Overlooking the turquoise Caribbean Sea, Cartagena is a stunning, preserved walled port city filled with magnificent colonial architecture, brightly coloured buildings, cobblestone streets, a buzzing nightlife scene and boutique luxury hotels. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cartagena is in our opinion one of South America’s most attractive cities.
Colombia’s Caribbean coastline also offers some lovely island beach escapes and great diving and snorkelling on the islands of Baru, San Andres and Providencia. Short on time? Take a day trip from Cartagena and visit the pretty Rosario islands by speedboat.