In a nutshell

We will discover the history and charm of the stunning walled city of Cartagena, named one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. We will walk along its attractive streets and admire the most important monuments, enjoying a break for some shopping and a sightseeing coach tour to complete our overview of the city.

Main stops

Baluarte de Santiago
Guided walk through the centre
San Pedro Claver church and square
Plaza de la Aduana
Cathedral visit
Plaza de Bolívar and the Palace of the Inquisition
Las Bóvedas and a break for shopping
Sightseeing tour of Bocagrande
Photo stop at San Felipe de Barajas castle

The programme

A short coach ride will take us to the Baluarte de Santiago, one of the first sections of the mighty city walls to be built in the 17th Century.
Here is where our guided walk through the old town will begin. We will stroll along the cobbled streets and squares of the walled city or ciudad amurallada that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, with its varied architecture that blends Colonial, Italian and Republican styles.
We will reach Plaza San Pedro Claver, home to the church of Saint Peter Claver, dedicated to the patron saint of the Catholic missions on behalf of black African and Afro-American people. He was named the 'apostle of slaves' because he dedicated his life to evangelisation and protecting African slaves that arrived in Cartagena.
Our guide will then take us to Plaza de la Aduana, the biggest and oldest square in the old town, not to mention Cartagena's commercial hub in Colonial times.
When we reach Plaza de la Proclamación, we will visit the *Cathedral, which dates back to the 17th Century. It will welcome us with a beautiful portal and amaze us inside with a precious altar made from Carrara marble.
Our tour will continue in the adjacent Plaza de Bolívar, where we can admire the statue dedicated to famous Venezuelan revolutionary, Simon Bolívar, and the Palace of the Inquisition, once home to the court of the same name and one of the most elegant and typically Colonial buildings in the city.
At the end of our walk, we will return to the Baluarte de Santiago. There, we will get back on the coach and head to Las Bóvedas, a series of underground vaults built between 1792 and 1796, which today house a series of artisan shops. We will stop briefly to do some shopping, browsing the countless objects.
Then we will continue our sightseeing tour on the coach, passing through the Bocagrande district. It is the most exclusive district in the city and lies on a long, narrow strip of land that was still deserted wasteland at the start of the 20th Century.
Our final stop will be to take photos at San Felipe de Barajas castle, a majestic stronghold dating back to the 16th Century and the largest Spanish fort in the New World, built on a hill offering breathtaking views of Cartagena.

Good to know

This excursion includes a walk lasting approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, over cobbled streets, steps and other uneven ground.
Comfortable shoes are recommended.