Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

Cartagena’s Castillo San Felipe de Barajas has always been a part of the city’s daily rhythm. Old neighbors will tell you about slipping away from chores to race up the sun-baked ramps or hiding in the cool tunnels on hot days. Vendors have claimed the shade at the gates for as long as anyone can remember, setting up their stands where sentries once watched for sails on the horizon. There are stories of storms that rattled the walls and celebrations that spilled out onto the stone terraces at night. For some families, there’s pride in pointing to an ancestor who once worked on the fort’s endless repairs, or who simply grew up with its silhouette on the skyline. Even with visitors snapping photos every day, the fort is never just a museum—its stones hold the city’s energy, stubborn and full of memory.