The old town is the reason why people come to Cartagena. It is reputed to be the most beautiful city in South America, a world heritage site and thus a 'must see' for Bunty's Tours and only 15 minutes walk from the dinghy dock. The old town is a walled city with towers and forts around the perimeter, wonderful views across the bay to see incoming marauders, a cathedral, many churches, pretty squares and museums.
We spent th morning wandering through the narrow streets. There are very few cars, just horse drawn carriages for tourists. David said the gabled upper floors reminded him of Chester, I was thinking of Barcelona. For lunch we were lucky to get a table at a small restaurant where the local people eat and had the ejectivo, or business, lunch, which was soup then braised beef, rice, fried plantain & a salad and a glass of sugar cane water for £2. Fortified with our lunch we set forth to absorb more culture. Opposite the grand Cathedral is the museum of the Spanish Inquisition. Cue Monty Python jokes about 'who mentioned the Spanish Inquisition?' This was the house where the Pope's appointed inquisitors lived and tortured heretics, witches and anyone else they didn't like. The copies of the torture instruments were gruesome but the presentation was lacking. By the time we reached the end we'd had enough of museums and went back to strolling through the streets. There are some divine boutique hotels and superb restaurants.
We'd heartily recommend Cartagena for a mini-break. Only downside is it might take a couple of flights to get here.
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