Elevated view of the Camellón de los Mártires with the Clock Tower and the walled city behind
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Cartagena in 2 days

  • 2 days
  • 5.2 km on foot
  • 17 stops
  • Audio guide

Two days is just enough for Cartagena to stop being a postcard. You spread the three tours out without rushing, give your afternoons to the museums and the inside of the fortress, and still have time to ride up to the La Popa lookout. The plan is built around the climate: early starts, a midday siesta and long strolls at sunset, when the whole city spills out onto the streets.

Day 1Gold, ships and legends

Start early with “From Getsemaní to sunset on the walls”, from Callejón Angosto to the cathedral and the Santo Domingo Bastion, before the heat builds. After a posta cartagenera lunch, escape the sun in two museums a few steps apart: the Zenú Gold Museum and the Naval Museum of the Caribbean. Mid-afternoon, set off on “Witches, devils and a mane of copper hair” from San Pedro Claver, right next door, so you reach Las Bóvedas as the sun sets. Have seafood cazuela for dinner in San Diego or Getsemaní.

  1. Morning

    From Getsemaní to sunset on the walls

    Mixed · 1.6 km · 1 h 45 min

    1. Callejón Angosto and the murals of GetsemaníThe craftsmen's district that pushed for independence is now an open-air street art gallery.
    2. Plaza de la TrinidadThe square where Getsemaní comes out to play every evening, in front of its yellow 17th-century church.
    3. Clock Tower Gate and the Portal de los DulcesWalk through the gate of the walled city and sweeten your afternoon at the Portal de los Dulces.
    4. Cathedral of Saint Catherine of AlexandriaOne of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas, which survived Francis Drake's cannons.
    5. Plaza de Santo Domingo and Botero's GertrudisThe liveliest square in the old town, with Botero's reclining woman that everyone wants to touch.
    6. Santo Domingo BastionEleven kilometres of city walls and Cartagena's best sunset, with the Caribbean at your feet.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Posta cartagenera at Restaurante La Mulata. Calle Quero n.º 9-58, San Diego

  3. Afternoon

    Zenú Gold Museum

    A small museum run by Colombia’s central bank on Plaza de Bolívar, showing goldwork by the Zenú people, who lived on the plains of Colombia’s Caribbean coast. You’ll see it in an hour, and it’s ideal for the hottest part of the day.

    Directions

    Naval Museum of the Caribbean

    Housed in a colonial building next to San Pedro Claver, it tells Cartagena’s maritime story: pirates, galleons, fortifications and Vernon’s siege of 1741, with models and replicas. It’s the perfect companion to the history tour.

    Directions

  4. Early evening

    Witches, devils and a mane of copper hair

    Mysteries & legends · 1.6 km · 1 h 35 min

    1. San Pedro Claver: the saint's bonesA skeleton in a glass casket beneath the altar and a long list of miracles told by the people of Cartagena.
    2. Palace of the InquisitionThe tribunal that tried heretics, healers and alleged witches in Cartagena, and the little window where denunciations were left.
    3. Church of Santo DomingoA crooked bell tower that, legend says, the devil himself pushed, and the lost grave of Blas de Lezo.
    4. Former Convent of Santa ClaraThe convent where, in 1949, García Márquez saw the copper-coloured hair that inspired «Of Love and Other Demons».
    5. Las BóvedasTwenty-three bombproof vaults that ended up as dungeons, and the route's final sunset.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  5. Dinner

    Try Seafood cazuela at La Casa de Socorro. Calle Larga n.º 8B-112, Getsemaní

Day 2Fortresses and high views

Spend the morning on “From Heredia to Blas de Lezo”: Plaza de Bolívar, Plaza de la Aduana, the Clock Tower Gate and the Camellón de los Mártires, ending at the foot of Castillo San Felipe. Set out very early, since the last stretch has no shade, and while you’re there, go inside the fortress before noon. Then fried fish with coconut rice and a siesta. Once the sun eases off, take a taxi up to La Popa Convent: it’s the best lookout in town, and from up there the whole bay makes sense.

  1. Morning

    From Heredia to Blas de Lezo: the city everyone wanted

    History · 2 km · 2 h

    1. Plaza de Bolívar and the Palacio de la ProclamaciónThe old main square, where Cartagena declared its independence from Spain on 11 November 1811.
    2. Plaza de la AduanaThe great square of the colonial port, where duties were charged on everything that came in or went out of the city.
    3. Church and Cloister of San Pedro ClaverThe Jesuit who went down into the holds of slave ships and signed himself «slave of the Black people forever».
    4. Clock Tower Gate and Plaza de los CochesThe main gate of the walled city and, beside it, the square where enslaved people were sold.
    5. Camellón de los MártiresNine marble busts recall the patriots Morillo had executed in 1816.
    6. Castillo San Felipe de BarajasThe largest Spanish fortress in the Americas and Blas de Lezo, who held out against Vernon's fleet in 1741.

    Start the audio guide See the route

  2. Lunch

    Try Fried fish with coconut rice at Kiosco El Bony. Playa de Bocagrande, carrera 1, frente al Hotel Caribe

  3. Afternoon

    Inside Castillo San Felipe

    The tour ends at its gate, and it’s well worth going in: ramps, gun batteries and tunnels dug beneath the fortress, with views over the city. There’s hardly any shade, so go early and bring water; buying your ticket in advance is a good idea.

    Directions

    La Popa Convent

    On top of La Popa hill, the highest point in Cartagena, stands a convent founded in the early 17th century, with a cloister full of flowers. Go by taxi, ask the driver to wait, and linger at the lookout to take in the bay.

    Directions

The map

Cartagena in 2 days, on the map

Each route’s stops are numbered in order; the stars are the extra sights.

Mixed Mysteries & legends History Extra sight

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Before you go

Tips for Cartagena in 2 days

  • December to April is the dry season, with a steady breeze and little rain; from September to November afternoon downpours are common, so keep the museums for those hours.
  • San Felipe and La Popa are outside the walls, and walking there is long and shadeless: use a taxi or a ride-hailing app. Agree on the fare up front and, for La Popa, on the waiting time too.
  • Some museums in the old town close on Mondays or change their hours: check the Gold Museum and the Naval Museum before you go and, if needed, swap the two days around.

Questions

Cartagena in 2 days: your questions

Are two days enough for Cartagena?

For the city itself, yes: two days cover the walled city, Getsemaní, the inside of San Felipe, La Popa and a couple of museums at an easy pace. What doesn’t fit is the beach or the islands; if you want a day by the sea, add a third.

How much walking is there on this itinerary?

The tours add up to about 5.2 km: 3.2 km on day one (1.6 + 1.6) and 2 km on day two. Add the fortress visit, with its ramps and steps. Don’t walk up to La Popa: the road is long and has no shade, so take a taxi.

Is it worth going inside Castillo San Felipe?

Yes, especially if you like history. It’s impressive from outside, but inside you understand how it worked: galleries, batteries and tunnels designed to hold out under siege. Allow an hour or a bit more, bring water and avoid the midday heat.

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