Cruise ship: Tui Dream
Port: Cartagena
Colombia, located northwest of South America, bordering Brazil, Panama and venezuela. On the northern coast, facing the Caribbean Sea you’ll find the city of Cartagena, the countries most popular tourist destination.
Cartagena is Colombia’s second-oldest city. Its walled town was originally built to protect the city against pirates. The culture and atmosphere of the town makes this a well worth travel destination.
Our visit to Cartagena Colombia was part of the Pride of Panama cruise. Sailing from Panama into Cartagena we were met by the beautiful array of coloured buildings in Colombia’s second-oldest city.
Weather
As expected Cartagena is a hot and dry country. With little to no shade to hide in, a hat and water bottle is the best way to keep cool.
Places of interest/activities
With Mum (nan) in tow we opted for an excursion with minimal walking. With the intense heat of the day, The Cartagena City Tour was best choice.
After a short air-conditioned coach ride, we boarded our horse and carriage where my daughter became the photographer for the tour. Mum (nan) was having a wonderful time, even after a clown jump on the side of our carriage and scared that life out of us all, I hate clowns. With a slow trot around the city, we took in the wonderful cultural surroundings and continued to enjoy every moment of this tour.
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas – a fortress, located on the hill of San Lazaro. Our guide provided an in-depth talk about the fortress. We were told of its strategic location that protected the city from the raids by both land and sea. Beautifully kept this fortress is an Iconic landmark.
Teatro Heredia – The theatre was built in 1911 to commemorate a century of Colombian independence. Build by an Italian and based on the design of Havana’s Tacon Theatre, the grand theatre is famous for its marble stairs, superb sculptures, and on the ceiling, the amazing artwork by a famous Cartagenan artist.
The architecture of building is just amazing, and a must see.
Bovedas Market – to finish our day we visit Bovedas, a bohemian district famous for its craft stores and art galleries. We wondered around, in and out of the boutique style shops and bought souvenirs and other bits to share with our family and friends back home. A nice end to a wonderful day.
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