Colonial-era street in Cartagena, Colombia
Two people converse on a corner of a colonial-era street. A large, highly-decorated building can be seen on the right.
Cartagena is a large seaport town on Colombia’s northern coast. It was settled in 1533 by Spanish conquistadors and was an important seaport during the colonial period. Because of its colonial wealth, the city of Cartagena was forced to defend itself from several incursions by the English and French navies, as well as pirates. This photo shows some of the wealth that was on display in the colonial era.
More recently Cartagena has become increasingly industrialized, though its tropical climate and extremely high humidity ensures that the city will retain its lush vegetation.




