Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [107]
In spite of the high price it had to pay for the pirate attacks, Cartagena continued to flourish. The Canal del Dique, constructed in 1650 to connect Cartagena Bay with the Río Magdalena, made the town the main gateway for ships heading to ports upriver, and a large part of the merchandise shipped inland passed through Cartagena. During the colonial period, Cartagena was the most important bastion of the Spanish overseas empire and influenced much of Colombia’s history.
The indomitable spirit of the inhabitants was rekindled again at the time of the independence movement. Cartagena was one of the first towns to proclaim independence from Spain, early in 1810, which prompted Bogotá and other cities to do the same. The declaration was signed on November 11, 1811, but the city paid dearly for it. In 1815, Spanish forces under Pablo Morillo were sent to reconquer and ‘pacify’ the town and took it after a four-month siege. More than 6000 inhabitants died of starvation and disease.
In August 1819, Simón Bolívar’s troops defeated the Spaniards at Boyacá, bringing freedom to Bogotá. However, Cartagena had to wait for liberation until October 1821, when the patriot forces eventually took the city by sea. It was Bolívar who gave Cartagena its well-deserved name of ‘La Heroica,’ the Heroic City.
Cartagena began to recover and was once again an important trading and shipping center. The city’s prosperity attracted foreign immigrants, and many Jews, Italians, French, Turks, Lebanese and Syrians settled here. Today their descendants own many businesses, including hotels and restaurants.
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Climate
Cartagena’s climate is typically Caribbean; its average annual temperature of 30°C changes very little. Although the days are hot, a fresh breeze blows in the evening, making this a pleasant time to stroll around the city. Theoretically, the driest period is from December to April, while October and November are the wettest months.
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Orientation
The heart of the city is the old town, built in two sections, an inner and outer town. Both were surrounded by walls and separated from each other by a channel, the Caño de San Anastasio. The channel was filled in to make way for the construction of the sharp, wedge-shaped, modern district, La Matuna.
The inner walled town consists of El Centro in the west, where traditionally the upper classes lived, and San Diego in the northeast, previously occupied by the middle classes. The outer walled town, Getsemaní, is smaller and poorer, with more modest architecture. Outside the walled town are several monumental fortresses.
Stretching south of the old town is an unusual, L-shaped peninsula, occupied by three districts: Bocagrande, Castillo Grande and El Laguito. This area is packed with top-class hotels, restaurants and nightspots, and is the main destination for moneyed Colombians and international charter tours. Those on smaller budgets, however, prefer to stay in the historic part of town.
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Information
BOOKSTORES
Ábaco ( 664 8338; cnr Calles de la Iglesia & de la Mantilla No 3-86; 9am-8:30pm Mon-Sat, 4-8:30pm Sun) A good selection of books on Cartagena and a few English-language choices. There’s also Italian beer and Spanish wine!
INTERNET ACCESS
Most of the listed places are open seven days a week and offer air conditioning – more important than speed in this town.
Contact Internet Café ( 664 0681; Calle de la Media Luna No 10-20; per hr COP$1000; 8am-9pm)
Micronet ( 664 0328; Calle de la Estrella No 4-47; per hr COP$1500; 9am-9pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat)
MONEY
There is a wealth of deft street ‘moneychangers’ fluttering around Cartagena offering fantastic rates to relieve you of your euros or dollars. Don’t be fooled. Unless you’re the proud owner of a PhD in mathematics and can trick them at