Hello!

This is a photographic journey of Cartagena de Indias. Enjoy!

Cartagena de Indias was originally the land of the Calamarí Indigenous people.

LA CIUDAD AMULLARADA.

The walled city.

Cartagena is a walled city founded by Pedro de Heredia, a Spanish Explorer on June 1st 1533. The town was named after the port city of Cartagena, in Murcia in southeast Spain, where most of Heredia’s sailors had resided. A wall was constructed all around it to protect it from raiders and pirates. It has three areas: San Diego, La Matuna & Getsemani.

These are some of itshistoric buildings and structures:

La Puerta del Reloj

It is the main city gate of the historic center of Cartagena de Indias, and its original entrance to the fortified city.

El Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas.

The Castle of San Felipe de Barajas. More than a castle, this was a fort built in 1536 to protect Cartagena. It is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea.

Streets of La Ciudad Vieja.

El Palacio de la Inquisición

The Inquisition Palace.

It was the seat of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in Cartagena, now in modern Colombia. Completed in 1770, it currently serves as a museum showcasing historical artifacts. Among the many historical artifacts, the museum displays torture equipment used on victims during the inquisition. 

La Plaza de Bolivar

The park is an emblematic site of the city, full of historical and cultural symbolism. It was originally called Plaza de la Iglesia and then Plaza Mayor, since great military acts of the time took place there. In 1610, the Holy Tribunal of the Inquisition was installed in Cartagena and it took the name Plaza de la Inquisición (Inquisition Square).

In 1896, the equestrian statue of ‘El Libertador’ Simón Bolívar was installed and it has since been called Plaza de Bolívar. The sculpture was modeled in Munich by the Venezuelan Eloy Palacios, and is made of bronze. Its pedestal is made of granite from Finland, and two replicas of it stand in Maracaibo, Venezuela and Guayaquil, Ecuador.

La Catedral de Cartagena

Officially known as: La Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Santa Catalina de Alejandría (In english: the Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.)

The Cathedral was built between 1577 and 1612, replacing a modest church made of wood and reeds. The original structure of the cathedral has been preserved today almost unchanged. The cathedral was designed by master builder Simón González, modelled after basilicas in Andalusia and the Canary Islands. Later, in 1908, the tower and dome of the cathedral were refurbished by French architect Gaston Lelarge. However, the balconies, the main portal and cornices are original from the colonial era.

Cartagena de Noche

Night Views.

Leaving the walled city of Cartagena we find the modern part of it around the Bahía de Cartagena (Cartagena Bay). These are some of its areas:

Boca Grande

This is the beach developed area of Cartagena. It is very modern:

Manga

¡Hasta la Próxima! Until next time!

Photo credits: Most of the photos came from HERE.