Cartagena city - Bolívar

Distance from Bogotá: 1060 Km.

This is the most important tourist destination of the country, one of the most famous tourist places of The Caribe.  It is a big bay sorrounded by islands and lakes.  This is the favourite place of Colombia.

This is a historical capital plenty of leyends.  It preserves its colonial architecture.  Before the discovery of the continent, its coasts were inhabited by Caribean warriors.  The streets are narrow, the squares are surrounded by colonial houses with wood balconies.  The city was founded in 1533 by Don Pedro de Heredia.
During the night, Cartagena de Indias recieves lots of people.  It has many entertainment locations which are placed in the colonial sector: bars, discos and traditional restaurants.  In the modern sector of the city, tourists can enjoy Caribean music as rumbas.

How is it possible to arrive to Cartagena de Indias?

The access to the city is not complicated.  It is possible to arrive there by plane, car and boat.

The Airport Rafael Núñez Crespo (Telephone number: 57-9- 53 596273) is placed in the centre of the city.  Many airlines work there: Avianca, Aires, Copa Airlines, Air Madrid, etc.  The fastest way to arrive is by plane, through direct flights from Bogotá, Cali, Medellín or Bucaramanga.

It is also easy to arrive by boat.  The bay lets the access to boats and ships the whole year.  Many cruisers make an obligatory stop here.

The Terminal of Transports of Cartagena (Telephone number: 6630317/289/454) is the location from where many bus companies arrive and depart to other cities inside and outside the country.

Tourist attractions of Cartagena

El corralito de Piedra

A historical zone, a colonial village enclosed by walls that were made with the aim of protecting the city from permanent attacts.  The construction was stablished by periods: 1556 and 1608.
Inside the city, there are many ancient buldings and streets.  The square is surrounded by ancient residences and wood balconies.
Outside the walls, there are romantic bars and restaurants.

El Laguito

A tourist region that contains the major quantity of bars and restaurants of the city.  The beaches are plenty of national and international tourists.  It offers many entertainment places which are located in front of the sea.  Such places have a tropical athmosphere reflected on dicos and casinos.

Bocagrande

This is a very famous place, a consolidated tourist center because it presents the best tourist infrastructure of the region.  The most part of tourists enjoys its calm zones.

Islas

Many beautiful islands surround the beach. The Island of Barú and The Islands of Rosario are known thanks to their white sands and the possibility of practicing nautic sports as swimming under the water, and also, enjoy ecological walkings.

Attractions in the centre of the city

At the moment of visiting the city, it is possible to arrive to some important historical places such as:

La Puerta del Reloj (The Clock´s Door), the symbol of Cartagena.  This icon also represents the country.  It is located on the Blas de Rezo Avenue.  This central door used to communicate the city to Getsemaní village.

La Plaza de los Coches (The Cars´ Square), a historical square where African slaves were brought and sold.  There is a monument, the statue of Pedro de Heredia, the finder of Cartagena de Indias.

Other interesting places to visit are: la Plaza de la Aduana that presents a colonial architecture, la Casa del Premio Real that is situated in front of la Plaza de la Aduana and has wood balconies with an Andalucian architecture, The Museum of Modern Art, Baluarte de San Francisco, Baluarte de San Javier, The Museum of Gold, and The Palace of The Inquisition.

Festival Internacional de Cine (International Film Festival)

This international festival covers films and television.  It is one of the most important events of the city.  It takes place on March.  It is a competition where different countries participate in diverse cathegories.