A Tale of Two Cities

The seductress and the shame

Cartagena’s affluent heart and the ramshackles of the southeast side barrios. A city with two faces: the one they show off and seduces you, and the other closed off and shamed with an abundance of poverty.

Cartagena was founded in 1533 and was named after the port city of the same name in southeast Spain.  This beautiful colonial city on the Caribbean coast boasts the historical walled city from the late 16th century.  Inside the walled city, the history is preserved and just outside the protective walls is Bocagrande, the ultramodern skyscraper row of the riches.

Through all the centuries of pirate battles, numerous invasions, devastating fires, the city was rebuilt and treasure filled tombs were discovered and the city continued to prosper. Cartagena became the largest port in the Americas and held a lot of raw materials and in the 17th century it also became the hub for the slave trade, further solidifying its riches.

Strolling through the streets of the walled city, your senses will be seduced with a  myriad of colours and historic architecture, music that will make your feet dance, food that will make you salivate and Caribbean vibes that will make you feel one with the city.  As you enter the walled city you will pass by the hands of the clock on the Puerta del Reloj wind back 400 years and you will feel like you step back in time.  Cartagena is a living, working town that just happens to look a lot like it did centuries ago.