Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
The largest Spanish fortress in the Americas, with its network of tunnels.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs 30 min
Best time
At opening, or late afternoon
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
The fortress was begun in 1657 on San Lázaro hill and enlarged over more than a century: it is the largest Spanish military work in the Americas. Its stepped design means each level can cover the one below if that one falls.
In 1741 it withstood a British siege of a hundred and eighty ships and twenty-three thousand men under Admiral Vernon, against three thousand defenders. A network of tunnels runs beneath it, designed to amplify the sound of footsteps and detect an approach; part of it can be walked.
Getting there
San Lázaro hill, fifteen minutes on foot from the walled city or five by taxi.
What the price covers
entry charged, rate to be confirmed
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- 1.5 L of water
- Headlamp
- Cap
Rules on site
The ramps are steep and in full sun: avoid the middle of the day, there is no shade at all. The tunnels are low, narrow and poorly lit — a phone torch helps.
Other places in Cartagena
- The walled cityEleven kilometres of ramparts around streets of wooden balconies and bougainvillea.
- GetsemaníThe old working quarter outside the walls, its murals and its square full of musicians in the evening.
- Rosario IslandsA coral archipelago an hour away by boat, clear water and white beaches.
- El Totumo mud volcanoA crater filled with warm mud where you float without sinking.