Rosalyn Xu | Jul 8, 2018

Great view of the city from the top of the castle! I’d recommend coming around sunset to enjoy cooler temperatures and smaller crowds. There will be tour guides offering you their services at the entrance, but I didn’t find the need for one.

shadee vernet | Jul 23, 2018

Nice stop to make when in Cartagena. However it was nothing really impressive. It's more about the story behind it. Took a few pictures & Had a nice view of the city. You can also walk inside the castle which was interesting/fun (don't go if you're claustrophobic).

Nathan Rollins | Jul 9, 2018

This is a really fascinating historical site. Is a fort that was instrumental in the Spanish colonization of South America. All of the information available to the tourists is in English and Spanish. To get the most from your visit. I rarely I highly recommend that you watch the video. Not only is it extremely informative and well done but it is shown in an air-conditioned building and is very refreshing after the heat of the sweltering Cartagena weather. The tunnels are really fun to explore but I would recommend you do it on your own and not with a tour. I imagine the tour group stuffed into the small tunnels would be rather stifling and claustrophobic.

p ellery | Jun 3, 2018

Awesome place for kids. Amazing views of the old city. Great video at station 4 to understand the history and construction. Best time to go is late afternoon when it cools down a little

Brian Long | May 21, 2018

I am a huge history nerd, so I loved it. I recall it being somewhere around Price COP 25,000. Their are English and Spanish inscriptions detailing certain features of the fort. On top, there are a couple of cafes, and an exhibit detailing the history of the fort more generally. Since it is all stone, it can get quite hot during the afternoon. There are various tunnels to explore (watch out tall people; low clearance). Apparently they were intended to be filled with explosives and detonated should invaders threaten the port. The fort's guns used to cover all the relevant approached to the city. Today, with the tall buildings, and land reclamation has partially obscured the tactical position of the fort.

Marc | May 8, 2018

It is worth visiting if you stay a while in Cartagena, however if you are on a round trip and your time is limited it is not necessarily worth visiting. I have seen much more impressive castles along the Carribean coast with much more information and museums inside the castle. There is not much history to learn about the castle, except a video about the history. The video makes it easy to understand the history, but it does not provide real artifacts. All in all a fine castle, but nothing too special. If you go make sure you are not going in the afternoon heat

Igor Krstelj | Apr 15, 2018

An engineering marvel. Need a good guide to take you through the castle to learn about all the details and defense strategies enabled by the engineers. Will need a map of the whole bay with all the fortresses and walls to understand how the city defense worked ... with some help from local mosquitoes

Brian Bradley | Apr 27, 2018

Beautiful views. 25 mil per person for Non-Colombians. I highly recommend the 20-minute video film that talks about the castle and it’s history. The production quality is actually great. The video is in Spanish but you can ask for English subtitles. Sunset is a great time to go, around close.

david stein | Mar 31, 2018

Very cool historic old fort that defended Cartagena from pirates for many years. Steep (45 degree) ramp to get to top. Not for those in bad shape. Great views make climb worthwhile

Courtney Swisher | Apr 3, 2018

A good way to add some history to a tropical vacation - plenty of families visiting while we were there. If you don’t hire a guide, of which there were Spanish and English ones available, definitely catch the short video inside of the “hospital” to give yourself some historical context. There are nice views of the city; a gift shop; but we could only find port-o-potties and no regular bathrooms. Don’t forget to wear a hat/sunglasses/sunscreen! It cost us $25,000 COP per person to get in, less for kids/seniors.

docemel26 | Feb 27, 2018

The walk to the Castillo can be a dangerous one as you must go through crazy local traffic. Make sure to look both ways before crossing. Once there do take the offer of the vendors to buy water or ensure you bring your own. Do hold onto your hat if you are wearing one as they will fly away. Also the vendor who sells hats at the Castillo hike is the cheapest ones I saw the entire trip only $10,000CPS. So if you haven't bought a hat yet, get it there. The views are quite amazing. Not to mention the magnetude of complexity of how this structure was built. Make sure this place is visited in your trip to Cartagena.

Karen Thomas | Jan 28, 2018

Good place to visit and get your exercise! There are two areas of uphill steep climbs and several dark stairwells. But when you reach the top the views are amazing. Be prepared for the heat...our group surely lost weight that day! Glad I made the trek!

Diego Sahagún | Feb 16, 2018

Amazing place! I've been to several castles in Europe and the Americas and find this one to be the most interestingly built. Make sure to have comprehensive information (I had an audio guide) to make the most out of it. It is also a great spot to enjoy Cartagena's landscapes.

John Hoyos | Feb 21, 2018

One of the best Colonial Spanish fortifications in the Caribbean. Well kept, clean, safe, a lot of guides around. It is a good idea to watch the information video before start the visit. Bring your hat, sunscreen and water. I wouldn't stay around after dark.

Rory Baker | Feb 7, 2018

The views of the city are worth the climb. You can explore some of the tunnels too. There is a museum on site. The bathroom was the best thing about the museum. The entryway is packed with pushy street vendors. Just ignore them. 25,000 per adult and 10,500 for kids. Under 6 is free. You could get a tour but it did not seem necessary. Taxi will drop you off right in front and there are plenty for picking you up.