Cartagena was always a desirable conquest for pirates and enemies of the Spanish Crown; and for this reason, the defense of the city from these threats was a question of priority for its inhabitants from the first decades of the existence of the city. Once the primitive nucleus of Cartagena and the outlying district of Getsemani were fortified, there was a need to erect a structure on San Lazaro Hill that would prevent an enemy attack from its peak, since the hill dominated the walls and the only entrance to the city, the Media Luna Entrance in Getsemani. In addition, this hill was the intermediate point between the city and the nearby Popa Peak, where some heavy guns and canons were installed between 1769 and 1780 to cross fire with the castle and make an enemy attack more difficult from the large beach of Playon Grande in Pie de la Popa.

Four hundred years ago jesuits established in Cartagena and founded a school and a church in downtown. During the XVII century a father called Pedro Claver dedicated all his life to the protection of the african slaves and became saint 300 hundred years later. To keep alive his legacy, jesuits came back to the city at the end of XIX century and started to collect pieces for a museum that includes precolombian, religious and african caribbean art and, of course, the chamber and other spaces where the saint lived and died. Nowadays it is the museum with the most complete collection of religious art in Colombian coast, and the building preserves the spirit of Claver, the spirit of Human Rights.

El antiguo Circo Teatro o Plaza de La Serrezuela, ubicado en el tradicional barrio San Diego, renace como el centro de cultura, entretenimiento, comercial y gastronómico más importante de la región, convirtiéndose en el nuevo ícono del Centro Histórico de Cartagena. El espacio comercial que rodea la icónica plaza ofrece una experiencia única a sus visitantes donde no solo encontrarán locales comerciales, sino también eventos, exposiciones y encuentros en las que primará la cultura Caribe. La Serrezuela cuenta con una oferta gastronómica, sin igual. Su variedad de marcas culinarias hacen de este lugar la mejor alternativa en el Centro Histórico de Cartagena para disfrutar de una experiencia única con vistas a la muralla, la Popa, el Castillo de San Felipe y al mar. Visitar La Serrezuela es conocer y reconocer un lugar de encuentro, donde la cultura, el arte, la música y el entretenimiento son parte esencial de esta mágica atmósfera. ¡Los esperamos!

Take a slippery staircase up a small hill to reach the pit of this active mud volcano and float in the viscous volcanic mud said to have healing properties. Get some great photos taken of you, enjoy a massage, and you’ll get all the help you need to clean the mud off at the end. Prepare small notes as you are expected to tip. Wear a bathing suit and footwear that you’re happy to get dirty, as the mud can stain and may impart a lingering and unpleasant smell. Most people visit as part of a day tour or by taxi from Cartagena. – Tripadvisor