Unusual Things You Didn’t Know About Cartagena
Cartagena is a rapidly developing Caribbean tourist destination with picture perfect and brightcoloredred buildings, historic landmarks, and Caribbean beaches. Cartagena’s becoming an excellent alternative to the popular Caribbean islands, but much of the city is still unknown amongst the majority of the world.
There is a Mud Volcano
Volcán de Lodo el Totumo is a mud volcano located 30 miles outside of Cartagena. This majestic natural spa is 15 meters tall and there are steps leading up to the mud baths. The mud volcano provides a number of natural benefits, such as removing toxins and healing skin; the natural sulphites, phosphates, and magnesium properties of the mud make for a relaxing and healing experience.
Sir Francis Drake Has a House There
Sir Francis Drake was sent to Cartagena with the mission to attack Spanish colonies in a prompted war. In 1586, he arrived in Cartagena along with a small number of British ships in an attempt to take over the city. He succeeded in taking control of the city but subsequently lost control of his soldiers, who began to attack the city, setting houses on fire and damaging cathedrals. Sir Francis Drake held the city for ransom and demanded money, jewels, and gold. Two months after they first set foot in the city, Cartagena paid its ransom and Sir Francis Drake, along with his soldiers, proceeded back to England with boats full of riches. While Sir Francis was in Cartagena he took over the house of Alonso Bravo and stayed there for two months; this house has been refurbished over time but you can still see a plaque on the wall with Drake’s name on it.
There Are 27 Caribbean Islands
Located 100 kilometers (62 miles) off the coast of Cartagena are a collection of Caribbean islands named the Rosario Islands. These islands are protected and considered to be a Colombian National Park, in order to protect the coral reefs and ecosystems: the park contains over 120, 000 squared kilometres (46,332 square miles) of marine area and land. While many of the islands are uninhabited, a small number of the islands are privately owned by hotels who offer accommodation or day trip packages to the islands. There are plenty of snorkeling, diving, relaxing, and swimming opportunities in the crystal clear waters, as well as a natural aquarium that you can explore.
San Felipe Castle is One of the Best in Any Spanish Colony
The Spanish were afraid of being attacked and invaded in Cartagena, so in 1536 they built a number of forts on the oceanfront and San Felipe Castle to protect their city and country. The San Felipe Castle is located on top of a small hill in the middle of the city; this piece of marvelous architecture and engineering contributed to protecting the city and its people on a number of occasions. The castle is now open to the public and there is a video of the castle’s history, numerous tunnels to wander around, and picturesque views. The opportunity to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site, which played an important role in Cartagena’s history, is one not to be missed.
You Can Fly Directly From Major Cities Around the World
Due to Cartagena’s increase in tourism, demand has increased for flights to the city; after a recent upgrade of the airport, a large number of airline companies are considering Cartagena to be an up-and-coming tourist destination. As a result, many airline companies have started flying direct to the city from all over the world.
Avianca now flies direct to Cartagena from Miami, New York, Bogota, Medellin, and Cali (Colombia).
Copa Airlines flies direct to Cartagena from Panama City.
Delta flies straight from Atlanta to the city.
JetBlue Airways flies from Fort Lauderdale and New York to Cartagena regularly.
KLM started flying directly to the city at the end of March 2017, making them the first airline to fly direct from Europe to the Caribbean city.
LATAM flies direct from Lima to Cartagena and Spirit Airlines flies direct from Fort Lauderdale to the city.
