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Cartagena de Indias
The Perfect Long Weekend Fall under the spell of the Columbia’s finest colonial city
Text Andrew Forbes
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fortress-like architecture with tightly-packed merchants’ houses with heavy studded doors, protected behind thick city walls that remain today.
"Baroque towers and elaborate arches surround tranquil squares where residents sit and play cards." Within the ancient city walls, is the genuine heart of Cartagena, a place Gabriel García Márquez, Columbia's most celebrated author, called home for a few years when he was a young journalist on a local paper. The city’s intoxicating streets left an indelible mark on
his psyche, shaping and defining the flavor and atmosphere of his fictional locations in works including ‘Love in the Time of Cholera’. Step out into the cobbled streets in the early morning and one captures an essence of the romantic city that inspired García Márquez. Baroque towers and elaborate arches surround tranquil squares where residents sit and play cards; flowering bougainvillea and geraniums spill out from the terraces of pastel-painted buildings; street vendors offer a warming cup of ‘café con leche’ from colorful flasks packed together on a small wheel barrow; whilst food vendors cut and prepare a sweet tropical fruit treat, or offer piping hot fritters. Dilapidated, vintage trucks compete for space on the narrow lanes with horse drawn carriages, whilst youngsters flirt in shaded doorways on their way to the university. The city compels you to photograph it, almost to excess. At every turn there is something fascinating, beautiful or surprising, moments worth capturing. Beyond the authentic street food, are gour-
FEB-MAR 2014
he historic old town of Cartagena, a melting pot of myths, legends and cultures offers a luxurious Caribbean weekend escape that not only offers quintessential white sandy beaches and coral atolls but also embraces history, culture and gastronomy. The fortified, historic quarter of this coastal city maintains an exotic, romantic atmosphere, whilst also being home to stylish boutique and luxury hotels, gourmet restaurants and upscale retail stores. It’s a far cry from the outdated view of a country struggling with narcotic- fueled organized crime. Now Columbia has reclaimed its position on the global tourism stage, with a culturally-rich offering for visitors, including the outstanding city of Cartagena de Indias. In colonial times it was a strategic port for the Spanish, exporting gold, silver and emerald wealth to Andalucía. Constantly under threat from competitive European navies and sponsored pirates, this wealthy trading city adopted
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