Tour in Cartagena
with Marelvy Peña-Hall
Marelvy Peña-Hall is completely fluent in English, French and Spanish. In her work as a tour guide she combines the intimate knowledge of a native of Cartagena who is steeped in the city’s centuries-old traditions with an easy familiarity with North American and European people, society and culture, having traveled and lived in both the U.S. and France.
She is also the coauthor of the bilingual book: Piratas: Los ataques a Cartagena de Indias/Pirates: The Attacks on Cartagena de Indias. See link below.
Available at Amazon.com
Available at Amazon.com
Contact Us
marlevy (@) tourincartagena.commarelvy@gmail.com
+57 315 569 8570
The Team
Getting to know Cartagena means getting to know cartageneros: the people of Cartagena de Indias. But since the visitor is only here for a short time, those people ought to be especially conscious of their historical and cultural identity – and also adept at conveying it – if the tourist is to leave with lasting impressions of the unique charm of this place which has lasted so long, weathering so many storms.Marelvy’s team of seasoned professional guides:
Ester Olivo heard her first stories about life in her native city from her grandparents when she was still a young child and out of this fascination with the city’s history she developed a passion for learning more and more about it and a talent for sharing what she learns in unique detail with visitors to Cartagena de Indias. Ester acquired her language skills while living and working in the north for years. In Canada she was trained in customer service by Canadian tour operators and in the United States she has maintained long term personal relationships. She is also fluent in French and, like her colleagues Marelvy, Fernando and Katty, she is always careful to keep her services adaptable to client’s needs and preferences.
Katty Sarmiento has been guiding tourists on group tours and private tours in and around Cartragena for more than ten years. Her work with visitors to the city grew out of her life long interest in Cartagena’s history and her study of English which she taught at the high school level for several years. She is also fluent in Portuguese. Katty is known for her enthusiasm, good vibes, and sense of humour — all of which are contagious.
Fernando Lopez has been a tour guide in Cartagena for 20 years. He speaks four languages in addition to his mother tongue Spanish: English, Italian, French, and Portuguese. He is expert not only in giving historical and cultural tours and night tours to interact with locals, but also in leading excursiones into outlying areas where the visitor can experience the natural environs and small towns of the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Bird watchers, for instance, will find him surprisingly knowledgeable and observant.
History of Cargena Book
More than 500 excellent reviews
Highlights of the City Tour
This tour -the road most often taken so to speak – begins with a spectacular 360º view of Cartagena and its surroundings from the summit of La Popa. From there we do some sightseeing at the Fortress of San Felipe, stopping for photos and to talk about its history but not taking the arduous trek up to the top which is anti-climactic anyhow after having been to La Popa. From there it is just a few minutes to the Old City where you will go for a relaxing stroll through its narrow streets and open plazas and winding up with some shopping.
The Route of Gabriel García Márquez
A walk in the old city to see some of the principle places that Gabriel García Márquez mentions in those of his works which are set in Cartagena, especially those places that figure prominently in his novels Love in the Time of Cholera, Of Love and other Demons, and The General in his Labyrinth, his autobiography Living to Tell the Tale but also some places related to Gabo’s life like his present-day house in Cartagena or the university where his studies to be a lawyer were shed like dead skin or the old offices of the newspaper where he commenced his career as a journalist.
Getsemaní Street Art
Getsemani is one of the liveliest neighborhoods in the Old City. It is considered the coolest area in Cartagena and it is the place where lots of Cartageneros are still living resisting the process of gentrification which has taken over the rest of the Old City. This is also the only place in Cartagena where you can have the opportunity to see street art. You will taste some arepas, juice or coffee.
Palenque Tour
Palenque is a village located just one hour from Cartagena surrounded by wild and exotic vegetation. Palenques (originally) were hiding places for fugitive slaves and in theory the Palenqueros were the first free people in the New World. The town was declared Oral, Immaterial and Cultural Heritage of Mankind by UNESCO. Palenque has preserved all the African ancestral traditions, language, music, religion and medicinal knowledge.
Drumming and Dancing in La Boquilla
In this venture, we explore the village of La Boquilla, where people live off the sea. Once you have immersed yourselves in the community, you get a chance not only to be a witness, but an active participant of the rich and powerful music and dance of our land. You take a starters class in percussion and cumbia and other dances of the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. After the workshop you can always take a deep dive in the sea.
