Out on the balmy pristine turquoise Caribbean waters, the first thing the eye sees when closing in on the port city of Cartagena on the north coast of Colombia are the imposing sandstone structures surrounded on all sides by fortified walls looming in the distance.

This famous landmark is the walled Old City of Cartagena de Indias (or Cartagena of the Indies). Its bulwarked ivory towers, which look down on a multi-ethnic population just shy of a million, bespeak 16th-century architecture rendering an old world colonial charm to the bold, candy-coloured façades and abstract impressions of the city.

A succession of European colonialists armed with ulterior motives, pirates and brokers of the Caribbean slave trade all possessed a twinkle in their eye for the treasures of the Indies, and dipped their fingers in the honeypot that is Colombia. During the 16^th century, Cartagena was in fact the largest port in Latin America and being a geo-economical hub of the Caribbean basin, fortification was key. As such, the Spanish built their greatest and strongest fortress in Cartagena, from which they controlled the resource-rich Caribbean coast.

The best way to get acquainted with Cartagena’s storied past is to walk in and around the Old City, which in 1984 was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is entirely traversable a pie. This way you’ll get a first-hand feel for the culture the colourful city has to offer—but be sure to don flats while navigating the cobblestone streets.

For a fascinating history lesson in colonial Spanish history, one must pay the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas a visit, which is the Western hemisphere’s oldest Spanish castle. Then mosey over to the ochre-hued national monument, Catedral Metropolitana, a Cartagena skyline landmark that is visible from most city vantage points. Round off the excursion with the famous Templo de San Pedro Claver, a stately 16th-century basilica with an impressive inbuilt museum dedicated to its namesake (a canonised saint who w as a defender of the rights of slaves). Late afternoon touring is recommended so as to avoid the equatorial heat.

Colombia is also the birthplace of the late albeit revered novelist, Gabriel García Márquez whose stellar works of literary art include Love in the Time of Cholera, which was filmed on location in the walled city in 2006. Hailing from a country that is home to such a vibrant explosion of colour, architecture, sartorial vivacity, literature, artistry, smells, flavours, music, rhythm, sounds and dance, it is no wonder his prolific body of work brings the reader home—his home. Márquez animatedly speaks to the heart and soul with such a hot-blooded Latino lease on love and life—or love of life for that matter—it is all so evident and celebrated in the Colombian way of life.

“Cartagena is just as vibrant at 2:00 am as it is at 2:00 pm,” reveals Eugenia (Henny) Zobel de Ayala, of her second home. It’s not just her 22-year-old observation either; there’s literally something for everyone and anyone, no matter one’s age, no matter the time of day, tourists and local denizens alike, one will soon discover with mojito firmly in hand that the streets heat up long after sundown. “It really is the city that never sleeps. The energy from the people, the colours and the music is extremely contagious,” explains the half Colombian whose love for such runs in her veins.

Currently in her senior year at Brown University, Rhode Island, taking up Modern Culture and Media, Henny visits and reconnects with her mother’s side at least twice a year, typically on New Years (“New Years in Cartagena will always be at the top of my list! The energy is non-stop from December to January!” she fondly reminisces), and for the most part with her younger cousin, Monica Urquijo. When in Cartagena, Henny delves into her photography, taking advantage of the city’s impossibly photogenic bougainvillea-lined streets and rainbow-bright enclaves. Frolicking in the inviting Caribbean sea is also high on her vacation priorities and appreciates this downtime with family. “These are activities,” she says, “that are especially juicy when in Cartagena.”

Twenty-year-old Monica, meanwhile, recently graduated with a degree in Media and Communications and presently interning at LOVE magazine, gets a charge out of downtown exploration and revels in dancing the night away. “The city is the most magical place I've been to. The energy, the colours are so vibrant, the fruit are so juicy, the music is so special and the people are so full of joy,” shares Monica.

With gorgeous beaches and quaint postcard-worthy fishing villages punctuating its shoreline, Cartagena is also a massively popular port of call for cruise ships, and not too far off in the distance is the irrepressible and muy precioso Barrio de Getsamaní, a charming commune of artists well worth strolling through. The daily boat tours to the surrounding islands, Islas del Rosario and Cholon take you out to beautiful blue water similar to that of the Philippines while Isla Barú is an easy drive out. A brew and a seafood lunch by the beach is the thing to do before heading back to the city in time for a sunset cocktail.

Read the full story on the latest issue of Philippine Tatler Traveller, available in any leading newsstands and bookstores. Download the digital version for your device via Magzter, Zinio, and PressReader.