La Zona Turistica

Like Cartageneros, tourists who come to visit may think that Cartagena isn’t that big of a city. Not because they are in on the chisme nor because they ride motos to get from point A to point B in the blink of an eye, but because many tourists actually don’t see very much of the city beyond the wall. Inside the wall lies El Centro Histórico, and nearby Getsemaní and Bocagrande, the three neighborhoods that make up la zona turistica (the tourist zone). It was such a privilege to get to live in Cartagena, a vibrant city and internationally coveted travel destination, so while I preferred living outside of la zona turistica, I frequently visited to go out, to explore, and to go to the beach. It only took about 30 minutes to get there from where I lived, and I took advantage of that!

El Centro Histórico (the Historic Center), is like the downtown area of Cartagena and it's what you’ll see in most of the photos and videos online if you google the city. This sector features colorful colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and all the people who bring the area to life like the fruit, frito, and raspero vendors, the palenqueras, and the continuous flow of tourists from all over the world. El Centro Histórico is also called La Ciudad Amuralla (the walled city) because of la Muralla (the wall) that encloses it. Back in the day, the entirety of Cartagena was enclosed by this wall, but the city has grown and expanded exponentially beyond it. La Muralla, which was built back in the 1600s by the Spaniards to protect the city, and many other fortifications in Cartagena have made it a UNESCO World Heritage site.

*Plaza de la Aduana en El Centro Historico*

You can walk on top of many sections of the wall and get a view of the city on the inside, the ocean on the outside, and views of other parts of the city in the distance. La Torre de Reloj, huge the clocktower built into the wall, serves as an grande entrance and exit to this part of town, and when you enter underneath it, you will encounter La Plaza de Los Coches where palenqueras sell sweets and fruits, artisans sell their crafts like mochila bags, hats, and bracelets, and other vendors who sell a myriad of things from sunglasses, limonada, mecatos (pre-packaged snacks) and more. Although the history of the Historic Center is difficult (having been the main port city in South America where the Spaniards stored the gold that they stole from the rest of the Colombia before exporting it to Spain, as a major site of the Spanish Inquisition, and as part of the slave trade market), Cartageneros have reclaimed the space, acknowledging the past and looking toward the future.

*La Torre del Reloj,* *Getsemaní* behind it, and *Manga* in the distance

Cartageneros study, work, and enjoy the beauty and attractions within the center, but I would say that very few people actually live there as many of the buildings in the Historic Center have been made into hotels for visitors. You'll also find many restaurants, cafes, plazas, hotels, stores, clubs, churches, and boutiques where tourists and Cartageneros congregate. Due to tourism the center is suuuuper expensive compared to other parts of the city, but things like wandering around, taking in the beauty of the architecture, and watching the sunset from the wall are accessible for all and priceless!

Getsemaní is the art district right next door to El Centro Histórico, filled with brightly painted houses, murals, and greenery. When you exit La Torre de Reloj and cross past or through El Parque Centenario (where you can see monkeys, iguanas, and slothes if you’re lucky), you’ll reach Getsemaní which also features colorful, instagrammable alleys, with tapestries of umbrellas, the flag of Cartagena, and flags of countries around the world suspended overhead.

The street that leads up to *La Plaza de la Trinidad en Getsemaní*

Callejon ancho is a famous alley where the residents open their homes, propping up huge picós (speakers) in their doorways or windows, set up chairs and tables, sell beers, and turn the street into a parranda (party) almost every night. In the evening this part of town comes alive with street performers, comida rápida, road-side minibars that make mojitos de maracuyá, and music that spills into the street from just about every house, shop, and discoteca.

*Callejón Ancho en Getsemaní* with Cartagena flags suspended overhead

I would say a more mature crowd hangs out in El Centro Histórico at night, and that los pelaos (the young people) que le gusta el bololó (who like to party) spend their nights in Getsemaní! It's louder, cozier, artsier, and more affordable than the Center. Plaza de la Trinidad is the main plaza in Getsemaní where people go to parchar (to hang out) for the entire night with friends, chatting, drinking, eating, and listening to music. And even if you don’t stay there the whole night it's frequently a meeting place before going to discotecas like Taboo, salsa bars like La Tertulia or Vueltabajero, or el muelle de Getsemaní where people go to hang out by the water. Getsemaní is a cool place and many of the original inhabitants of this barrio still live there. There are hotels, homestays, Airbnbs, and hostels where visitors are welcomed, as well as restaurants and cafes.

There are lots of painters who sell their work in *Getsemaní*

Bocagrande is the Miami-looking part of the city located on the peninsula of Cartagena, so it's surrounded by water. This area is located south of Getsemaní and El Centro Histórico, and is actually divided into 3 neighborhoods, Bocagrande, Castillogrande, and El Laguito. Throughout all three neighborhoods there are beaches and a ton of white high-rises.

The main attraction of Bocagrande is the beach, along with Plaza Bocagrande Centro Comercial, the big mall with a movie theater inside. I mainly went to El Laguito to go to the beach, and Castillogrande is filled with a lot of residential buildings, one of the main hospitals and other medical offices. There are also a ton of hotels, restaurants, and clubs in Bocagrande.

I cycled throughout Bocagrande for a bike ride once, and went to the mall a few times, but usually only made the trip to Bocagrande to go to the beach in El Laguito just because the trip here was more like 40 minutes from my house and even longer and more inconvenient when traffic was bad. However, another thing I discovered in Castillogrande was la bahía de Castillogrande, one of the most calming beautiful walkways in Cartagena complete with a delicious breeze coming off the water. That is a place que vale la pena (that's worth visiting), and I recommend the walk find yourself in Castillogrande one afternoon.

The view of *Bocagrande* from *El Laguito*

DISCLAIMER: This site (octaviachristopher.com) is not an official Fulbright Program site. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of its author and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations.

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