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Cartagena · History

From Heredia to Blas de Lezo: the city everyone wanted

This route follows Cartagena's history from the inside out: it starts in the old main square where independence was declared, passes the colonial port and the market where enslaved people were sold, goes through the Clock Tower Gate and ends at the fortress that stopped Admiral Vernon in 1741. Go early: the last stretch, out to the castle, is in full sun.

  • 6 stops
  • 2 km
  • 2 h
  • Free
Start with GPS Read about this stop 1
Stone ramps and walls of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

The route

Stop by stop

  1. 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. 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. 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. 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. 5 Camellón de los MártiresNine marble busts recall the patriots Morillo had executed in 1816.
  6. 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.

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Start with GPS

Guide mode

Walk it with GPS.

Open guide mode on your phone: you’ll see your position and the distance to each stop, and we’ll let you know when you arrive. Then read or listen.

Start with GPS

  1. Turn on your location

  2. Walk to the spot

  3. Check the photo and listen

What you’ll discover

From Heredia to Blas de Lezo: the city everyone wanted

Four centuries in two kilometres

From the founding in 1533 to independence in 1811, each stop is a chapter in the city's story.

The memory of slavery

Cartagena was one of the great slave ports of the Americas. The route tells that story carefully, from the market in Plaza de los Coches to the work of Saint Peter Claver.

Ending at the castle

You finish at Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the largest Spanish fortress in the Americas, with Blas de Lezo's statue at the gate.

Keep exploring

More routes in Cartagena

Back to Cartagena
Mysteries & legendsWitches, devils and a mane of copper hair MixedFrom Getsemaní to sunset on the walls

Itineraries

How many days do you have in Cartagena?

We’ve planned it day by day for you: which routes to walk and in what order, what else to see and where to eat.

1

Cartagena in 1 day

All three routes in one full day: the highlights, the history and the legends at dusk.

See the itinerary 2

Cartagena in 2 days

A gentler pace: the three routes over two days, plus extra sights and where to eat.

See the itinerary 3

Cartagena in 3 days

The city in depth: one route a day, extra museums and neighbourhoods, and a day for good food.

See the itinerary