DELVE INTO CARTAGENA´S PAST AND PRESENT
A visit to one of these majestic monuments or museums will bring you up close and personal with the colonial history that makes Cartagena one of the world’s most fascinating tourist destinations and a hub for significant transformations in the region.
CONVENTO SANTO DOMINGO
The home of Dominican monks in the 19th century, this recently-restored building – whose original name was the San Daniel Convent – is now the home of a seminary, art institute and school.
INDIA CATALINA
Marvel at the story of this indigenous woman, kidnapped as a child, who returned to Cartagena as conqueror Pedro de Heredia’s translator, and managed to achieve peace between the Spanish and the indigenous tribes.
MUSEO NAVAL DEL CARIBE
Made up of two wings, separated by two gardens and a set of stairs leading up to the second floor, this museum will take you through the history of sailing and the maritime history of Cartagena and the Colombian Navy.
TORRE DEL RELOJ
Known as the Mouth of the Bridge, this is the main entrance to the historic center. The lateral arches were briefly used as a makeshift chapel and armaments room.
PALACIO DE LA INQUISICIÓN
Bearing a colonial, baroque style, this building, built in 1770, was the headquarters of the Catholic Church’s inquisition tribunal. In 1953 it became Cartagena’s History Museum.
MUSEO DE ARTE DE CARTAGENA
This is one of the few covered public spaces in the Walled City, home to 400 works of art from local artists, the majority by Cecilia Porras, Enrique Grau, Alejandro Obregón and Hernando Lemaitre.
CASTILLO SAN FELIPE DE BARAJAS
Built in 1657 by the Spanish crown, this fort atop the San Lázaro hill defended the city for centuries against invasions by the French and Spanish.
CASA MUSEO DE RAFAEL NÚÑEZ
Once the house of Cartagena’s own poet and president Rafael Núñez, it was acquired by his father-in-law Manuel Román from a local fisherman called Nicolás Ballesteros. Years later it was destroyed in a fire and reconstructed, true to its original design.
MUSEO IGLESIA SAN PEDRO CLAVER
This temple holds a shrine to a saint who dedicated his life to protecting and converting thousands of slaves. It also holds two precious collections: one with colonial and pre-Columbian archaeological artifacts, and another including religious art from a variety of eras.
