Beyond the historical walled city and landmarks of Cartagena are islands, mangrove swamps and dozens of small fishing villages. These are some of the best places to explore and learn about the fauna, flora and the Afro-Caribbean culture of Colombia. Visiting these places requires one to leave the well-paved streets of Cartagena for the small gravel roads of the fishing villages and the turquoise waters of the Caribbean.

Planning a trip to Cartagena? Check out three of the best fishing scenes in the area:

La Boquilla Fishing Village

La Boquilla is a small fishing village 7 km (about 4.5 miles) north of Cartagena. It takes around 20 minutes to arrive at La Boquilla by taxi, private car or tour bus, accounting for traffic. The majority of the village's denizens are friendly Afro-Colombians, descendants of slaves that arrived in Colombia in the early 1600s.

Tours to the fishing village usually include a demonstration by the fisherman on the processes of making, repairing and casting attarayas, traditional fishing nets. Visitors can learn about fishing techniques passed down from several generations and have a chance to try them out.

The fishing experience includes a lesson on how to prepare seafood, patacones (fried plantains) and arroz de coco (coconut rice). Visitors may even have a chance to make the most popular seafood dish in Cartagena: pargo rojo frito, crispy fried whole red snapper.

Mangrove Tour

This is the “gondola tour" of Cartagena. During the tour, travelers are led through the mangrove tunnels on a 4-seater painted wooden canoe by a tour guide, a local boatman who directs and propels the canoe with a pole.

The Mangrove Tour is an activity for travelers to explore the mangrove ecosystem of Juan Polo near La Boquilla. The still shallow waters are filled with fish and tadpoles. There are all sorts of exotic birds to spot as you admire the thousands of mangrove trees and their crisscrossed roots along the way. Coconut water and bottled water are provided to all travelers after the tour.

Fishing and crabbing tours are also available for those who prefer to be in action with the local fishermen.

Charter a Boat and Go Fishing

For comfort and luxury, charter a boat from Boating Cartagena. Choose either a four-passenger 29-foot boat or a six-passenger 38-foot boat. Cruise to different spots off Cartagena's coast with a local expert fisherman and a captain.

Boating Cartagena provides up to four sets of fishing rods and a variety of beverages on board. Expect to find beer, Hatsu iced tea (artisan Colombian tea), soda and bottled water. After an early morning departure, you'll end the day in one of the islands off the coast of Cartagena, either Baru or Tierra Bomba.

While the main draw of Cartagena is its historical sites, if you venture out beyond them, you'll discover Cartagena's intriguing cultural and culinary wilderness.

Ready for a fresh catch? Plan your trip to Cartagena now, or discover other beach destinations.