Cartagena of the Indies Colombia

Cartagena de Indias

Geographic Location

The city of Cartagena is located in the north of the departamento de Bolívar on the shores of the Caribbean Sea at 10º 25′ 30″ north latitude and 75º 32′ 25″ west longitude.

Boundaries

North: Caribbean Sea

South: Municipio of Arjona

East: Municipalities of Santa Catalina, Clemencia, Santa Rosa, Turbaco and Turbaná

West: Caribbean Sea

Flag and Coat of Arms of Cartagena de Indias

Climate

The capital city of Bolívar has a hot semi-arid climate, with an average annual temperature of 29 °C.

Cartagena de Indias has a relative humidity of over 90%, the rainiest months of the year are April-May and October-November.

September and October are the cloudiest and rainiest, but the sun is often present every day.

The months from November to February are the windiest of the year, pleasant breezes can be felt in January and February, making it ideal to be at the beach.

Sometimes the tide is high for one or two weeks, at the beginning of December.

It is worth noting that although the climate tends to be hot all year round, the presence of breeze makes the climate wonderful.

Cartagena de Indias, although located on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, is never hit by hurricanes because the city is located further south and is part of the South American continent, far from the hurricane corridors.

Economy

The economy in Cartagena de Indias is very diverse thanks to its productive structure in sectors such as industry, tourism, commerce, and logistics for international maritime trade, which is facilitated by its great location on the Caribbean Sea in northern South America and in the center of the American continent.

In recent years, it has stood out in the petrochemical sector, the processing of industrial products, and international tourism.

The city of Cartagena de Indias is experiencing growth in the construction sector since the beginning of the 21st century, consisting of new buildings for the development of the city, such as skyscrapers and shopping centers, bringing a new urban landscape to the city.

Tourism

It is one of the most important tourist destinations in Colombia and Latin America, with millions of tourists visiting each year, as it is considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Cartagena de Indias is a city that has a lot to offer to all tourists, starting with its natural attractions, the richness of its architecture and history. In Cartagena de Indias, you can find Spanish Baroque, Spanish colonial architecture, and Neoclassical style, among others.

Illustrious visitors, such as presidents, actors, and different celebrities from around the world, make Cartagena de Indias a very recognized and attractive city; the city has been the location for filming various telenovelas and movies due to its unparalleled beauty.

Main destinations in the heroic city:

• San Felipe Castle
• The walls
• The Clock Tower
• Colonial streets
• The Inquisition Palace
• La Boquilla Beach
• Bocagrande Beach
• Castillo Grande
• El Laguito
• Rosario Islands
• Barú Island

Celebrations and Festivals

Among the most popular celebrations and festivals in Cartagena de Indias are:

• The Cartagena International Music Festival: It is one of the most important festivals in the country, consisting of a classical music event that takes place in the month of January for 10 days, during which classes and conferences are held with the presence of national and international artists.
• Hay Festival: It is a literary and arts festival where musicians, filmmakers, literature teachers participate, and where we can find different personalities.
• SummerLand Festival: It is the most important electronic music festival in the country.
• Fiestas de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria and Festival del Frito: These festivities take place in February, the first one is a Catholic celebration of the Virgin of Candelaria, and the second one is a gastronomic festival where participants can enjoy different traditional recipes from the region.
• Cartagena International Film Festival and Feria Náutica: It is where the India Catalina awards are given to the best of Ibero-American cinema, this event is international in nature; on the other hand, at the Feria Náutica, you can see the best in the national and international nautical industry.
• Festival del Dulce: It is a tradition during the Holy Week (sometimes in March, sometimes in April) in the city of Cartagena to hold a gastronomic exhibition of all sweets made from typical tropical fruits of the region so that locals and visitors can enjoy these delights.
• Summer Festival and Cartagena's Birthday: This festival is full of fun events including bike paths, motorcycle exhibitions, extreme sports, acrobatic tests, a series of unparalleled concerts, sports events, both on land and at sea, among which the realization of a nautical sports tournament stands out, in the modalities of surfing, windsurfing, and sunfish, in addition to kayak regattas, Beach Volleyball tournaments, sailboat championships, and good gastronomy, these festivities are celebrated in June.
• Sail Cartagena: It is usually held in July, it is where nautical culture is celebrated with a large gathering of sailboats that aims to commemorate great events in history and strengthen friendship ties between different countries.
• Fiestas de la Independencia: The city celebrates its independence by holding various events accompanied by parades, tributes, musical groups, dances, costumes, floats, popular reigns, and the main one is the National Beauty Contest, which is a contest where the winner receives the title of Señorita Colombia, who becomes the representative of Colombia in Miss Universe.
• Festival del Jazz bajo la luna: In this festival, the most outstanding exponents of this musical genre come together to show their best performance in December.

