About
Location :
Added by Jopie, at 09 April 2017
Opening Hours
- Monday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Tuesday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Wednesday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Thursday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Friday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Saturday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
- Sunday 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM
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15 Reviews
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15 April 2018
An engineering marvel. Need a good guide to take you through the castle to learn about all the details and defense strategies enabled by the engineers. Will need a map of the whole bay with all the fortresses and walls to understand how the city defense worked with some help from local mosquitoes
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03 April 2018
A good way to add some history to a tropical vacation - plenty of families visiting while we were there. If you don’t hire a guide, of which there were Spanish and English ones available, definitely catch the short video inside of the “hospital” to give yourself some historical context. There are nice views of the city; a gift shop; but we could only find port-o-potties and no regular bathrooms. Don’t forget to wear a hat/sunglasses/sunscreen! It cost us $25,000 COP per person to get in, less for kids/seniors.
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31 March 2018
Very cool historic old fort that defended Cartagena from pirates for many years. Steep (45 degree) ramp to get to top. Not for those in bad shape. Great views make climb worthwhile
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21 February 2018
One of the best Colonial Spanish fortifications in the Caribbean. Well kept, clean, safe, a lot of guides around. It is a good idea to watch the information video before start the visit. Bring your hat, sunscreen and water. I wouldn't stay around after dark.
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08 February 2018
The views of the city are worth the climb. You can explore some of the tunnels too. There is a museum on site. The bathroom was the best thing about the museum. The entryway is packed with pushy street vendors. Just ignore them. 25,000 per adult and 10,500 for kids. Under 6 is free. You could get a tour but it did not seem necessary. Taxi will drop you off right in front and there are plenty for picking you up.
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12 November 2017
Very rich historical place to visit. Be sure to watch the video about the history of the place that is shown there to be able to understand the meaning of the buildings.
You buy the tickets directly at the castle. You can hire guides outside before entering, but it might not be necessary.response / report this review -
27 October 2017
An important landmark of Cartagena. It's interesting to go and learn about its history. Although it's not far, the walk there could be much nicer. Also, inside the castle it's very hot
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01 September 2017
This fortress will take a good 2-3 hours to explore. Not only will you be taking a lot of pictures but It's also pretty big so there's a lot to walk through. Might be helpful to get an audio guide as you walk through the whole fortress. That way, you'll know a little about its history. Also there is a indoor area to watch a video in English so don't forget to stop there. I think it was in what used to be the hospital area at the back of the fortress. The video is an animation and illustrates the history of how the fortress became the way it is today.
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27 July 2017
Huge fortress, well preserved. Lots out on the open,so suncream and water needed. You can get an English audio tour which adds a little more than the pretty detailed map they give you on entry. The video in multi languages in the hospital hut is air-conditioned and pretty good to understand the fort's history
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10 July 2017
Amazing castle and history. Very good explanations on the audio guide. I really enjoyed, but I recommend only for the people really interested in castles and history because the visit is long (3 H if you visit and listen everything) and the most part is under the sun. Go early in the morning. Possible to get there on foot. 30 min from the old town by walking.
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20 June 2017
Excelente lugar, la historia es genial. Quisiera que al final hubiese alguien vendiendo agua o algo para hidratar y calmar la sed.
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18 June 2017
Amazing monument to visit Un Cartagena and to learn more about the city. The view on the top is great! Make sure you explore the tunnels on the fort it's really funny!!
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16 May 2017
Very interesting historical landmark. Read the Wikipedia page ahead of time: they'll hand you a leaflet that is only moderately interesting.
If you're staying in the walled city, I'd recommend walking to the castle. Some blocks are slightly questionable, but there are some murals in the Street of the Turtles that are interesting.
Make sure to check out the sculpture of the Old Shoes, right behind the castle, before you leave (it is in a square just outside of the castle, so you'll need to exit the castle first).response / report this review -
28 April 2017
Fantastic place if you are into history and want to experience it first hand. Although, considering the high entry fee and the fact that it's considered a world heritage site, they could have done a much better job in preserving it and making it engaging for tourists. Lots of potential being wasted in here.
Pd: go when the sun is low if you don't wanna roast!
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16 April 2017
It is a must see attraction, and this is why I went. The place was under maintenance, but I still got to see a lot of it - even though there is really not that much. It is really just an old fortress with dark halls within, lots of stairs and steep places. It takes around 40 min at least to walk it through under a blazing sun, so you better take water! Not recommended for elder people or handicaps.
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