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El Cabrero is a neighborhood northeast of the Old Town of Cartagena. It’s usually not visited by tourists but it has a few points of interest.
Introduction to El Cabrero
El Cabrero takes its name from the wild goats that used to roam the area in the early years of Cartagena. The neighborhood, which was traditionally inhabited by fishermen, began building up in the late 19th century. It’s heavily associated with Rafael Núñez (1825-1894). He was a journalist and politician who served four terms as president of Colombia and was one of the authors of the constitution. He also wrote the words to the National Anthem of Colombia.
Parque Apolo
The centerpiece of El Cabrero is Parque Apolo, which is a modest space decorated with flowers and shrubs. It was built in 1994 by historian, journalist, and politician Eduardo Lemaitre Román (1914-1994) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Rafael Núñez.
In the center of the park is a circular colonnade that pays homage to the Colombian constitution. It contains nine bronze busts on marble pedestals depicting the most important figures of the three periods of Colombian history: pre-Columbian, Colonial, and Republican. Included are Carib Indian leader Carex; slave leader Domingo Biohó (late 16th century – 1621); Pedro Zapata de Mendoza (1619-1663), Spanish Governor of Cartagena; Sebastián de Eslava (1685-1759), Viceroy of Nueva Granada; Vicente Celedonio Piñeres (1772-1817), leader of the Cartagena independence movement; Juan José Nieto Gil (1804-1866), President of Sovereign State of Bolívar; Miguel Antonio Caro (1843-1909), author of the Constitution of 1886; José María Campo Serrano (1832-1915), signer of the Constitution of 1886; and Rafael Nuñez.
Nearby is a bust of Eduardo Lemaitre Román as well as a statue of Rafael Núñez on a marble column. The statue is a copy of a 1922 sculpture by Francisco Antonio Cano (1865-1935) that stands in the National Capitol in Bogotá.
Cabrero Hermitage
A small church, the Cabrero Hermitage (Ermita del Cabrero), is at the east end of the park. It was built in 1885 as Our Lady of Las Mercedes (Nuestra Señora de Las Mercedes) and designed by Mariano Sanz de Santamaría (1857-1915). The church was commissioned by Soledad Román de Núñez (1835-1924), the wife of Rafael Núñez. Both rest in marble tombs inside.
Rafael Núñez House Museum
The Rafael Núñez House Museum (Casa Museo Rafael Núñez) tells the life story of the Rafael Núñez. It was founded by Eduardo Lemaitre Román and Teresa Román Vélez (1925-2021) to preserve Núñez’s legacy. Admission to the museum is free (as of September 2024), but all information is in Spanish only. You really have to be a lover of Colombian history to want to visit.
The most interesting thing about the museum is the architecture. The house is a beautiful Caribbean-style mansion built entirely out of wood. Many of Núñez’s personal items are on display as well as furniture used during his time living in the house. There’s also a pleasant garden.
