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Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Cartagena, Colombia. It’s included in the city’s UNESCO World Heritage listing.
Visiting Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
Admission to the castle costs COP$33,000 for foreign adults and COP$14,000 for children age 6 to 13 (as of June 2024). An audio tour is available, and a professional guide can also be hired. Give yourself a good hour and a half to two hours if you get the audio guide and don’t forget to take plenty of water.
The castle is about a 20 to 30 minute walk from the old city but only a short taxi ride. It can also be visited on a chiva tour but with limited time to explore it. You can get a good view of the size of the castle from the walls at Getsemaní.
History of Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas was originally built in 1536 and is the strongest fort ever constructed by the Spanish anywhere in the world. It was originally known as Castillo de San Lázaro.
The castle was partially designed by Italian architect Battista Antonelli (1547-1616) and has a triangular shape with eight batteries. It was expanded in 1657 and renamed after King Felipe IV of Spain. It was expanded again in 1753 by Spanish engineer Antonio de Arévalo (1715-1800).
Architecture of the Castle
The structure is incredibly large and completely unlike any other fortress I’ve ever visited. There doesn’t seem to be much of a plan to it which made it more ingenious and perplexing. I would recommend a guided or audio tour to understand the reasoning behind the design.
The defense system after the expansion of the castle made it impossible to capture. Each battery and parapet protected one another, which means the entire defense system must be defeated just to take one battery. In addition, extreme heat, humidity, and the threat of malaria from the mosquitos in the swamps near the castle made the conditions for both attacking forces (and Spanish soldiers) unbearable.
The complex system of tunnels, many of which have yet to be excavated, made it easy to hear the footsteps of enemies and for communication between Spanish soldiers.
