Plan January around the Cartagena Festival de Música

The Sofitel Legend Santa Clara began in the early 1600s as a convent of the Poor Clares and was restored rather than reimagined, so the original structure stays visible. Some rooms occupy former convent cells with original stonework, and breakfast is served under the old arches. It is a heritage stay in the walled…

Champeta is the Afro-Caribbean sound born in Cartagena's popular neighborhoods, and the city honors it every 13 August, the date of the genre's first public event in 1985 at Cueva de Morgan in Los Caracoles. The district council set the day in 2003. Expect concerts, talks, exhibitions and dance showcases, such as the…

Café Havana is a Cuban-style salsa bar in Getsemaní, near Calle de la Media Luna, with live bands listed Tuesday to Sunday from about 8 pm. Arrive early to secure entry, because the music starts late and the place fills quickly. Ask staff about the cover and the night's band, as listings say times and performers can…

Colombia is a major emerald producer, and Cartagena has jewelers in the walled city, but the city police list street sales of emeralds among the most common tourist scams. The national tourism board advises buying from hotel shops that certify authenticity or from established stores, since street pieces may carry no…

Las Bóvedas are former dungeons at the north end of the Centro Histórico that now hold craft shops, with wayuu bags, hammocks, vueltiao hats and handmade jewelry. They offer the widest selection and price range in one place, so it is a good first stop. Compare a few stalls, ask where each piece was made, and expect…

Start on the ramparts at Baluarte de Santo Domingo late in the afternoon and walk toward the quieter stretch near San Francisco Javier. Go while the sun has not yet reached the water, when the coral stone takes on a honey tone. The baluartes of San Francisco Javier, San Ignacio and Santo Domingo are favorite sunset…

The Santuario San Pedro Claver is a working church and a museum whose collections focus on Afro memory. It honors the Jesuit Pedro Claver, ordained in Cartagena in 1616 and canonized in 1888, who worked with the enslaved people arriving in the city. Ask at the ticket desk about the guided dome climb, which runs in…

The Museo Histórico de Cartagena sits in the Palacio de la Inquisición on Plaza de Bolívar, which the museum calls the outstanding example of 18th-century civil architecture in the city. Exhibits cover colonial and republican Cartagena and how the Holy Office ran trials and autos-da-fé. The torture devices on display…