Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
More than a single, uniform wall, Cartagena is surrounded by a series of impressive fortresses, most of which are still standing. The largest and most important was Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, a towering stone fort just east of the walled city along Avenida Pedro de Heredia. The sacking of the city by Sir Frances Drake highlighted the need for protection, and so this mighty fort was built between 1656 and 1798 with plans from a Dutch engineer. The fort is an ideal spot from which to watch the sunset, and getting the audioguide is well worth it, as you can walk around the fort walls and underground passages at your leisure, learning about its history, functions and other important landmarks, such as the leper hospital. Alternatively, you can talk to one of the guides who hang around at the entrance.
Catedral
Looming above the northeast corner of the Plaza de Bolívar is the fortress-like Catedral, whose construction began in 1575, but which wasn’t completed until 1612 due to setbacks such as its partial destruction by cannon fire in 1586 by Sir Francis Drake when Cartagena was slow to come up with the extortionate ransom he demanded. The interior is airy and pleasantly austere and the compulsory audioguide tour very worthwhile.
Convento and Iglesia de San Pedro Claver
Standing on the quiet plaza of the same name, the imposing Convento de San Pedro Claver was founded by Jesuits in 1603, and is where Spanish-born priest Pedro Claver lived and died, in 1654. Called the “slave of the slaves” for his lifelong ministering to the city’s slaves, aghast at the conditions in which they lived, the ascetic monk was canonized two centuries after his death. His skull and bones are guarded in a glass coffin at the altar of the adjacent church. The convent itself is a grand three-storey building surrounding a large courtyard bursting with greenery; besides exhibits of religious art and pre-Colombian ceramics, there’s a superb display on the top floor featuring colourful, contemporary Haitian art and intricate African wooden masks and carvings.
Museo de Oro
If you haven’t yet visited Bogotá’s larger counterpart, this excellent gold museum, off the Plaza de Bolívar, will whet your appetite. The displays feature the intricate gold creations of various pre-Columbian cultures, particularly the Zenú. Look out for their intricate “woven” earrings and mammal-bird hybrids, as well as the elaborate gold and copper figures of the Tayrona and the schematic representations of shamans from the San Jacinto range.