Colombia / Cartagena de Indias

The pearl of the Caribbean Sea: Cartagena de Indias

Cartagena de Indias has a truly special atmosphere. Founded in the early 16th century as one of Colombia's first Spanish settlements and the launching point for the conquest of the highlands, it later became a target for English pirates (Sir Francis Drake among them) and, later still, one of the main landing points for slave traders from Africa. Thanks to its many beautifully preserved colonial buildings and the massive fortress walls encircling the old town, that past feels remarkably close.