Cartagena, Columbia

Cartagena is a city in Bolivar, Colombia. It is located on Colombia's northern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. It is an historic town and port city, which is a popular tourist destination during summer months. Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Cartagena offers tourists ancient forts, churches and palaces; a walled town filled with exquisite 16th- and 17th-century Spanish colonial architecture, beaches, snorkeling and scuba diving reefs, excellent restaurants and great shopping.

Things to See & Do

* Cartagena's 500-hundred year-old coralstone forts
* Castillo de San Felipe - fortress
* Historic old town and city wall
* Museums & churches
* Views from La Popa hill and nearby Santa Cruz monastery

Cruise Season - Jan - Dec
Currency - Peso (COP)
Language - Spanish
Land Area - 572 km²
Population - 1,200,000 approx
Electricity - 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style
Time - GMT minus five hours
International Country Telephone Code - + 57

Port Location - There are cruise port is located a 15 minute taxi or shuttle ride from downtown Cartagena.

Transport Links - Rafael Nuñez International Airport receives international flights from Panama City (Aero Republica), Lima (LAN Peru), Fort Lauderdale (Spirit Airlines and Avianca), and Miami (Avianca) and domestic non-stop flights from Medellín, Cali, San Andrés and Bogotá. Cartagena is 1000 km north of Bogotá (about an hour by air), or a 2.5 hour flight from Miami and five to five and a half hours from New York City.

The bus terminal is 6 km east of the old city. Buses leave every hour for Barranquilla, and from there frequent buses connect to Santa Marta.

Cartagena is an important port for charter boats between Colombia and Panama. There is several private boats doing that trip. The trip usually takes 4 nights and 5 days and includes a 2 days stopover in San Blas Islands. At the Panama end, the boats either leave from the Portobelo Area or from Carti in San Blas, rather than Colón.