The castle received the name of San Felipe in honor of a sovereign, where you can learn the story of how the Spanish protected themselves from pirates who came to the island to steal their gold. We share with you how to get to it, what you will find in the castle, what the route is like its schedules, and more useful information before you visit the place.
The Castillo de San Felipe was a fortification for the Spanish colony where they kept a large part of their jewels and treasures, today it is a tourist spot in the city.
Its real name is Fort San Felipe de Barajas, you can visit it in one morning accompanied by a guided tour where you can appreciate its colonial architecture, a network of tunnels found under the walls, San Felipe's cannons, and a panoramic view of the city and the sea from the top of the hill.
The San Felipe de Barajas Castle is a fortification built by the Spanish and slaves in the year 1657 and is located on the San Lázaro hill in Cartagena de Indias. Unesco included the San Felipe de Barajas Castle together with the Historic Center of the city of Cartagena and the set of its fortifications within the list of World Heritage Sites.
How to get to Castillo San Felipe de Barajas?
Getting to the castle is very easy due to its proximity to the historic center, so if you wish you can do it on foot and it takes about 15 minutes. First, they must locate themselves in the Clock Tower, which is the entrance to the walled city, there they must walk along the main avenue as if they were going to the Getsemaní neighborhood but they do not enter it, they take 30th street towards the India Catalina monument until they arrive to the elevated bridge on the left. After they pass a police station and the shopping center they will see the giant structure of the castle and its entrance.
Getting there by Taxi
If you take a taxi from the clock tower of the walled city it can cost between 7,000 Colombian pesos (it would be about 2 dollars), if you take it from Bocagrande it can cost you about 10,000 Colombian pesos (it would be about 3 dollars), Remember to establish the fare with the driver before getting into the taxi.
Getting there by bus
By bus you can arrive from Getsemani taking the Transcaribe bus route, then you must get off at the Chambacu station located in front of the Mall Plaza Cartagena El Castillo and from there you begin to see the castle, to get to the entrance you walk two blocks down Carrera 13 in the direction of Calle 30.
Tour
The fortress is a huge monument with many spaces for them to explore. Once they enter they can do the tour on their own or hire a separate guide (the price of the guide is not included in the value of the entrance to the site), it is best to do it with a guide to learn in detail all the historical facts.
Touring the entire castle can take between 1 hour and 3 hours depending on how long they stay in each area. If you take a guide, the tour of the entire castle lasts 1 hour and a half, but you can return on your own to visit one of the fortifications again.
If you are going to explore the fort yourself, start by visiting the tunnel system which was designed as a trap for enemies entering the fort, as thanks to its narrow passages and maze-like drop-offs they were very easily lost. , allowing the guards to make ambushes. In the castle, you will also see gullies where intruders who wanted to scale the walls were trapped and other underground tunnels used by the troops to move without being seen by the enemy.
There are also barracks underground where they could house up to 350 men together with weapons and food that they used to survive in case of invasion. Once you know these levels, go up to the top of the fortification where you can see why the fortress is strategically located and you can also find the 68 cannons of San Felipe de Barajas and the famous Colombian flag.
Once you finish the tour, you can take the opportunity to see the statue of Blas de Lezo and the sculpture of the old shoes that are in the corner outside the castle.
Prices
The entrance to the fortress costs 25,000 Colombian pesos (it would be about 8 dollars), as we mentioned before, this value does not include the guide. Once you are at the entrance you will be able to see the guides that offer different tours and there are also audio guides. The price of a guide is on average 10,000 Colombian pesos (it would be about 3 dollars) and it is done in groups. If you have any questions about the prices, you can go to the tourism police, they will guide you well in terms of values.
Free Entry
On the last Sunday of each month, except in January and December, any Colombian can enter for free to visit any of the city's heritage sites, including the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas.
Schedules
The fort is open from Monday to Sunday from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, during this time you can take the tour. On the days when Colombian visitors are admitted free, the service hours are until 5 in the afternoon.
Phone
If you want to communicate with the administrative part of Castillo de San Felipe, you can do so by calling (+575) 656 0590 or (+575) 6421293, also at Cra. 17. Av. Antonio de Arévalo.< /p>
Recommendations
We are sharing some tips or advice for you to take into account before planning your visit to the fort of San Felipe de Barajas.
- Go early, remember that they open from eight in the morning, so you avoid the heat, which is normal in Cartagena, and the crowds, which are stronger on weekends and the day of free admission.
- Bring sunscreen, sunglasses, plenty of water, and anything that can protect you from the sun, such as hats, caps, or umbrellas.
- If you forget to bring water, it is recommended that you buy it from the vendors located on the outskirts because you must do your tour with a bottle of water at hand.
- Go dressed in comfortable, fresh clothes and comfortable shoes, since there are parts where you walk on steep and uneven old stone.
- Children under 5 years of age cannot enter the site, as they can easily fall. Also if you are claustrophobic, it is better not to visit the fort or at least the part with the tunnels.
- When you visit the Castillo de San Felipe, take advantage of the day to go to Cerro de la Popa and its Monastery in a bicycle tour.
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