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Cartagena: San Felipe Fort, Popa Hill & Old Town City Tour

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.72 (213 reviews) 82% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/23

Duration4h

GroupUp to 50

LanguagesEN · ES

PickupAt your hotel

Climb Popa Hill, walk San Felipe Fort and feel Cartagena’s history

You’ll ride up Popa Hill for sweeping views over Cartagena before exploring San Felipe Fort’s tunnels and ramparts with your local guide. Shop for crafts in Las Bóvedas’ old barracks and stroll through lively Old Town streets lined with music and color—ending your day feeling closer to Cartagena than you expected.

Step-by-step itinerary

Panoramic view of Cartagena Bay
Visit Pegasus Pier and public clock tower
Guided tour of La Popa Convent
Explore San Felipe de Barajas Castle
Visit Las Bóvedas artisan center
Walk through Cartagena Old Town
See Old Shoes Monument
Optional tour of jewelry factory

The Experience

I didn’t really know what to expect when we set off from our hotel in Cartagena—just that I’d heard the city was full of stories. Our guide, Andrés, had this gentle way of pointing things out as we drove through the city: a flash of blue water at Cartagena Bay, kids waving from behind fruit carts, the clatter of old buses. The air smelled salty and a bit sweet—like mangoes left in the sun. We stopped first at La Popa Convent, winding up a hill that made my ears pop. Up there, the city looked like it was holding its breath under the heat. Inside the convent’s cool stone halls, Andrés explained about Candlemas and how every February people fill these rooms with candles and songs. I tried to picture it—so many voices echoing off those thick walls.

San Felipe de Barajas Castle was next, and honestly, I thought I’d seen enough forts before—but this one felt different. Maybe it was the way you could still see little marks on the stone where cannonballs hit, or maybe just how massive it is. Andrés told us about Baron de Pointis (I probably spelled that wrong) and all these attacks from pirates and armies. There was this moment when I touched one of the old walls—still warm from the sun—and just felt how much had happened here. Kind of humbling.

Afterwards we wandered through Las Bóvedas, which used to be barracks but now are full of stalls selling emerald jewelry and woven bags. The sellers were friendly but not pushy; one woman let me try on a ring even though she knew I wasn’t buying (I think she just liked chatting). Then came my favorite part—a walk through Cartagena’s Old Town. The streets are tight and bright; yellow paint peeling off balconies, music drifting out from somewhere you can’t quite find. Andrés recited a line from Luis Carlos López about loving his hometown like an old pair of shoes—I laughed because yeah, some corners do feel worn-in but comfortable.

I still think about that view from Popa Hill sometimes—how everything looked smaller but somehow more alive from up there. If you’re curious about Cartagena’s history (and don’t mind sweating a bit), this city tour kind of sneaks up on you with its mix of stories and colors.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a bilingual local guide leading you through La Popa Convent, San Felipe de Barajas Castle, Las Bóvedas artisan market, plus bottled water along the way before returning to your accommodation at the end.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearbyNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Guianza Express S.A.S