Cartagena de India

The port, fortresses and group of monuments in Cartagena de India represent some of the most extreme examples of fortifications in South America from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Situated on the northern coast of Columbia on the Caribbean Sea, Cartagena has played a central role in global history as a trading centre and a key site in the European power struggle for control in the ‘New World’. Aside from the impressive fortifications, the site also contains palaces and grand residences organised into three historic neighbourhoods. It remains a living city with a vibrant population who live and work in the historic city. Rising sea levels and other climatic phenomena are irreparably affecting not only the heritage sites but also the intangible cultural traditions of the communities that inhabit the territory.

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