The Walls of Cartagena are the historic defensive fortifications that once ringed Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, built between 1614 and 1796 to protect the city from pirate attacks. Roughly 11 kilometers of wall remain today, forming one of the best-preserved colonial fortification systems in South America and part of the city’s UNESCO World Heritage designation.
The walls are open to the public around the clock, and walking their top is free. The most popular stretch runs along the waterfront near the Old Town, especially the section overlooking the Caribbean Sea, which draws crowds at sunset.
Construction spanned nearly two centuries under successive Spanish engineers, including Italian architect Carlos de Roda Antonelli, who led the earliest 15-year phase after Sir Francis Drake’s 1586 attack on the city.
