Backstage Cartagena

OVERVIEW

Explore the attractions known mostly to residents and insiders and come away with a deeper understanding of Cartagena’s history and culture. Even at high-profile landmarks such as the 17th-century stronghold San Felipe Castle, you will browse areas most visitors never see such as its secret tunnels and passageways. Other venues include an exclusive mall designed around a historical bullring, an unusual shopping area in an old dungeon and La Merced, the serene cloisters that hold the remains of Gabriel Garcia Márquez, the revered Nobel Prize-winning Colombian novelist. As you meander along the city’s cobblestone streets, the guide will describe the colonial architecture, churches and squares but with a focus on the more unusual facts and activities. For instance, at Santo Domingo Square, you will stop in Casa Cruxada to sit in on a coffee-roasting workshop and to sample a Colombian coffee inspired beverage. The building dates to 1630 and was Cartagena’s first city hall. Highlights includes a behind-the-scenes, insider’s view of Cartagena’s most intriguing attractions. See the hidden passageways in the bowels of the 17th-century fortress San Felipe Castle. Discover the original, sometimes infamous uses for buildings that now hold upscale shops. Visit the cloisters where the ashes of novelist Gabriel Garcia Márquez are interred. Learn how Colombian’s extraordinary coffee is roasted and enjoy a freshly cold brew coffee.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Enjoy a behind-the-scenes, insider’s view of Cartagena’s most intriguing attractions.
• See the hidden passageways in the bowels of the 17th-century fortress San Felipe Castle.
• Discover the original, sometimes infamous uses for buildings that now hold upscale shops.
• Visit the cloisters where the ashes of novelist Gabriel Garcia Márquez are interred.
• Learn how Colombian’s extraordinary coffee is roasted and enjoy a freshly cold brew coffee.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.