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Barrio Getsemaní
Umbrellas, murals and salsa until late.
Just outside the walls, Getsemaní is Cartagena's most creative neighbourhood: umbrella-covered alleys, murals on every corner, street food in Plaza de la Trinidad and live salsa that keeps going long after midnight.
Famous streets
Six streets, one walk.
A loop you can walk in about two hours with stops. Start around 4 pm when the heat drops and the light turns warm, and end in the plaza as the night begins.
Callejón Angosto
The narrow alley with a canopy of colourful umbrellas and murals, the first umbrella street in Cartagena. People still live here: keep voices low.
Calle de la Magdalena
A second umbrella canopy nearby. Quieter, with good light for photos early or at sunset.
Calle de la Sierpe
One of the first streets reclaimed by street artists, with large-scale murals and flags from around the world overhead. Look for yours.
Calle de los Cuadros
Next to the Trinidad church: a small outdoor gallery of paintings and murals.
Plaza de la Trinidad
Food carts, fresh juices, palenqueras in bright dresses and, at night, music, performers and people everywhere.
Calle del Arsenal & Media Luna
Salsa bars, rooftops and late nights. Home of the famous Café Havana.
Street art
An open-air gallery with a story.
In 2013 the community invited street artists to paint the neighbourhood. Today the murals speak about Afro-Colombian identity, Caribbean myths, resistance and the changes Getsemaní has lived through.
- The best murals are on Callejón Angosto, Calle de la Sierpe and around Plaza de la Trinidad.
- Tip-based street art tours usually leave from Plaza de la Trinidad; many guides are local artists.
- Morning or sunset light is best for photos, with fewer crowds.
Dance
Salsa, champeta and a plaza that dances.
After dark the whole neighbourhood turns into a dance floor. You don't need to know the steps: the crowd will teach you.
Salsa with a live band
Café Havana on Calle del Arsenal is an institution for live salsa. It fills up fast on weekends, so arrive early. Other classic salsa bars are a few steps away.
Champeta, born in Cartagena
A bass-heavy Afro-Colombian rhythm from the Caribbean coast. You will hear it in bars, in the plaza and from passing speakers.
A Getsemaní evening
From murals to the dance floor.
4 pm · Art walk
Umbrella streets and murals while the light is soft.
6 pm · The plaza
Fresh juice or a cold beer in Plaza de la Trinidad and street food from the carts.
8 pm · Dinner
Ceviche, fried fish or a tasting menu in the neighbourhood. What to order.
10 pm · Salsa
Live band, full dance floor, and a taxi home to the quiet of the lagoon.
Be a good guest. Getsemaní is a residential neighbourhood. Keep the noise down in the small alleys, ask before photographing people, and expect to tip palenqueras if you take a photo with them.
Stay at Baia Kristal
Dance until late. Swim in the morning.
After a night in Getsemaní, come back to a quiet apartment and a calm lagoon.