Cartagena Part II: Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas y Convento de La Popa

Though we could have spent all of our five days in the Old City there was still more to discover. So, on our third day in town we headed out to see what else the city had to offer.

The first stop was Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, an old Spanish fort built high a top San Lazaro hill. Covering the entire hill with large walls, military batteries, hundreds of cannons, and dozens of secret tunnels it is said that this fort was the strongest fort built by the Spaniards in their colonies. Despite countless attempts to storm the Castillo the fortress was never taken.

As we climbed up the steep hillsides toward the top of the fort Dad kept musing on how on earth men in armor would be able to run up this. (Maybe one of the reasons the fort was never taken.) From the top of the 40m hill we were able to see all of the Old City of Cartagena as well as the modern city of skyscrapers and apartment buildings. The views were impressive, but not as impressive as what was hiding underneath where we were standing.

The Spaniards had built an extensive system of tunnels in the hill and under the fortress to help deliver provisions and aid in evacuations. The tunnels are about three feet wide and around five feet 10 inches tall (a little disappointing to all but mom, the only member of our group under six feet tall). Part of the reason the tunnels are so narrow is because they were designed to help sound reverberate so they could hear even one enemy’s footstep. You can imagine what it sounded like as we were approached by a tour group of 30 teenage kids. We plastered ourselves in corners for about five minutes while the group passed us in the narrow corridor. It was a welcome relief to leave the tunnels to see daylight again and to let the ringing in our ears come to an end.

After leaving the Castillo we were determined to see more so we caught a cab with an enthusiastic tour guide named Alfonso. The ten minute ride to La Popa, our next stop, became a 30 minute excursion to other sites of the city including Los Zapatos de Viaje, two large brass shoes that look out to the Castillo and a popular photo spot. We didn’t pass up the opportunity. On the way back to the cab we were approached by a man holding a surprisingly cuddly three year old sloth named Manualita. After each taking a turn holding her and posing for pictures we gave the sloth man some money and were on our way to the highest point in Cartagena.

La Popa is a convent perched atop the tallest hill, 150m, in Cartagena. It literally translates as the convent of the stern. It is not named this because of the stern reputation of Catholic nuns but rather because from its place on the hill it resembles the stern or poop deck of a ship. Remember we are in a port town. The true name is the Convento de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria, after the patron saint of the city.

The two main attractions of La Popa are the image of La Virgen de la Candelaria in the convents chapel and the views. The Virgen was crowned and blessed by Pope John Paul II on his visit to the convent in 1986. Also impressive is her wardrobe of dozens of dresses for each season and holiday of the catholic calendar. But well worth the long trip up the hill and the expensive cab ride from Alfonso are the breathtaking views of the ocean and the city. No wonder the Augustine monks decided to build a convent and chapel here.