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Cartagena De Indias

Welcome to Cartagena de Indias Colombia. A colonial city
that has almost 500 years of extraordinary history and is
one of the most beautiful cities in South America.
Cartagena is one of the main tourist destinations in
Colombia, as well, as an important center for business,
meetings, summits and convention. It is located in northern
Colombia on one of the most beautiful bays in America. The
city enjoys sunny weather with an average temperature of
30°C (86°F) all year-round and warm water along its
beaches.

History

In 1498, Christopher Columbus passed by without
anchoring. This jewel of the Spanish Crown was founded by
Pedro de Heredia in 1533 who built a small native village
called Calamari which later became Cartagena under the
name of ‘Cartagena de Poniente’ (Cartagena of the West)
which takes its name from the ancient city of Carthage, thus
distinguishing it from “Cartagena de Levante" in the
Spanish province of Murcia.

The city became one of the main Spanish ports and it was
necessary to surround the city with several forts and about
eleven kilometers of walls for the protection of the city.

The colonial town was built between the 14th and 19th
centuries. On the 11th day of November 1811, "Cartagena
de Indias" became the first province of the Spanish Crown to
obtain a declared independence. To this day, independence
continues to be celebrated on this date. In 1984, UNESCO
declared the port, the forts, and the old town a historical
and cultural World Heritage Site.

About Cartagena