Cartagena Things to Do

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Next to the Convento de San Pedro Claver is Iglesia de San Pedro Claver. It was founded in 1603 and completed in the early 18th century. This Spanish colonial church has an imposing stone facade. It boasts some magnificent stained-glass windows and a high altar made marble from Italy. Inside and under the main altar is a museum containing relics from his mission.

The church holds the remains of San Pedro Claver (1580-1654), a Jesuit who became the patron saint of slaves of Colombia. He ministered to enslaved Africans when Cartagena had the largest slave market in the Caribbean. He cared for the sick and dying and baptized tens of thousands. His body is in an illuminated glass coffin set in the high altar.

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Another dominant attraction at Plaza de San Pedro Claver is Convento de San Pedro Claver. The convent was found by Jesuits in the first half of the 17th century when it was known as Convento de San Ignacio de Loyola. The name was later changed in honor of Spanish-born monk Pedro Claver (1580-1654) who lived and died in the convent. He was called El Esclavo de los Esclavos (Slave of the Slaves) or El Apóstol de los Negros (Apostle of the Blacks). At the age of 22, he arrived in Cartagena in 1610 and immediately took up his work to minister to the more than 10.000 Afrian slaves that were brought to the city each year. He used to beg from door to door for money to give to the black slaves and provided them with medicines, food, bread, brandy, lemons and tobacco. Pedro Claver was canonized in 1888 (235 years after his death) by Pope Leo XIII and was the first person from South America to have been given this honor.

The convent is a monumental three-storey building surrounding a tree-filled courtyard. Several upstairs rooms form a museum with treasures commemorating the life and times of Pedro Claver. Exhibits include religious art and pre-Columbian ceramics. A new section is devoted to Afro-Caribbean contemporary pieces like wonderful Haitian paintings and African masks. You can also visit the cell where San Pedro Claver lived and died, and also climb a narrow staircases to the choir loft of the adjacent church.

Visiting hours are Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm, Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm. Admission is 6.000 COP for adults and 4.000 COP for children (January 2010).

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Located on Plaza de San Pedro Claver, Museo de Arte Moderno de Cartagena is a middle-sized museum housed in two buildings. The first was built in the 17th century and served as Customs House, while the second was built at the end of the 19th century as an addition to the warehouse located here. It functions as a museum since 1979. The exhibitions are presented in two floors with the majority of artwork on the first floor.

It's a prestigious gallery with three sections containing the works of many avant-garde Colombian artists, including Cartagena-born Alejandro Obregón (one of Colombia's most remarkable painters) and Enrique Grau (reknown for his depictions of Afro-Colombian figures). There is also a collection of Latin American paintings from the 1950s onwards and contemporary Caribbean art.

A number of interesting wrought iron sculptures are placed on the Plaza de San Pedro Claver between the church and the Modern Art Museum. They were created by the Colombian artist Eduardo Carmona and form a permanent display.

The museum is open Mon-Thu 9am-noon & 3pm-6pm; Fri 9am-noon & 3pm-7pm; Sat 10am-1pm. Admission was 3.000 COP (January 2010).

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According to a faded, hand-painted sign, yes, we had indeed arrived at Volcán El Totumo, a 65-foot-tall mud volcano about 50 kilometers (30 miles) outside of Cartagena that is known for its supposed skin-enhancing qualities.

As we piled out of the van, we were told to leave our bags behind, strip down to our swimsuits (which you’ll want to put on before leaving your hotel room that morning) and hand our clothes to the young local men standing at the foot of a rickety, wooden staircase that leads to the mouth of the volcano.


There are quite a few steps to climb if you want to enjoy a volcano mud bath.
Donna M. Airoldi
Up we gingerly climbed.

Sure enough, at the top was a crater full of dark, gray goo that indeed did resemble the Origins mud mask I used to cleanse my face each week. Even though it was an overcast day, the view from the top was a beautiful expanse of lakes, lagoons and greenery.

We handed our cameras to a local villager, who took our pictures with them as we lowered ourselves into the muck. The kids loved it.

If you want to do something off the beaten path and need a little local help there are a couple of French kids that own Adventure Colombia. The can do everything from charter a sailboat w/crew to arrange a guided trek to Tayrona. Even if you do not want to pay for their services you can still check with them for advice and they will probably give you some helpful pointers

This is a fantastic night club that opens in Cartagena only in December (it is actually located in Bogota, the capital city) and has the best music in the hole city. If you want to have the best night, to see the mos beautyful girls and love to party...this is the place for you

If you are thinking about make an unbelievable trip, you must considerer to go to Cartagena Colombia. I think it is difficult just make a trip without information about all the different places that the city can offer you , therefore you should ask to someone who had been there some time ago. I am one of these people, then I will tell you how you can enjoy this experience in the best way.
The first thing you must know is that Cartagena is an historical city, so you can not forget take a horse carriage that will give you a ride around all the historical sights. You must begin visiting “el Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas” which is a castle built in the seventeen century by the Spaniards and has been considered the Guardian and Protector of the city. Imagine to get into a huge labyrinth with so many traps where you could feel like in other age. In the same way you will find other places full of legends, stories and magic, like “las murallas de Cartagena”, “las Bovedas” and the Cathedral.

Probably many people consider visiting Colombia due to their impression of Garcia Marquez’s writings. Or on the other hand, many others may have been spurred to get to know his works after visiting Cartagena. One way or the other, it is perfect compliment. Once in Cartagena, one has the opportunity to have a glimpse at the house of the famous writer, albeit there is no museum at present. It is located in the district of San Diego, facing the wall and the sea and neighbouring one of the most expensive hotels in the Old Town. A nice stroll on the wall leads inevitably to the house which is difficult to miss with its “modern villa” outlook in sharp contrast with the dominance of colonial architecture around it.