Posted on 14-7-2017 by AGF

Welcome to Cartagena, the port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. By the sea is the walled Old Town, founded in the 16th century. It started as a Spanish settlement in 1533 and its wealth grew rapidly but it was still vulnerable to pirates. The Walls history is defined by nearly two centuries (16th-18th) of massive construction, it was spurred by attacks like Francis Drake’s 1586 raid, to protect its gold-fueled colonial wealth, creating one of South America’s best-preserved, imposing fortifications seen today. 

Cartagena has the feel of a big town and the neighborhood we stayed in with was quaint with hotels, hostels, homes, markets and restaurants all blending together. The Hotel Oz is where I’d stay, a small hotel in a perfect location. It was close enough to the main streets, nightclubs and casinos but far enough that your sleep was never interrupted in the late night. And if you didn’t want a disco there were a multitude of bars that would keep you happy. You could also find restaurants offering true Colombian cuisine or chain restaurants like KFC and Dominos. Whatever you were craving you could find it.

The beach was about a 20 minute walk from the hotel. It was one long coastline of high rise buildings that embraced it, the two tallest were the Hyatt Regency and the Intercontinental Hotel. Just about everyone we passed offered everything from a canopy to food.  Up and down the beach wherever you turned they were there.  There were also Colombian delicacy you desired. Men playing soccer and a volleyball net as well.  And you could drink beer and every now and then the scent of marijuana filled the air. For those that couldn’t stand the heat were in the water young and old loving life.