About Cartagena, Colombia

Cartagena de Indias is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region of and capital of Bolívar Department. The city had a population of 892,545 as of the 2005 census making it the fifth-largest city in Colombia and giving the Cartagena urban area the status of fifth largest urban area in Colombia. Cartagena is a centre of economic activity in the Caribbean, as well a popular tourist destination. Activity and development of the Cartagena region is dated back to 4000 B.C. around Cartagena Bay. The city itself was founded June 1, 1533 and named after Cartagena, Spain. Cartagena served a key role in the development of the region during the Spanish eras and secured a hold as a center of political and economic activity due to the presence of royalty and wealthy viceroys. In 1984, Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Location
Cartagena faces the Caribbean Sea to the west. To the south is the Cartagena Bay, which has two entrances: Bocachica (Small Mouth) in the south, and Bocagrande (Big Mouth) in the north. Cartagena is located at 10°25' North, 75°32' West (10.41667, -75.5333).

Climate
Cartagena de Indias features a tropical wet and dry climate. Cartagena de Indias averages around 90%

humidity, with rainy seasons typically in April–May and October–November. The climate tends to be hot and windy. The months of November to February tend to be more windy months, giving an extra cooling to the otherwise high tropical temperatures.

Cartagena de Indias is rarely touched by the hurricanes that decimate other Caribbean capitals like Havana, Santo Domingo, Kingston or San Juan. Although the city is in the Caribbean, the mainland is quite far south, isolating it from the wind currents that feed the hurricanes. The last hurricane to arrive at the city was Hurricane Santa, which had a strange arrival in 1988 and was debilitated after passing Panama.