Pirates of the C...
Are you curious about “Colorful Cartagena”? It is even more “colorful” when you look at its storied past. Here’s a teaser…
A popular destination for pirates during the 16th and 17th centuries was Cartagena, a port city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.
The city was an attractive target for pirates. They wanted to raid Spanish ships carrying gold and silver back to Spain from the New World colonies.
Map by Tomas Pueyo
One of the most infamous pirates to attack both Cartagena and Havana (Cuba) was Sir Francis Drake, an English sea captain. In 1586 Drake's forces seized control of the cities, looted and pillaged homes and buildings, set fires, and demanded ransoms from the Spanish authorities.
Other notable pirates attacking Cartagena included Henry Morgan, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), and Jean Lafitte.
The remains from the pirating centuries. The many years of pirate activity resulted in numerous stone fortresses protecting their cities.
The massive Fort San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena has walls over 40 feet high and is the largest in all of the Americas. Beneath the canons and defensive towers lies a complex network of tunnels and underground chambers.
I hope you’ll join us in Cartagena to walk through these narrow fortress passageways to the stunning views overlooking the city. The tour has free time built into the afternoons, so you may explore more about the ancient seafarers at the Caribbean Naval Museum.
Hasta pronto,
Jenny
