Cartagena
Cartagena
Cartagena, also known as Cartagena de Indias (Cartagena of the West Indies), is a large city seaport on the northern coast of Colombia. Capital of the Bolívar Department, it has a population of roughly 895,400 (2005 Census). Founded in 1533 by Don Pedro de Heredia, and named after the port of Cartagena in Spain's Murcia region, it was a major center of early Spanish settlement in the Americas, and continues to be an economic hub as well as a popular tourist destination.
Cartagena faces the Caribbean Sea to the west. To the south is the Cartagena Bay, which has two entrances: Bocachica (Small Mouth) in the south, and Bocagrande (Big Mouth) in the north. Due to Cartagena's tropical location, the climate changes little, with an average high of 32°C (88.6°F) and an average low of 25°C (77 °F) throughout the year. Cartagena also averages around 90% humidity, with a rainy season typically in October. Cartagena receives about 1000 mm (40 inches) of rain per year.
Touristic Sites and Attractions
- La India Catalina
- Pie De La Popa
- El Castillo de San Felipe (Particularly the tunnels.)
- La Ciudad Murallada
- El Museo De Oro
- The Palace of the Inquisition (or the Torture Chambers)
- The Underground Tomb
- Las Murallas