Things to Do in Cartagena

Choose from 23 Fun Things to Do in Cartagena

Rafael Nuñez House Museum

In Cartagena, the Casa de Rafael Núñez is a mansion that was once home to the famous politician, poet, and lawyer Rafael Núñez. The country's president on four occasions, Núñez' importance in Colombian history cannot be overstated "” not only did he write the country's 1886 constitution, in effect until 1991; he also wrote the words to the Colombian national anthem.

A three-minute walk from the Walled City in El Cabrero, the Caribbean-Antillean styled white and green mansion was built in 1858, and today it's a museum where you can see Núñez' documents and personal possessions including furniture, paintings, and art. Just opposite the Casa de Rafael Núñez you'll see the chapel of Ermita del Cabrero, where the ashes of Núñez and his wife rest.

Practical Info

On Calle Real 41-89 in El Cabrero, Casa de Rafael Núñez is open 9am-5pm Tuesday to Friday, and from 10am-4pm on weekends. Entrance is free. Explanatory signs are in Spanish, and tours (in Spanish) are also available.

Carrera 2 # 41-1 a 41-99, Bolívar, Colombia

Tue-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat-Sun 10am-4pm

From $ 23

Totumo Volcano

Take the wooden steps up the 15-meter mud mound that is Totumo Volcano (Volcán de Lodo El Totumo) then look down to be greeted by a mud bath big enough to fit dozens of bathers. A popular day trip from Cartagena, it's said that the volcano goes hundreds of meters deep, but when you dip into the warm mud you'll find that it's so dense it's impossible to do anything but bob about at the top. While wallowing, it’s possible to pay one of the attendants for a personal massage.

Legend has it that Totumo Volcano used to spew out fire and lava, but a local priest, believing such hellfire to be the work of the devil, used holy water to turn it all to mud. After the bath, everyone heads to the next-door lagoon to wash off the gloop, which local women will help you wash off with buckets of water, for a small fee, if you wish.

Practical Info

The volcano is a 40-minute drive from Cartagena in the Santa Catalina district. There’s a $5,000 COP entrance fee to bathe in the mud volcano, and next to it is a small restaurant where the owner can mind your things.

El Totumo, Colombia

From $ 23

Iglesia de Santo Domingo

Iglesia Santo Domingo, founded in 1534, is the oldest church in Cartagena and one of the first in the hemisphere. The original stone structure, finished in 1551, was so badly damaged by Sir Francis Drake in 1586 that a new church needed to be built; the current incarnation was finally completed some time during the 1700s.

The cool, spacious interior, with its imposing central nave lined with massive stone columns and inspiring marble altar are unusual, and certainly worth a look. Most travelers will spend more time on Plaza Santo Domingo, right out front, the spot to enjoy a little rest and relaxation of a premium-priced beverage. Surrounded by some of the city's finest architecture, and filled with umbrella-shaded cafe tables, the plaza is also a magnet for souvenir vendors. Be sure to bargain.

Calle Santo Domingo, Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia

Tue-Sun, 12-8pm

Adults 10,000 pesos (<$6 USD), Children 7,000 pesos (<$4 USD)

From $ 12