My latest adventure was to Cartagena de Indias which is located on the northern coast of Colombia. I went to visit a Colombian friend who lives there and so I got a tour of this city with an insider. Here are just 5 reasons for you to visit Cartagena de Indias above other destinations in the Caribbean.

Great tourist attractions
The colonial walled city of Cartagena has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984 and behind these walls is the historic old town – these are the star attractions. The main entrance to the old town is via the Clock Tower Building and you should look out for the oldest part which is around Plaza Trinidad in Getsemaní.
Another popular site is San Felipe castle which dates back to 1657 and was built as protection against pirates.

The food is great
Given the location of this city, you can rest assured that the seafood and fish dishes are wonderful. I would recommend a restaurant my Colombian friend took me too. It is called La Cocina de Socorro and it is said to be the best restaurant to try traditional Colombian cuisine. It serves a lot of fish dishes and seafood….However, if you aren’t keen on the idea there are also more traditional meat dishes and salads.

Paradise beaches
Most tourists go to the city beaches. However, if you want to escape the hordes of tourists and go where the locals love to sunbathe, you should head to Playa Blanca, which is an island off the coast, and you can take a ferry there or cross the bridge by car (car is faster). Here the water is crystal clear, warm and the sand is white. One of the best things was exploring the coral reefs.

Nightlife
Cartagena de Indias is renowned for its great nightlife with lots of bars, pubs and clubs.

Getting to Cartagena de Indias is easy
There are lots of cheap flights to Cartagena de Indias and they land at Rafael Núñez International Airport, which is one of the most important hubs on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. One of the companies which operate to this hub is Delta Air Lines.

So there you have it….five reasons to visit Cartagena de Indias….and remember that some of the aforementioned attractions and places are only known about by the locals.