On our cruise of the Panama Canal, we stopped in the beautiful South American port of Cartagena, Colombia.
We were all excited to visit Cartagena, known as the “Jewel of the Indies”, and the only South American stop on our itinerary. Perusing the shore excursions offered by both Princess Cruise Line and independent tour companies, we all agree that we wanted to do a walking tour of the Old City, and of course some shopping!
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Priced at $34.95 per person, the “Old City Walking Tour & Las Bovedas” offered through Princess was one of the most affordable tour options available. It featured all of the things that we wanted to do, so it was an easy choice! (Note: the stops on the tour that Princess offers have recently changed, so it’s slightly different than the one we took.)
To the city!
We met our group of about 20 people and our tour guide to board the coach. We were very thankful for the air conditioning on board because it was super hot and sunny.
On the way to our first stop, we drove through the Manga neighborhood, arriving at the San Felipe de Barajas fort. As soon as we exited the bus, we saw several women wearing brightly colored dresses with fruit-covered hats: Las Palenqueras!
The history of how these fruit sellers came to symbolize Cartagena is really quite fascinating. The village of San Basilio de Palenque, an hour-and-a-half outside of modern Cartagena, was formed by escaped slaves in the 15th century. It became the first free settlement of former African slaves in the Americas in 1691.
Having their freedom but not much in the way of resources to survive, many of the villagers capitalized on the one thing they had in abundance: fruit. Many began making the daily trek on foot to Cartagena to sell to the inhabitants of the city.
Today, the Palenqueras make most of their money from tourist photos, but you can still purchase their fruit as well.
Be careful of funny math
The ladies greeted the newly-arrived tourists and offered to pose for pictures. Our fruit lady told us that a picture would be $2, so Mr. SBC and I each had one photo snapped with her. Somehow that turned into $10 (must be some weird math). Just be warned that they may try to scam you.

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
The fort itself was an impressive structure, located on a hill not too far from where the coach stopped. We only had time for a few pictures of the fort on our tour, but I did notice people climbing the sloped walkways leading into the fort. If we visit Cartagena again, I’d like to explore this fortress.

In 1984, the fort was listed by UNESCO, along with the Old City of Cartagena, as a World Heritage Site. If you’d like to visit the fort, tickets are $25 USD for
A visit to the fort is also included as part of several longer guided tours, including the six-hour Cartagena City Full Day Tour. (This is not the tour we took, but it includes many of the sights that we saw, plus tickets to the fort.).
We enter the Old City
Back on the coach, we continued toward the Old City, taking in the gorgeous colonial architecture. Many of the buildings reminded me of the Western Mediterranean, and the bougainvillea draping from nearly every window added to the European feel.
The center of Cartagena is surrounded by seven miles of stone walls constructed to defend the city from pirate attacks. We parked just outside of the city walls near La Puerta Del Reloj (The Clock Gate).

La Puerta Del Reloj, the main entrance to the Old City
The Naval Museum and…dancing?
Our first stop inside the walls of the Old City was the Naval Museum of the Caribbean. We were ushered through part of the museum, and given a short time to look at some of the displays, including dioramas of battles and of the fort that we had just visited.
Almost all of the signage is only in Spanish, and much of it is very detailed, so non-Spanish speakers should hire a guide to get the most out of this museum. I don’t think our guide was knowledgeable about naval history, as this was the only stop on our tour where she didn’t narrate what we were seeing.
After a short time in
A group of college-aged men and women, definitely not professionals, danced for about 20 minutes to lively music. There was not only zero explanation of the context, but there was also no introduction of who the dancers were or what kind of dances they were performing. It was very strange.

I found out later that the naval museum is quite a bit larger than just the small part we were shown. There’s apparently an entire floor that we skipped, that features interactive displays. If you’re interested in military history and are fluent in Spanish (or hire a knowledgeable guide), you might want to set aside an hour or two to explore.
Individual tickets are 6000 pesos ($2 USD) for adults and 3000 pesos (1 USD) for children. English-speaking guides may be hired at the museum for $12 USD. The museum is open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM.
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The Apostle of the West Indies
We stopped at San Pedro Claver Plaza, which consists of a church, cloister, and museum.
