Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, the historic center of Cartagena maintains the aesthetics of the colonial era with its well-kept narrow cobblestone streets, adorned by wooden balconies colored by the plants and flowers that adorn them. Surrounded by the cordon of walls, the Barrio de San Diego is, together with Santo Domingo, the one that gives name to the two main nuclei of the so-called historic center, despite the existence of another large number of squares, most of them with terraces of bars and restaurants, an essential part of the nightlife of Cartagena.
Some of San Diego's most emblematic spots: Plaza de San Diego, the Santa Clara, a former convent, one of the first luxury hotels in the country. Convent of San Diego (today seat of the University of Fine Arts), the Plaza Fernández Madrid, the Church of Santo Toribio, the Bóvedas and the walled cordon.
- Other points of interest: House of the Nobel Gabriel García Márquez, University of Cartagena (Cloister of San Agustín, students' square)
- Emblematic streets: Calle Cochera del Hobo, Calle de la Moneda, Calle del Curato de Santo Toribio, Calle Serrezuela.
