Cartagena Revisited

It has been ten years since Don and I have been in the beautiful city of Cartagena with our boat and our time spent here has always been one of our favorite experiences in cruising. Back then we stayed three months, Darci celebrated her quince anos, and the Starship had a complete refit/haulout as the prices were incredibly affordable. 

Now costs seem to have caught up with the United States and we are shocked at the increase. No longer is a box of red wine $3.00, we haven’t found one under $6.00 and our barometer of acceptable cruising costs is steadily rising. As we arrived the number of high rises along the waterfront has definitely increased since our last visit and if we didn’t have our GPS to tell us differently we would assume we were in Miami Beach. Hmmmmm......sister cities???? 

Cartagena was established in 1533 by the Spanish and was the major gold repository on the road from Peru to Spain. Consequently the old city is completely surrounded by thick walls and cannons and is a warren of winding cobblestone streets and alleyways, while the new city is high rises, beachfront condos and glass. With a population over 1.2 million, blessed with a natural inner harbor it is also a major port and tourist attraction.

Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1977, Cartagena is another city that is a feast for the eyes, full of beautiful historical buildings, shady plazas and cafes, and street hawkers selling popular Panama hats, colorful handmade bags, amazingly inexpensive Rolexes, and of course famous Colombian emeralds.

Torre  del Reloj

Nighttime is the best time to walk the streets of the old city of Cartagena. It is cooler and sometimes a light breeze penetrates the city walls, the cafes are all open, and the city is bathed in yellow spotlights. Torre del Reloj marks the main gate and is the primary entryway into the old city. 

Horse drawn carriages provide city tours or walking tours are available as well. Administrative palaces and city plazas become sparkling extravaganzas full of tourists, locals, and vendors. The City of Cartagena de Indias, hot, beautiful, and no longer barato. Darn!