Cartagena's Walled Old Town & History: Walking Tours, San Felipe Castle & Getsemaní Street Art
Cartagena's UNESCO-listed walled city is one of the best-preserved colonial centres in the Americas. This guide walks you through the old town's plazas and ramparts, the great San Felipe fortress and the street-art lanes of Getsemaní — with the top-rated walking tours, castle visits and graffiti tours to book.
At a glance
- 1Walk the walled Old Town ramparts
- 2Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
- 3Getsemaní street-art lanes
- 4Sunset on the city walls
The walled city on foot
The Ciudad Amurallada is made for walking: balconied streets draped in bougainvillea, shaded plazas and the golden ramparts that once held off pirates. A guided walking tour is the easiest way to make sense of the layers of history, from the slave-trade port to independence. Go in the cooler early morning or late afternoon, and finish on the walls at Café del Mar for the sunset over the sea.
San Felipe Castle and colonial history
Rising over the city, the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is the largest Spanish fort ever built in the Americas, honeycombed with tunnels designed to amplify sound and repel attackers. City tours usually pair it with the hilltop La Popa convent for the best panorama over Cartagena. Wear a hat and bring water — the ramparts are exposed, and the climb is hot by mid-morning.
Getsemaní and its street art
Just outside the walls, the once-gritty barrio of Getsemaní has become the city's creative heart, its lanes covered in murals and umbrella-strung streets like Callejón Angosto. Guided graffiti and street-art tours decode the artwork and the neighbourhood's history, while evening walks lead into its bustling plaza nightlife. It pairs naturally with the old town, being a five-minute walk from the clock-tower gate.
Book the experiences in this itinerary
Top-rated tours for exactly what this plan recommends in Cartagena — prices per person.
