Cartagena, Santa Marta and Taganga - The Caribbean Coast of Colombia

My travels through Colombia continue: From Cali I took the shortcut by plane to Cartagena, from where I explored the caribbean coast of this beautiful country.

The city of Cartagena counts around 800.000 inhabitants, making it the second largest city in the region. Its colonial walled city and the fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Some impressions, amongst others pictures of the Torre del Reloj (the city's landmark), the city wall, vibrant but relaxed Colombian city life, the fancy new Cartagena (the district Bocagrande, with posh new restaurants, clubs and hotels), and so on and so forth.

From Cartagena it was an easy bus ride to Santa Marta, a popular tourist destination for Colombians. Nearly half a million people live in the third biggest agglomeration of the Colombian Caribbean coast. Highlights of a visit are the lighthouse in the bay, the Tayrona National Natural Park and the Lost City.

And to finish my trip of the Caribbean coast of Colombia I stopped by in Taganga, an idyllic backwater town close to Santa Marta, popular for fishing and diving and home to lots of backpackers and dropouts.