Las Bovedas
The Basics
Bargain for earrings, hats, hammocks, paintings, and more during an excursion to Las Bovedas, where the archways date back to the 1790s. When you need a break, join the locals for a refreshing drink at a bar (or two). Las Bovedas is a stop on most Cartagena city tours.
Things to Know Before You Go
With its cobbled streets and uneven surfaces, Cartagena’s Old Town isn’t easily accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.
Bargaining is expected at the shops within Las Bovedas, so don’t feel compelled to pay the first price offered.
Shops often carry similar items—consider browsing the entire strip before purchasing anything.
How to Get There
Most visitors arrive on foot while wandering Old Town, stopping along the way to see nearby landmarks such as Plaza de San Diego and Casa de Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Taxis are also available.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Las Bovedas is usually open daily from early morning till early evening. Weather is typically warm-to-hot year-round; if you’re not a fan of rain, avoid going to Cartagena in April, May, or September to November.
Dark History
Brightly painted and full of colorful souvenirs, Las Bovedas today is a lively marketplace. In the 1800s, though, the shops were used as dungeon cells. Local stories claim that during high tide, prisoners had to deal with water on a daily basis in their cells.
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- Rafael Nuñez House Museum
- Old Town Cartagena
- Plaza de San Diego
- La India Catalina Monument
- Teatro Adolfo Mejia (Teatro Heredia)
- Santo Domingo Church (Iglesia de Santo Domingo)
- Cartagena Cruise Port
- Gold Museum (Museo de Oro Zenu)
- Bolivar Square (Plaza Bolivar)
- Palace of Inquisition (Palacio de la Inquisicion)
- Cathedral of San Pedro Claver (Iglesia de San Pedro Claver)
- Cartagena Museum of Modern Art (Museo de Arte Moderno de Cartagena)
- Naval Museum of the Caribbean
- San Felipe de Barajas Castle (Castillo San Felipe de Barajas)
- Old Shoes Monument (Los Zapatos Viejos)