESCO World Heritage site.
Walking through Cartagena is a step back in time, especially in December and January—Colombia’s “summer”—when balconies, windows, and gardens are alive with tropical flowers. Music fills the streets, a mix of cumbia and other Afro-Caribbean sounds, giving an island-like sensibility.
Rich with history and alive with cultural attractions, the coastal city makes for a sunny and cerebral winter vacation spot.
New Yorker Barbara Kolber spends her winters in Cartagena—ideal, she says, because “it is a hot, dry season,” perfect for boating and wandering the cobblestone streets with little fear of rain. “Cartagena is en route to the Panama Canal, so yachts from all over the world stop off there before transiting the canal, which makes for a very lively international boat scene,” she explains.
‘Tis also Cartagena’s season of celebrations, from January’s Hay Festival of Literature & Arts and International Music Festival to February’s International Film Fest.
> A Great Stay:
The tropical-garden-enclosed pool at the Sofitel Santa Clara Cartagena offers a luxurious place to cool off during the resort city’s dry season. Born as a convent in 1621, the hotel has a whimsical, fairy-tale sensibility, its setting described in Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez’s magical realism novel Of Love and Other Demons.
The decor is a mix of old and modern, with some rooms looking out onto the walled colonial city, others to the sea. Scattered throughout are colonial artifacts discovered during the renovations, helping to further link the convent to the UNESCO World Heritage city around it.
This article first appeared in the National Geographic book Four Seasons of Travel.
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- This ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thoughtThis ‘saber-toothed’ salmon wasn’t quite what we thought
- Why this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect senseWhy this rhino-zebra friendship makes perfect sense
- When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.When did bioluminescence evolve? It’s older than we thought.
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
Environment
- Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?Are the Great Lakes the key to solving America’s emissions conundrum?
- The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?The world’s historic sites face climate change. Can Petra lead the way?
- This pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilienceThis pristine piece of the Amazon shows nature’s resilience
- Listen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting musicListen to 30 years of climate change transformed into haunting music
History & Culture
- Meet the original members of the tortured poets departmentMeet the original members of the tortured poets department
- Séances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occultSéances at the White House? Why these first ladies turned to the occult
- Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?Gambling is everywhere now. When is that a problem?
- Beauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century SpainBeauty is pain—at least it was in 17th-century Spain
Science
- Here's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in spaceHere's how astronomers found one of the rarest phenomenons in space
- Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.Not an extrovert or introvert? There’s a word for that.
- NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?NASA has a plan to clean up space junk—but is going green enough?
- Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?Soy, skim … spider. Are any of these technically milk?
Travel
- Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?Could Mexico's Chepe Express be the ultimate slow rail adventure?
- What it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in MexicoWhat it's like to hike the Camino del Mayab in Mexico