Get to know Cartagena
Cartagena de Indias is a Caribbean port city in Colombia where historic quarters and a modern waterfront offer different ways to spend the day. Start with Centro and San Diego for monuments and squares, then give Getsemaní time of its own. The UNESCO inscription covers the port, fortifications and group of monuments, rather than every part of the modern city. A walk makes sense for the streets; a bay cruise gives you a different perspective on the waterfront.
The city was founded in 1533, and its strategic port helps explain the scale of the defences. The walls are publicly accessible for a free walk, subject to temporary restrictions. Castillo San Felipe, on Cerro de San Lázaro, is a separate visit with steep ramps and steps. Bring suitable shoes, drinking water and sun protection, especially if your plans include the fortress around the hottest part of the day.
Explore Cartagena
Choose a city walk for the historic neighborhoods or a bay cruise for time on the water. Island trips include lunch and boat transport.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Rosario Islands and snorkeling
- Return transportation by speedboat
- Snorkeling
- Lunch
Port tax and aquarium admission cost extra.
Check availability →
Rosario Islands and beach clubs
- Roundtrip transportation by boat
- 3 beach club passes
- Lunch
Snorkeling and equipment are included only with Eco or VIP options. Port tax and the optional oceanarium cost extra.
Check availability →
Cartagena bike tour
- Bike and helmet
- Local professional guide
- Fresh fruits
Hotel pickup is an extra-cost option; admission fees are separate.
Check availability →
Street food in the historic center
- Tasting of 10+ dishes and drinks
- Specialty Colombian coffee tasting
- Fruit tasting
A walk through the Walled City centered on local flavors.
Check availability →
Bay cruise with music
- 90-minute tour around Cartagena's Bay
- Open bar of rum and coke, rum punch and soft drinks
- Music
Dock tax is payable separately.
Check availability →
Walled City and Getsemaní walk
- Professional tour guide
- Tour in the Historic Center
- Tour in Getsemaní neighborhood
Explore two historic areas with a professional guide.
Check availability →Walks, flavours and time on the water
Discover the historic quarters on foot, taste local food or take a guided bicycle ride. Bay cruises and island outings suit different plans.
Choose your way into the city
The shared historic-centre and Getsemaní walk lasts two and a half hours and starts at Plaza Cervantes. It includes a guide and both neighbourhood walks; meals and hotel transport are extra. Choose it when understanding the streets matters more than fitting in a vehicle circuit. The Cartagena tours comparison also covers tastings, dancing and excursions.
Food offers another route into local culture. The walled-city tasting walk includes ten or more dishes and drinks, with coffee and fruit among its inclusions. The historical bicycle outing lasts two hours and includes a bicycle, helmet, guide, water, a refreshing drink, fruit and a typical sweet. Its hotel pickup is an extra paid option and the return hotel transfer is excluded. For a dedicated guide or boat, compare private tours separately.
Compare guided experiences
Walks, tastings and excursions with different services.
Things to do in Cartagena
Choose between historic streets, the fortress, bicycles and the bay.
Inside the walled city
Historic quarters, public walls, squares and museum visits.
Getsemaní and street art
Explore neighbourhood history, art and food walks.
Castillo San Felipe
Admission categories, steep paths and the fortified site.
Walking tours compared
Guided routes with different starting and transfer arrangements.
City tours and vehicle routes
Compare panoramic outings, Chiva trips and fortress visits.
Boat trips on the bay
Boarding, sunset outings and included drinks.
Taste Cartagena on foot
Walled-city flavours and Getsemaní food routes.
Totumo mud volcano
Choose between snack, lunch and private excursion packages.
San Basilio de Palenque
Music, food and cultural visits in a living community.
Dancing and nightlife
Compare salsa-bar accompaniment and rooftop dancing.
Private tours in Cartagena
Dedicated city, boat, Totumo and Palenque options.
Excursions from Cartagena
Compare inland outings by activity and meal arrangements.
Getsemaní, the fortress and the bay
Getsemaní has a history of artisans and enslaved people as well as its present cultural and food scene. Treat it as a lived-in neighbourhood: give residents room and ask before making people the subject of a photograph. Street art is part of a visit, with changing murals rather than a fixed collection. Continue to the Getsemaní guide for the distinction between art-focused and food-focused walks.
For the waterfront, the ninety-minute bay cruise includes music and an open bar of rum and coke, rum punch and soft drinks. Other drinks, snacks and the harbour fee cost extra. This is a bay outing, with a different purpose from an island day. Wear a life jacket when required, use authorised boarding and take sea conditions seriously when planning a boat trip.
Islas del Rosario, Barú and Playa Blanca
Keep island planning separate from your city route. The three-beach-club outing includes return boat transport, a guide, sunbeds, parasols and lunch; snorkelling and equipment belong to its Eco or VIP options. The speedboat outing includes snorkelling, lunch, loungers, hydration and a beach-club visit. Harbour tax and optional aquarium admission are separate expenses. The Rosario park entry charge and compulsory accident insurance are also distinct items to account for in the trip budget.
These destinations belong to the coastal and marine protected-area context. Avoid touching coral and leave shells, starfish and coral pieces where they belong. Playa Blanca is not an embarkation point for journeys to other park sectors. Decide whether a longer outing on the water fits your schedule before filling the rest of the day with city activities.
Plan the practical parts
Centro and San Diego suit an interest in historic surroundings; Getsemaní offers a cultural and gastronomic setting; Bocagrande has modern buildings and beach proximity. Consider the coastal construction works when choosing a beach stay. The city announcement of 24 September 2026 schedules completion of the first phase, beaches one to five, for April 2027.
December to April is the drier period, while May to November is the rainy season. Heat still deserves space in your itinerary. Keep valuables secure and avoid isolated streets after dark, following the German Federal Foreign Office's advice dated 2 November 2026. Use cash machines during the day in busy surroundings, banks or shopping centres. Your accommodation location, arrival arrangements and outdoor plans should work together.
Arrival, areas and background
Rafael Núñez Airport
Plan the journey from CTG to your accommodation.
Choose your neighbourhood
Compare Centro, San Diego, Getsemaní and Bocagrande.
When to visit Cartagena
Heat, rain and planning time outdoors.
The history of Cartagena
The port, fortifications, neighbourhoods and historical museum.
City beaches and Bocagrande
Coastal surroundings, construction and planning a beach visit.
Continuing your journey in Colombia
Medellín, Comuna 13 and Guatapé with Piedra del Peñol belong in a separate onward stage of a Colombia itinerary. Give that stage its own travel arrangements and accommodation decisions. For excursions based in Cartagena itself, start with the day-trip comparison, which separates Totumo from the cultural visit to San Basilio de Palenque.
More independent Colombia guides
Separate guides from the same team, each focused on one place.
El Peñol rock
The climb, the reservoir views and day trips with Guatapé.
Rosario Islands
Island day trips, beach clubs, snorkeling and Playa Blanca.
Comuna 13
Street art, the outdoor escalators and guided tours of the district.
Medellín
Metrocable, Parque Arví, coffee tours and the city's neighborhoods.
Questions about visiting Cartagena
What is a useful starting point for a first visit?
Begin with the historic quarters and choose between a guided walk, a food outing and a bicycle tour according to your interests. Add the fortress or a bay cruise as a separate part of the day.
Can I walk along the walls for free?
The wall walk is free and publicly accessible. Temporary restrictions can affect access, so use the walled-city guide when planning your route.
Is this an official city website?
This independent visitor guide does not represent the city, tourism authorities or fortress administration.