Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [111]
The church was previously only open during mass, but you can now take a 20-minute self-guided audio tour.
Iglesia de Santo Toribio de Mangrovejo
Compared with the others, this church is relatively small. It was erected between 1666 and 1732 and its ceiling is covered with Mudejar paneling. During Vernon’s attack on the city in 1741, a cannon ball went through a window into the church when it was filled with worshipers, but fortunately there were no casualties. The ball is now on display in a glassed niche in the left wall.
Las Bóvedas
These are 23 dungeons built between 1792 and 1796 in the city walls, which are more than 15m thick in this part. These dungeons were the last major construction carried out in colonial times and were destined for military purposes. The vaults were used by the Spaniards as storerooms for munitions and provisions. Later, during the republican era, they were turned into a jail. Today they house craft and souvenir shops.
Casa de Rafael Núñez
This mansion, just outside the walls of Las Bóvedas, was the home of the former president, lawyer and poet, Rafael Núñez. He wrote the words of Colombia’s national anthem and was one of the authors of the constitution of 1886, which was in force (with some later changes) until 1991. The wooden mansion is now a museum ( 664 5305; adult/child COP$4000/2000; 9am-5:30pm Tue-Fri, 10am-5:30pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun) featuring some of Núñez’ documents and personal possessions. The chapel opposite the house, known as the Ermita del Cabrero, holds his ashes.
Monumento a la India Catalina
The monument at the main entrance to the old town from the mainland is a tribute to the Carib people, the group that inhabited this land before the Spanish Conquest. The lovely bronze statue depicts Catalina, a beautiful Carib woman who served as interpreter to Pedro de Heredia upon the arrival of the Spaniards. The statue was forged in 1974 by Eladio Gil, a Spanish sculptor living in Cartagena.
Muelle Turistíco de la Bodeguita
Often incorrectly referred to as Pegasos (given the close location of the two sites), this is the old port of Cartagena on the Bahía de las Ánimas. Not much goes on here now other than the departure of tourist boats to Playa Blanca and Isla del Rosario. The new harbor where big ships dock is on Manga Island.
SPANISH FORTS
The old city is a fortress in itself, yet there are more fortifications built at strategic points outside the city. Some of the more important ones are listed here.
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
The castillo ( 666 4790; Av Arévalo; adult/child COP$13,000/7000; 8am-6pm) is the greatest and strongest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in any of their colonies. The original fort was commissioned in 1630 and was quite small. Construction began in 1657 on top of the 40m-high San Lázaro hill. In 1762, an extensive enlargement was undertaken, which resulted in the entire hill being covered over with this powerful bastion. It was truly impregnable and was never taken, despite numerous attempts to storm it.
A complex system of tunnels connected strategic points of the fortress to distribute provisions and to facilitate evacuation. The tunnels were constructed in such a way that sounds reverberated all the way along them, making it possible to hear the slightest sound of the approaching enemy’s feet, and also making it easy for internal communication.
Some of the tunnels are lit and are open to visitors – an eerie walk not to be missed. Take a guide (COP$15,000/25,000 Spanish/English) if you want to learn more about the curious inventions of Antonio de Arévalo, the military engineer who directed the construction of the fortress.
The fortress is a 20-minute walk from the old town, or take a local bus from the Parque del Centenario. A taxi costs COP$5000. Entrance is free the last Sunday of every month between February and November.
Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo
This fort, on the western end of Manga Island, was constructed in the middle of the 16th century as one of the town’s first defense posts. It’s quite small