Cartagena is a world-class destination, definitely Colombia's tourism gem! It is arguably the best colonial city in the Americas. Just walk around its beautiful colonial streets and you will quickly feel the magic, the romance, and the glamor.
Declared a World Heritage location by UNESCO, the “Walled City," Columbia's main tourist attraction and culture center, has all the ingredients for an extraordinary place to live: a colonial city enclosed within stone fortifications that is rich in culture and history, yet blended with the new and modern part of Cartagena with it's high-rise apartment buildings, luxury hotels and beautiful beaches of Bocagrande, topping it off with excellent restaurants for all tastes and an abundance of nightlife.
People from all over the world have purchased and renovated some of the city's older homes, so it's no secret the attraction that Cartagena de Indies has on the international visitors. This allure over the past decade has driven up prices in the old city, but there are still great values in Bocagrande, Laguito, Castillogrande, Manga, and La Boguilla in the North Zone.
As one of the most popular tourist cities in Colombia, Cartagena is a Caribbean port city that has over 475 years of colorful history. It was founded in 1533 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Heredia, and during this time was the main port for bringing merchandise and slaves to South America and taking gold and other goods back to Spain.
There are many reasons foreigners love Cartagena. In addition to the magic and romantic allure of the old city, Colombians love to have fun; they enjoy the fiestas and the music, so when visitors come to Cartagena, they are invited to be part of the fun. However, if you are looking for a relaxing getaway or retirement location (for all or part of the year), Cartagena offers everything you will want. It has nice beaches where you can enjoy a drink under the shadow of palms, enjoy a swim in the warm Caribbean waters or enjoy a delicious fish meal with the famous coconut rice or if you prefer, you can wait until sunset and enjoy a “coco loco." Cartagena enjoys a wonderful warm climate (85°F to 90°F year round), is hurricane free, possesses friendly people and inexpensive help (maids, drivers, etc.), where you can live the good life for far less than you're accustomed to.