Plaza San Pedro ClaverOne of the most beautiful and quietly captivating plazas in the Walled City. Plaza San Pedro Claver has a stillness to it that's hard to find elsewhere in Cartagena, dominated by the imposing church of the same name and a statue of San Pedro Claver himself, a Jesuit missionary canonized in 1888 and known as the patron saint of slaves for his lifelong dedication to the welfare of enslaved Africans brought through Cartagena's port. His remains rest inside the church.
The plaza is flanked by the Naval Museum and a modern art museum, both worth visiting if you want a cool, quiet escape from the heat. El Barón has been the benchmark cocktail bar in Cartagena since 2013, right on the plaza with outdoor seating. Save it for the evening — it's not a daytime spot. On most weekend nights, a Michael Jackson impersonator will appear with a full posse of backup dancers and commit completely to the performance.
