The clacking of our horse-drawn carriage over a labyrinth of cobblestone streets could be the sound of Cartagena centuries ago. A fine post-rain mist disperses the soft light from the Old City’s street lanterns, adding to the mystique of a place that long ago lured pirate ships, staged battles of independence and inspired literary minds such as Gabriel García Márquez.

On a break from business, a friend and I are taking an introductory tour of the walled old Cartagena de Indias, a UNESCO World Heritage site, founded in 1533 and at one time an important Spanish port along the Caribbean.

Our evening tour begins at Las Bóvedas, which translates to “the vaults” in English, originally built in the late 1700s to store munitions. The structure lies along the city walls between the Santa Clara and Santa Catalina forts in the San Diego district.

A fruit seller in Cartagena © Jeremy Richards | Dreamstime

During the civil wars of the 19th century, the arcades in the walls served as prison cells. Today, tourists flock here for Colombian souvenirs from faux paintings emulating famed Colombian artist Fernando Botero to embroidered bags and hammocks. But we are more intrigued by the Palenquera women selling fruit and coconut sweets and posing for photos with fruit baskets on their heads.

Our guide tells us these women hail from San Basilio de Palenque, a village southeast of Cartagena founded in the 16th century by runaway slaves and considered one of the first free towns in the Americas.

We skip the shopping and venture out in our carriage to the walled city, including the 19th-century Torre del Reloj, the clock tower which has become a symbol of Cartagena, as it stands sentry over the Old City encompassing the historical districts of El Centro and San Diego.

Inside the Clock Gate, or Puerta del Reloj, locals and visitors sit outdoors together, sipping beers and soaking in the laid-back Caribbean vibe. The plaza here, once used as a slave market, now houses a statue of the city’s founder, Pedro de Heredia.

Cartagena Clock Tower Gate © Jesse Kraft | Dreamstime.com

Our carriage ride ends at Plaza San Diego, where we dine at Juan del Mar, located in a restored republican house and sporting unique local art including marine sculptures, befitting its focus on seafood.

We leave around 9 p.m., still early by local standards, and head for a drink at Café del Mar atop the western ramparts of the Old City. Inside, club music plays to a handful of tourists, but outside an impromptu party for locals ensues, with Latin music blasting and local entrepreneurs selling $1 beers. We join for a few rudimentary rounds of salsa and step inside the bar, where our seats overlook the water. Most tourists flock here for seaside sunset cocktails.

Walking back through the old town, we make another late-night stop at the Cuban-themed Café Havana for live music and a crowded dance floor. The tourists on this night outnumber the locals, many of whom are bar and club hopping along Calle del Arsenal in Cartagena’s Getsemani district.

Cartagena is just as enchanting by day. We wander atop the fortified city walls, or las murallas, which once protected Cartagena from pirates. One side lends sightlines to the Caribbean while the other looks down the narrow alleys of the old town, accenting the mix of architecture — colonial along with republican- and Italian-style buildings, such as the main cathedral’s bell tower.

At closer look, we marvel at the plethora of Spanish balconies and floral displays. Our self-guided walking tour takes us to the city’s main plazas, starting with Plaza de Bolívar, once hosting bullfights and in 1610 the Santo Tribunal de la Inquisición. A statue of Simón Bolívar on horseback rises above the center of the leafy plaza, and the park is surrounded by an array of exquisite colonial buildings, including the Museo del Oro, the 16th-century Cartagena Cathedral and the Palace of the Inquisition.

Colombian students around the Simón
Bolívar statue © Uli Danner | Dreamstime.com

From the outside, the palace stands out for its grand Spanish-style, 18th-century colonial architecture, but inside we spend most of our time in the torture chamber, which showcases a disturbing array of painful-looking instruments once used on suspected heretics. Morbid curiosity leads me to glass cases with skull crushers, spiked choke holders, finger screws and, at the center of the room, the rack and a witches’ scale.

Also on the square, the Museo del Oro (Zenú Gold Museum) does not compare with its grandiose counterpart in Bogotá but nonetheless features tantalizing eye candy, including bird-shaped pendants and human figures created by the Zenú, an indigenous Caribbean people known for their talents as goldsmiths.

Built in 1576, the cathedral has undergone a number of reconstructions. In the central nave sit a marble pulpit and an 18th-century gilded altar, while much of the remaining interior features simple décor.

From Plaza de Bolívar we meander to Plaza de San Pedro Claver, which served as a staging ground in the mid-1770s for artillery corps parades. La Convento y Iglesia de San Pedro Claver was founded in the 17th century and named after a Spanish-born Jesuit priest who became the patron saint of slaves. His body is kept in a glass coffin in the marble altar of the church.

