Cartagena

Cartagena runs on Afro-Caribbean colour and music, all threaded through a walled colonial old town that has barely changed in outline since the Spanish built it. Wander the old city in the evening, when the heat has eased and balconies overflow with bougainvillea, and it is easy to see why the city has captured so many visitors before you. Beyond the walls, the Caribbean coast and its islands offer an easy, low-key extension to a few days in the city itself.