In 1586, English privateer Francis Drake attacked Cartagena de Indias with 23 ships and 2,300 men, looted the city for two months and demanded a ransom of 107,000 ducats not to burn it to the ground. The city paid, survived — and then built 11 kilometres of massive walls that made it impregnable. Those walls still stand. They surround the Ciudad Amurallada today, one of the best-preserved colonial architectural ensembles in the Americas, where bougainvilleas cascade over yellow and ochre facades, horse-drawn carriages wind through cobbled lanes, and in the evening, García Márquez drifts in the warm air like hibiscus perfume.

Cartagena in 2026 — Caribbean beauty that comes at a price

Cartagena de Indias is the capital of Bolívar department — 1.3 million inhabitants — and Latin America's most photographed colonial city. Founded in 1533, it was the first major export port for New Granada's gold to Spain, and one of the main entry points of the transatlantic African slave trade. That dual history — colonial wealth and the pain of slavery — permeates every lane of the walled city and every painted wall of Getsemaní.

For an expat in 2026, Cartagena offers something no other Colombian city can: the combination of UNESCO-listed colonial architectural beauty, a Caribbean coastal setting (turquoise sea, islands 45 minutes by boat), a permanent 28–34°C warmth, and a cost of living still well below major world capitals. The trade-off is real: the city lives largely off tourism, which drives up prices on some services, creates a marked seasonality, and a tourist presence that can overwhelm quality of life in high season.

The city — identity & soul

Cartagena is a city of layers. The Ciudad Amurallada (Walled City) — the historic core surrounded by 11 km of 16th–17th century walls — is one of colonial America's great architectural achievements. Its narrow streets, coloured facades with flower-spilling balconies, plazas and cathedrals form an ensemble of exceptional visual coherence. At night, lit by gas lamps and animated by terrace restaurants and street musicians, the Ciudad Amurallada becomes exactly what García Márquez describes in his novels.

Getsemaní, the neighbourhood east of the Walled City, is the perfect counterpoint. Formerly the quarter of freed slaves and coloured artisans, long neglected, it is undergoing an artistic and cultural renaissance that makes it Cartagena's most authentic and creative neighbourhood. Its walls are covered in giant, intensely coloured murals telling the story of Africans deported to Colombia — a street art scene among Latin America's finest. Prices here remain more affordable than inside the walls.

Neighbourhoods — where to live?

Daily life & housing

Housing in Cartagena is more expensive than Medellín — tourist pressure and the scarcity of property in the Ciudad Amurallada inflate premium-segment prices. A quality furnished studio in Getsemaní or Bocagrande rents for between $500 and $800 per month. In the Ciudad Amurallada, prices start at $700–1,200 for a studio. Outside tourist zones, local prices are comparable to Medellín. Domestic help is available at the same cost as elsewhere in Colombia ($8–15 per session).

Cartagena's Caribbean gastronomy is distinct from Andean Colombian cuisine — spicier, more marinated, more influenced by African and Caribbean traditions. Arroz con coco (coconut milk rice), ceviche cartagenero (shrimp and fresh seafood ceviche, $5–10), empanada de pipián (gourd seed-filled pastry, $0.50), patacones (crushed fried plantain) and fresh grilled fish at seafront restaurants are the local culinary pillars. The high-end gastronomic scene is developed — several Ciudad Amurallada restaurants regularly appear in Latin American rankings.

Cartagena's heat is a reality not to underestimate. 28–34°C year-round with significant humidity. Air conditioning is essential in apartments — budget an extra $30–60 per month on electricity. The sea breeze softens evenings near the water, but the Walled City lanes can be stifling in the middle of the day.

Working from Cartagena

Cartagena is the least developed of the four Colombian cities in this guide for remote work. The coworking infrastructure is modest — Selina Cartagena, Casa Coworking and a few well-equipped cafés in Getsemaní and Bocagrande — but functional for nomads with standard needs. Internet quality is variable: excellent in modern Bocagrande buildings (100–200 Mbps), more unstable in historic Ciudad Amurallada houses (sometimes ageing wiring). Coffee shop wifi is generally sufficient for light work.

The local economy is dominated by tourism, port commerce and the offshore oil sector (Cartagena is Colombia's main oil port). The city also hosts numerous business congresses and events — its hotel and convention infrastructure is among Colombia's best. For profiles in luxury tourism, event management or offshore, Cartagena offers specific opportunities that Medellín or Bogotá cannot provide.

Health & safety

Cartagena's healthcare infrastructure is adequate but clearly below Medellín or Bogotá. Clínica Universitaria San Juan de Dios and Clínica Blas de Lezo are the main options for serious care. For complex conditions, transfer to Bogotá remains preferable. International health insurance is strongly recommended. The heat and humidity increase the risks of dengue and tropical infections — standard prophylactic precautions apply.

Cartagena is generally safe for expats in tourist and residential zones (Ciudad Amurallada, Getsemaní, Bocagrande). The same precautions as in Medellín apply. Peripheral neighbourhoods and the industrial port are best avoided at night. The tourist concentration generates some aggressive sellers and petty scammers — normal travel vigilance.

Anecdotes & History

Benkos Biohó is the most overlooked hero of Latin American colonial history — and the most significant for Cartagena. Born in Guinea-Bissau in the 16th century, he was captured, sold into slavery and brought to Cartagena around 1596. In 1599, he escaped with other enslaved people and founded in the inland marshes, 100 km from Cartagena, the palenque de La Matuna — a fortified community of free Africans that became the first free town of African descendants in the Americas. For 20 years, he led a guerrilla campaign against Spanish authorities from those marshes, making any slave plantation impossible within 100 km of Cartagena. He was finally captured and executed in 1621 in Cartagena. His village, San Basilio de Palenque, still exists — it has been listed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2005. The Palenquero language spoken by his descendants, a unique blend of Spanish, Portuguese, African languages and Taíno, is considered the only Spanish-based creole language in the Americas.

Gabriel García Márquez lived in Cartagena in the 1940s–1950s, studying law at the University of Cartagena and working as a journalist for El Universal. The city is the unnamed setting of Love in the Time of Cholera (1985) — the novel in which Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza live their impossible love in a city of heat, bougainvilleas, horse-drawn carriages and sea. García Márquez described his relationship with Cartagena as "a city I loved as one loves a woman from whom one is separated" — he returned regularly until his death in 2014. The Casa Museo García Márquez, in the Ciudad Amurallada, is one of the city's essential cultural addresses.

Who is Cartagena right for?

Frequently asked questions

WiggMap — Indicative data: Camacol Bolívar / Properati Jan. 2026, DANE Colombia 2024, Speedtest Ookla 2025. Rents in USD (reference rate 1 USD ≈ 4,100 COP). This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, real estate or legal advice.