Nearby, we make a quick visit to the Museo del Arte Moderno de Cartagena, comprised of two buildings. One was built in the second half of the 17th century by the Spanish as the first Customs House in Cartagena, the other at the end of the 19th century. The museum owns an extensive collection of Latin American paintings.

Another religious building of significance is the restored Santo Domingo Church in front of Plaza Santo Domingo, a 16th-century church considered the oldest in the city and known for its crooked bell tower. The plaza is home to the sculpture Mujer Reclinada, or Reclining Woman, a gift from Fernando Botero and a frequent stop for tourist photos.

We also join an audio walking tour of city highlights relating to Gabriel García Márquez, “García Márquez’s Cartagena, Real and Imaginary Tales.” The author set many of his novels, including Love in the Time of Cholera and Of Love and Other Demons, in Cartagena. Márquez reportedly arrived in the city in 1948 with little more than the clothes on his back after escaping a burst of violence in Bogotá.

We rented our headsets from Santo Domingo Church in the Old City. The tour takes in numerous stops relating to the author’s life and references in the books, as well as some other landmarks. At one stop on the city’s Camellón de los Martires, a plaza dedicated to its martyrs, we read an inscription below a statue of a woman standing with her hand open toward the sea. The words “Noli Me Tangere,” meaning “Don’t Touch Me,” were written as a warning to potential invaders. Centuries ago, Cartagena held the Spanish empire’s wealth in gold, a draw for 16th-century pirates who attacked and raided the city, including Englishman Francis Drake.

Just outside the Old City sprawls the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, considered one of the greatest fortresses ever built by the Spaniards in their colonies. According to our guide, 70 percent of the fort is original and 30 percent restoration. The tunnels were all constructed in such a way as to make it possible to hear footsteps of an approaching enemy. Some of the tunnels are open for viewing today, along with a complex of battlements and bunkers. Pirates and other invaders failed to overtake the fortress despite numerous attempts.

In contrast to the Old City’s colonial charms, the peninsula of Bocagrande to the south, sometimes likened to a Colombian Miami Beach, brims with trendy cafés and chic restaurants catering to those who can afford the price of the upscale luxury condos that line the area. This is also the hotel zone and, according to our guide, where the “New City rich class live.”

Bocagrande’s main commercial activity buzzes along Avenida San Martin while volcanic sand beaches line its northern shore. We take a walk along the bay side of the peninsula with views of a statue of the Virgin Mary.

Though not as captivating as the old Cartagena, Bocagrande proves the vibrancy of this dynamic city which straddles the line between past and present.

Cartegena Info to Go

Most visitors fly into Bogotá (BOG) and catch a one-hour connecting flight to Cartagena, although several airlines operate direct flights to Cartagena’s Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) in Crespo. The airport is a short 10-minute taxi journey from the old town and 15 minutes from hotels in Bocagrande. Most tourists arrive on national flights with domestic operators, such as Copa Airlines, LAN, Avianca-Taca and Viva Colombia.

Where to Stay in Cartegena

Hilton Cartagena Hotel Located on Cartagena’s Laguito peninsula overlooking the Caribbean, the Hilton offers a convention center, 341 guestrooms and Las Chivas Restaurant known for its wood-fired pizza. Avenida Almirante Brion, El Laguito $$$

Hotel Casa Lola In the colorful Getsemani district, the hotel occupies two buildings: a 17th-century colonial house and a 19th-century republican construction. Casa Lola’s art and antiques are for sale. Calle del Guerrero 20-108, Carrera 10 $$$

Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena The elegant Old City hotel, built as a convent in 1621, is considered a landmark but features updated amenities such as a spa with eight treatment rooms, a gym and a solarium. Calle del Torno 39-29, Barrio San Diego $$$$

Restaurants in Cartagena

FM Restaurante Cartagena Enjoy Mediterranean-inspired fare in a preserved colonial manor. Emphasis is on wines from its wine cellar and attentive service, with the bonus of a romantic setting accompanied by soft music. Calle Segunda de Badillo 36-151 $$$$

Juan del Mar Located in a restored republican house that serves as part Caribbean art gallery and part eatery, Juan del Mar focuses on everything from Creole seafood to paella to ceviche. Plaza San Diego 8-12 $$$

El Santísimo El Santísimo blends gourmet Caribbean cuisine with French accents using local ingredients and exquisite presentation. Pescatarians can order seafood casserole with coconut milk and coriander, salmon ceviche and octopus carpaccio. Calle del Torno 39-76 $$$