Things to Do in Cartagena

Start with the walled city. The old town is compact, walkable, and best in the late afternoon when the heat eases and the light turns gold. Torre del Reloj, Las Bovedas, the balconies, the plazas: this is the Cartagena on the postcards, and it earns it.

Then San Felipe Castle, the fortress above the city, built to hold off empires. The chiva city tour covers the castle, Bocagrande bay, and the old town in one relaxed afternoon, which is why it is the easiest first day in the city.

The islands are the other half of Cartagena. The Rosario archipelago sits about an hour offshore: coral reefs, water in impossible colors, and beach clubs where a day disappears. If you only have one island day, island hopping shows you the most, and the plankton at the end is worth staying for.

The Totumo mud volcano is the strange one, and the one people talk about afterward. You climb into a crater of warm mineral mud, float in it, then rinse off in the lagoon. It is undignified and completely worth it.

At night, the bay. The party boat runs two evening departures with an open bar and the skyline lit up behind you. Cartagena after dark is a different city.