Colombia Attractions

Cartagena

Cartagena de Indias is legendary both for its history and its beauty. It has been immortalized on countless canvases, glorified in hundreds of books and photographed a zillion times - as Colombia's most fascinating city and a World Heritage Site, it deserves every one of these tributes.

The walled Old Town of this fortified Spanish colonial port is a gem. It's packed with churches, monasteries, plazas, palaces and noble mansions with overhanging balconies and shady patios. Simply wandering through the narrow cobbled streets reveals endless wonders, but some of the highlights are the Palacio de la Inquisición, the gold-filled Museo del Oro and Muelle de los Pegasos, the lovely old port of Cartagena on the Bahía de las Ánimas.

Outside the Old Town sit the Spanish fortresses that once defended Cartagena from pirates, including Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, the largest in the Americas.

Bogotá

Bogotá is the quintessence of all things Colombian: a city of futuristic architecture with diverse culture, a vibrant intellectual life, splendid colonial churches and brilliant museums -on the flip side, you'll find beggars, shantytowns, drug dealers and traffic jams.

A walk around the city streets will reveal the mad to-ing and fro-ing of a busy city: avalanches of busetas (small buses), extravagant stores and lively roadside stalls - it's as fascinating as contemplating the serene colonial atmosphere, so give yourself plenty of time for exploration.