InterContinental Cartagena de Indias Destino

A UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in the 16th century, Cartagena's Walled City preserves 11 kilometers of colonial fortifications — among the most complete in the Americas. Within its ramparts: baroque churches, plazas lined with coral stone architecture, galleries, and restaurants set inside centuries-old mansions. The historic center is located just 6 minutes from InterContinental Cartagena de Indias, accessible through the iconic Torre del Reloj gateway.

Cartagena's most culturally vibrant neighborhood, Getsemaní sits just outside the walled historic center and has evolved into the city's creative epicenter. Former colonial residences now house independent galleries, chef-driven restaurants, and open-air cafés set against colorful murals by local and international artists. Plaza de la Trinidad remains its social heart — a gathering place where live music, street performance, and daily life converge. Located 8 minutes from InterContinental Cartag

An archipelago of 27 coral islands in the Caribbean Sea, the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Park is Colombia's largest marine protected area. Crystal-clear waters shelter one of the most important coral reef ecosystems on the South American coast. Barú peninsula — technically mainland but island in character — offers secluded white-sand beaches framed by mangrove forests. Both destinations are reachable by boat within 45 minutes from Cartagena's bay.

There is a house on Calle de la Iglesia where the city lowers its voice. You come in for coffee and the walls are books to the ceiling. Someone argues about García Márquez as if he lived around the corner, and here no one finds that strange. An espresso, a stranger, a book you weren't looking for, and the afternoon changes course. Since 2002, this is where Cartagena thinks itself into being.

Founded in 1978 in the town of Turbaco, 30 minutes southeast of Cartagena, the Guillermo Piñeres Botanical Garden preserves 9 hectares of Caribbean tropical forest with over 300 plant species native to Colombia's northern lowlands. A canopy of ceiba and caracolí trees shelters medicinal plant collections, an orchid house, and a natural spring that has drawn visitors since colonial times.