San Pedro Claver was a Spanish Jesuit priest and missionary. Born in 1580 in Verdú, Catalonia, Spain, San Pedro arrived in Cartagena in 1610 to begin his missionary work. He was so disturbed by the treatment that he witnessed of the African slaves who had been brought to the colony, that he devoted his life to working for better conditions for them.
San Pedro is the patron saint of Colombia, and the country’s Human Rights Day, September 9, was declared in his honor.

We headed through the peaceful cloister to the museum, appreciating the cool shade. As we were pressed for time on this short tour, we were unable to spend a lot of time inside. Our guide gave us a brief overview as we walked through the small museum dedicated to the life and ministry of San Pedro, who lived and died in this complex of
Continuing on to the church, our guide told us that San Pedro’s bones are on display in the front of the church, behind one of the altars. As church services were being conducted when we were ushered through the building, we were unable to spend much time looking at the architecture. We obviously couldn’t make our way to the front of the church to visit his resting place, but it’s allowed when there are no services. (If you would like to see his resting place, I found a picture here. Don’t click if you’re scared of bones!
If you would like to visit independently, the sanctuary is open Monday through Friday, 8-6, and 8-5 on the weekend. Tickets are 13,000 pesos (a little over $4 USD).
No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!
Our next stop was the Inquisition Museum (Museo Historico de Cartagena de Indias). Much of the early history of Cartagena was shaped by the Spanish Inquisition, which began in 1478 and wasn’t officially abolished until 1834. So, we thought that a visit to this small museum would be key to our understanding of the city.
The museum is housed in the
The museum used to house many instruments of torture, but most of these were removed in 2015 before Pope Francis visited. What remains is very sparse, and there are definitely not enough exhibits and information to justify spending a long time inside.
This museum is best visited with a guide, unless you have a good understanding of Spanish. Most of the signs explaining the exhibits are in Spanish, although there are English translations of some things. Our guide was able to give us a narrated tour, so we were able to move much faster than we would if we were stopping to read every sign.
One of the fascinating things that she shared with our group was that for a time, the women of the city were weighed against a stone that was supposed to be the “correct weight” for adult females. Women who weighed less than the stone would be accused of witchcraft!
If you do choose to visit on your own, tickets are 20,000 pesos (a little over $6 USD). If you have cellular data (which most foreign tourists do not), you can download an app that can serve as a guide.
A little free time
Despite our rushed pace, we were given a short period in which we could explore on our own. We wandered for a bit in the square, until my daughter spotted a street vendor selling empanadas. Having volunteered for a summer in Belize, she considers herself a worthy judge of this snack. She declared that it was the best empanada she’d ever eaten. I wasn’t hungry, but I’ll take her word for it.

Last stop: shopping!
The last place we went on our tour was to visit Las Bovedas (The Vaults), a shopping area housed in an eighteenth-century former munitions storehouse.
The building itself makes for a very interesting looking shopping center, with its 47 archways and 23 domes. The coach dropped us right in front, and we were told we had 20 minutes for our shopping and to use the public restroom if we needed to.
I had a mission (I wanted to find some simple emerald studs, as Colombia is known for its emeralds), so I skipped the restroom break. I later heard some of our group complaining that they had missed the shopping because there was only one restroom and a long line.
My daughter has a tradition of choosing a piece of local art, usually a watercolor, by a local artist to remember her trip. I found a jewelry store right at the entrance, and she poked around, looking at the unframed pieces by local artists they also had for sale.
The prices for the jewelry didn’t seem like an amazing bargain, but they did have an enormous selection, so I was able to choose exactly what I wanted. The saleswoman was open to a little haggling on the price, and I found a pair that I loved, set in sterling, for a reasonable cost.
My daughter was torn between two paintings by the same artist, but I had told her that she had to pick just one. Another passing salesperson mentioned that the two pieces complement each other, and she offered to give us a generous discount if we bought both.
Purchases in hand, we made it back to the coach with thirty seconds to spare! If you visit Las Bovedas looking for souvenirs, be sure that you have enough time to look around. We barely scratched the surface in our short trip there. Try to bargain on price; this is a tourist destination, so prices are a little inflated.
