It was "The queen of the Indies" and today is the most fascinating baroque city of Colombia. Proudly sitting on its coral throne, Cartagena has kept its majestic architecture which still reminds the Eldorado myth and the galleons' treasure-ship full of gold.

In 1533, Pedro de Heredia, a nobleman from Madrid, started building the city. A century later, this was where all the stolen treasures from the indians of New Grenade were stored before being moved to Spain. Cartagena grew rich on palaces, gardens, convents and churches adopting the catalan and andalousian style.

The haunting pirates of the caribbean sea made it their favorite target. So the spanish chose to fortify the city with the fort of San Felipe. His structure followed the universal military technology of that time but will be considered without an equal in all of America.

With seven hundred thousand inhabitants, today, Cartagena may be proud of its capability of maintaining a gorgeous architecture. The miradors and belfries contemplate untiringly the blue skyline of the Caribbean. The bay is unbelievable, one of the most beautiful all over the world.

At dawn, streets and markets deliver a delicate aroma of colorful fruits. High up on the balcony, hang, surrounding the streets, luxurious bunches of flowers, voluptuous like mangos that would be eaten at any time.

On the other side, buildings in steel and glass crowd the peninsula of Bocagrande, longing to set sail. The beaches are glowing. And as soon as the yachts come to the port, drums and guacharacas start playing in front of the bars. It is time to let the frenetic rythms of the cumbias carry us away ...