The flower market outside the walls of the old city
Fascinating Cartagena
The very name Cartagena has a sense of historicity about it. The city was named by the Spanish conquerors after the
city of Cartagena in Spain, which in turn got its name from its founder, Hasdrubal the Fair, who named the city after his
native Carthage in present day Tunisia. ‘Carthage’ ultimately derived its name from the Phoenician ‘Qart Hadasht’,
meaning ‘New City’. For me, my pilgrimage to Cartagena was doubly intriguing as I was fortunate to have visited
Carthage several years ago and now my journey would be coming full circle.
For those seeking a sense of history mixed with modern shopping, a Caribbean-style beach culture, horse-drawn
carriages clip-clopping through streets that evoke a sense of New Orleans, and restaurants specializing in local and
fusion fare, Cartagena should be on your list of ‘must sees’.
On our first day we flew into Rafael Nunez International Airport from Medellin and took a Taxi about 15 minutes to