Neighborhoods located by communes

The Cartagena District is administratively divided into 3 localities.

Historic and Northern Caribbean Locality (1):

Comuna 1

Castillogrande, Laguito, Bocagrande, El Centro, La Matuna, Getsemani, San Diego, El Cabrero, Marbella, Torices, Crespo, Chambacú, Pie de la Popa, Manga.

Comuna 2

Pie del Cerro, El Espinal, Lo Amador, Nariño, Torices, Pedro Salazar, San Pedro y Libertad, Los Comuneros, Petare, Paulo VI 1, Paulo VI 2, República del Caribe, Loma Fresca, Palestina, La Plaza, Paraíso, San Bernardo de Asís, Virgen del Carmen.

Comuna 3

Canapote, Crespito Daniel Lemaitre, Santa María, Siete de Agosto, San Francisco, San Bernardo. La Heroica La Paz 20 de Julio.

Comuna 8

Zaragocilla, Escallón Villa, La Campiña, Los Calamares, Los Almendros, Camagüey, Los Ejecutivos, Los Ángeles, Barlovento, Los Laureles, Britania, Santillana de los Patios, El Country, La Troncal, Buenos Aires, Tacarigua, Villa Sandra 1, Villa Sandra 2, Cavipetrol, Las Delicias, El Carmen, El Rubí, La Gloria.

Comuna 9

Barrio Chino, Martínez Martelo, El Prado, Bruselas, Amberes, España, Juan XXIII, Paraguay, Junín, La Gloria, Las Brisas, Nueva Granada, Nueve de Abril, José Antonio Galán, Piedra de Bolívar, Armenia, Mirador de Nuevo Bosque.

Comuna 10

Alto Bosque, El Bosque, Los Cerros, República de Chile, San Isidro, Altos de San Isidro, Bosquecito.

Corregimientos

Tierrabomba, Caño del Oro, Bocachica, Santa Ana, Barú.

Locality of the Virgin and Tourist (2):

Comuna 4

La María, La Quinta, Barrió Obrero, La Esperanza, Alcibia, Boston, La Candelaria.

Comuna 5

Tesca Viejo, Tesca Nuevo, República del Líbano, Olaya Herrera, Chiquinquirá.

Comuna 6

Olaya Herrera, Fredonia, Nuevo Paraíso, Las Américas, Villa Estrella, El Pozón.

Comuna 7

13 de Junio, República de Venezuela, Las Gaviotas, Chipre, La Floresta, La Castellana, Los Alpes, El Gallo, Viejo Porvenir, San José obrero, Nuevo Porvenir, Las Palmeras, Las Palmas.

Corregimientos

La Boquilla, Punta Canoa, Pontezuela, Bayunca, Arroyo de Piedra, Arroyo Grande.

Industrial Locality of the Bay (3):

Comuna 11

Ceballos, Santa Clara, Policarpa, Albornoz, Arroz Barato, Puerta de Hierro, Bellavista, Libertador, 20 de Julio, Antonio José de Sucre.

Comuna 12

Los Corales, Almirante Colon, Los Caracoles, El Socorro, Blas de Lezo, Santa Mónica, San Pedro, El Campestre.

Comuna 13

Santa Lucía, El Recreo, La Concepción, Ternera, Anita, San José de los Campanos, Villa Rosita, La Providencia.

Comuna 14

La Victoria, San Fernando, Simón Bolívar, November 11, Villa Rubia, Jorge Eliecer Gaitán, María Cano, Camilo Torres, La Florida, Nueva Dely, La Esmeralda 1, La Esmeralda 2, Los Santanderes, El Nazareno, El Silencio, Nueva Jerusalén, Nueva Villa Fany, Sectores Unidos, La Sierrita, Nelson Mandela.

Comuna 15

Villa Hermosa, Luis Carlos Galán, Cooperativo, San Pedro Mártir, El Reposo, La Victoria, Los Jardines, La Consolata, El Educador, Henequén.

Corregimientos

Pasacaballos, Sector Membrillal, Sector Variante, Cordialidad.