Back to the pier
We still had a couple of hours before we had to reboard our ship, so not really enough time to do something else in Cartagena on our own. (Sailaway was early, at 3 PM, so we could reach the Panama Canal by 6 the next morning). There was a large souvenir market set up at the pier, so we decided to investigate it before we called it a day.
Most of the offerings were on the junky side, and some of the vendors were a little aggressive, so we headed back on board to have lunch.
What did we think of our visit to Cartagena?
- I had heard that Colombia was a dangerous place to visit, but we felt very safe in Cartagena. It’s known as one of the safest cities in Colombia. Just as in any city, use common sense and don’t make yourself a target.
- Our tour was too short. At $34.95, it was a bargain, considering all of the stops that we made. But we felt very rushed at all of the sites we visited. I would have gladly paid more for a longer tour to have more time at each stop.
- Our guide was knowledgeable about a lot of Cartagena’s history, including San Pedro Claver’s impact on the people and the horrors of the Inquisition. I would have liked more narration at the Naval Museum.
- The dancing was a waste of time (and I love dancing). A better option would have been the folkloric dancing show at the Heredia Theater, by a professional dance troupe. This show was offered by several other group tours, and we heard from fellow passengers that it was fantastic.
- I’d love to go back and spend more time in Cartagena. We only had a short time, and there’s so much more to do and see in this lively city.
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Have you visited Cartagena? What did you think of the Jewel of the Indies? Let me know in the comments below!
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What a colourful gem of a city! I love the places covered on Caribbean cruises. Feels very exotic and it seems you had fun on the short time you had on shore. I would also do the fortress if I managed to go there too!
It really is a gem! Next time, the fortress is our #1 stop.
I definitely want to wander the Old City now that I have read your article. I do find that tours from cruise ships are always rushed, but it helps to know that if you like the place visited you can always return and spend more time. We are big fans of walking tours. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you can visit one day – the Old City is beautiful and so full of history.
I would love to visit this beautiful port city on the Carribean Coast of Colombia. My best times would be in the Old Town, I am sure. Great to know you had a great time in this tropical beach destination. Loved your pictures.
Thanks! Cartagena is definitely worth the trip 🙂
I’ve always found cruise vacations a lovely way to experience places, even if it is for a little while. Colombia has been high up on my places to visit, and although I didn’t know about Cartagena, it comes across as a quaint and friendly town. Walking tours are such an amazing way to immerse in the local culture, which you clearly did. Love the street with colourful houses.
I love walking tours as well! Sometimes I like to wander on my own, but I do like having a guide to give insights and stories about their hometowns.
Looks like a quaint little town. I always love visiting such places which has that old world charm and lots of stories to tell from the time it has seen It would be perfect to spend those lazy afternoons here exploring the mornings and evenings at my pace. What a hidden Gem. I too collect the memoir in the form of a local craft, usually a magnet. Here it goes in my bucket list, thanks for sharing
Cartagena definitely has that old world charm! I’m glad that you also choose local crafts as your souvenir – I think it’s important to support the local artists, even in a small way.
This is a great comprehensive review of the walking tour of Cartegena in Colombia. I appreciate your honesty – it’s good to know that you wouldn’t have minded to pay a bit more to not rush around too much. I do love walking tours because I feel it’s a better way to see all the little details and easier to take photos. I also did hear Cartegena was a dangerous city but I appreciate hearing your side of things that you actually felt safe! Even though it felt a bit rushed, sounds like it was still overall quite insightful and you got to see quite a lot! Hopefully you’ll get a chance to visit Cartegena one day again.
Thanks Soraya! We did feel safe in the Old City, but we didn’t get to experience the rest of Cartagena. Our guide did tell us that it’s one of the safest cities in Colombia for tourists.
Wow, Cartagena looks like such a colorful city with some fascinating architecture. I have heard about it and was planning to stop by during my future Colombia trip but I never realized this city is so beautiful, especially the Old CIty. I’m sorry to hear your tour was too short but I’m glad you had a nice time in Cartagena.
You will love it! Just make sure to give yourself enough time to explore the city – we really want to go back and spend more time there.
