Arriving in Colombia we did not know what to expect, many travellers we met along the way rate Colombia amongst their favourite countries. However those who watch the news may associate Colombia with fighting, hostage taking and cocaine and perhaps we did the same. It was soon time to leave these preconceptions at the door and our first taste of this country certainly was not one we were expecting.
Cartagena was founded in 1533 and soon became the main port in the Caribbean as well as the gateway to South America. The city was plagued by pirate invasions the most famous being led the British ‘pirate’ Sir Francis Drake. This led to the fortification of the town including a chain of forts and the wall. And this is where we started our tour of the city, just before sunset we walked around the ancient walls and along the sea front.
Inside the walls lies the old town which is where we spent the evening. Little has changed here since the 16th and 17th centuries. Around every corner is a scene like a postcard back in time.
The architecture is worthy of any European city with plazas, balcony’s and tiled roofs this place has an amazing vibe.
It’s really not what we expected…
We spent the rest of the evening drinking beer and watching local dancers in the leafy Plaza de Bolivar then headed to a beautiful restaurant where we had steak and drinks for only £10 per couple.
The next day we headed to the Castillo De San Felipe. Work was begun on this fortress in 1639 and was completed 150 years later becoming the greatest fortress constructed by the Spanish in any of their colonies.
The owner of our hostel recommended the audio guides and they were really worth the money. There was little information inside the castle but we got the full history including the detailed accounts of attacks such as when the British were miserably defeated. The castle turned out to be truly unassailable and was never taken by anyone.
For us Cartagena was an amazing city and a real surprise. We are now looking forward to finding out what else Colombia has to offer.
