Map Cartagena

Cartagena de Indias (pronounced [kartaˈçena de ˈindias] in Spanish; the usual English pronunciation is IPA: /ˌkɑrtəˈheɪnə deɪ ˈɪndiəs/), is a large city seaport on the northern coast of Colombia. Capital of the Bolívar Department, it has a population of 1,240,000 in its Metropolitan Area, and 1,090,000 in the city (2005 Census), being the fifth largest urban area in Colombia. Founded in 1533 by Spaniard Don Pedro de Heredia, and named after the port of Cartagena in Spain's Murcia region, it was a major center of early Spanish settlement in the Americas which had impressive development in the XVIII century as the de facto capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada and as the main hub of commerce and transportation in the late viceroyal era, situation that is reflected in its alternative capitality today. Nowadays continues to be the economic hub of the Caribbean region as well as a popular tourist destination.
Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 along with Lima.