I’ve always heard good things about Cartagena though I’ve never been. I love cruises so you can get a sample of a place and know where you’d like to return and it looks like Cartagena is worth a return visit and more time. (Funny about that “funny math” they do there)
That’s one of the reasons I love cruising, too! I hope we can spend more time in Cartagena, and now I know to watch out for that “math” 🙂
We’d love to see some of the old architecture of Cartagena, but it’s never been high on our To Do list. We had never thought about visiting on a cruise though! That’s a great idea. If we do it, we’ll be sure to look for a tour that takes a little more time to explore the city. Thanks for sharing your experience!
A cruise is a great way to see several cities in a short amount of time. I hope you get to visit Cartagena!
A couple on my flight last week were coming home from a two week cruise through the Panama Canal, so the memories of their stories helped your article catch my attention. The Old Town looks like an amazing place to explore! Sage Scott, the Everyday Wanderer
I wish we could have done the full two-week cruise! I bet they had some great stories to share 🙂
Oh, this looks amazing. So colourful. I’d love to visit someday!
#WeekendWanderlust
It really is! I hope you do get to visit!
Cartagena was indeed so pretty! However, I had a tough time as I found the people to be either just rude or aggressively trying to sell you stuff. I was travelling alone and got catcalled a lot. The walking tour I planned on joining, the tour guide kept us waiting for over 30 minutes just so she could have more people join her. Glad you had a good time 🙂
Ugh, that sounds so annoying!! I wouldn’t have been happy with any of those situations. I’m sorry you had such a bad experience there!
I love the funny Math comment! I had to really be a strong bargainer and on my toes with the cab drivers! The walking tour sounded very informative and perfect for a short stop in this Caribbean gem. It’s such a wonderful city and I loved the fortress too!
We didn’t take any cabs when we were there, but I’ve had that same experience with taxis in other cities. Good to know that you have to watch out for that there. I’m glad you liked Cartagena as well!
I really enjoyed our time in Cartagena when we were there. One of the nice things is that it is a city that you can see in one day so it’s a good destination for a cruise.
I agree, Nicole. You can see so much of Cartagena in just a day! I wish I had chosen a longer tour of the city – we had the time in port to fit in a few more historic sites. Thanks for reading!
Such a vibrantly colorful city! I thoroughly enjoyed my stay there. When you visit again, check out a tour to the daily market. I went on my own and was very overwhelmed. It was so large and then it was days later when returning from one of the islands that I was dropped off at the back of the fish market. I discovered entire blocks of the mercado I had yet to explore.
Thanks for the tip, Julien! I really want to go back and spend more time in Cartagena. I’ll definitely check out the market!
Cartagena looks like a beautiful city. I haven’t been to Columbia, but when I do I would certainly make this one of our stops. Thanks for all the great information about your tour.
Thanks for reading! Cartagena was so pretty, and I’m itching to go back and spend more time there.
I have yet to make it to Colombia, so I really appreciate your advice. It seems you were able to see quite a bit on your one day excursion, but like you, I would love to have more time in a place. The fortress and Spanish Inquisition Museum sounded fascinating. After reading this, I’m adding a few things to my Cartagena list. Thanks.
I hope you get to spend some time in Cartagena. I know I’m looking forward to getting back there!
Colombia is definitely one of my favorite countries on the face of the earth and you’ve captured Cartagena beautifully. We were lucky to visit in the off-season, so we missed that sea of humanity that you witnessed on the streets. I loved your framing of the San Pedro statue! Brought out the emotions of the backstory so beautifully. I do hope you get back for another visit to explore Cartagena more deeply and visit the interior of the country.
Thanks so much, Lisa! Cartagena is so lovely, and I’d love to go back. Hopefully I’ll have time to see more of Colombia as well. A visit during the off-season is a great idea to avoid the crowds!
South America is on mine and hubby’s wish list. Once he retires we are planning on spending 3 months travelling around it. Cartagena looks like a great place to explore. We will add it to our list.
Angela, that sounds like it could be an amazing trip! I highly recommend a visit to Cartagena if you can add it to your itinerary.
What a beautiful, colourful city in the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. I would love to visit this city if I ever get to be in that part of the world, and not too bad for $34.95!
Cartagena is just gorgeous – hope you’re able to see it for yourself!