Getsemaní

Getsemaní asks you to look at Cartagena a little differently. Alongside the monumental centre is another historic neighbourhood, with a story rooted in the people whose work helped make the city possible. Come ready to notice more than the façades.

Artisans and enslaved people were part of Getsemaní’s historic economic life. That history belongs beside the cathedrals, palaces and fortifications when you begin to understand Cartagena. Calling one quarter history and the other atmosphere leaves too much out.

Let the streets be part of your discovery. Explore Getsemaní, then continue into Centro and San Diego with that other history in mind. The point is not to collect three neighbourhood names. It is to notice how the same city can tell its story in different ways.

Consider this part of Cartagena if you are curious about the people behind the historic city as well as its monuments. Before choosing a stay, bring the decision down to the building and the room: how you will arrive, what access you need and what your host can tell you about sound. A neighbourhood name cannot promise a good night’s sleep.

Visit with the care you would bring to someone else’s neighbourhood. Ask before photographing people, respect doorways and leave space for everyday life. Then keep exploring. Centro offers another perspective; San Diego another again.