Are you looking for clothing, housewares, food items, souvenirs, art? It’s all here and Cartagena Connections has a good rundown of typical Colombian items to look for (& some suggested shops). There are many small boutiques in the Old City and a couple of interesting places in Getsemaní as well. Wander the maze of streets and poke your head in to whatever shop looks interesting to you! You’ll also find lots of opportunities for shopping from street vendors; there are many ‘regulars’ at the various plazas plus some walking the streets (get your ‘No gracias’ ready if you are not interested).

Below are a few shop suggestions:
*Las Bovedas is a series large ‘vaults’ formerly used as military storage, garrison, & dungeon; you’ll now find many shops selling souvenirs of all sorts, clothing, jewelry, art, and more in this area of the wall.
*Mister Emerald is a good option for jewelry, of course featuring Colombian emeralds
*While you may not be in the market for fresh flowers, for some local color it’s worth walking through the “Parque de las Flores” (& the Jugos Naturales sold there for $5000 are fabulous thirst quenchers!).

If you like art (besides what you see for sale on the streets!), some ‘different’ options are:
*Cartagena Gráfica‘s colorful graphics on traditional Cartagena culture for sale in a couple of Old City shops as well as online.
*Local artist Wadith Devoz Marrugo, cell: +57 311 408 8625
*Arte Getsemaní works with a number of local artists, +57 321 8685655

In addition, there are several malls in the area. La Serrezuela, not far from Plaza San Diego, opened in what used to be a bull ring with shops & a gourmet ‘food court’ of sorts, plus entertainment on occasion. Definitely worth wandering through even if you don’t want to buy anything. There are two malls outside the Old City the closest being Mall Plaza, near the San Felipe Fort. Portal San Felipe, across from the far side of the fort, has a cinema & bowling in addition to a few shops; Centro Comercial Caribe Plaza is beyond that area, closer to the Bazurto Market, with a cinema plus larger shops including HomeCenter & PanAmericana. In Bocagrande you’ll find Plaza Bocagrande, which has a movie theater, and Centro Comercial Nao, a bit farther out on that peninsula.

Need a little pampering? Right behind Casa Barbara’s building on Calle Real in the Milano Building you’ll fine Shalom by Sandy for hair & nails. For nails you could also visit Super Wow at La Serrezuela. For hair & spa treatments the Old City location of Diego Moya is a good option (or go to their larger salon in Bocagrande). Relax Spa also comes recommended (massages, facials, etc). For a fancier (& pricier) place, try the Santa Clara/Sofitel Hotel at Plaza San Diego in the Old City.