The Galleon Route: Pirate Raids, Forts, and Gabo’s Cartagena

A sunset cruise with real stories from Cartagena’s past

Cartagena isn’t just pretty—it has a heavy, fascinating history. The Galleon Route gives you a quick but solid look at what made this port so important (and so attacked). As you cruise through the bay, you’ll hear stories of famous pirates like Francis Drake, who invaded the city in 1586 and demanded a ransom that left Cartagena rebuilding for decades.

You’ll pass by forts built by Italian engineer Battista Antonelli, part of a massive defense system funded by the Spanish crown. The bay you’re sailing on was one of the main exit points for treasure ships headed to Europe.

We also touch on the literary side: this was the setting that inspired Gabriel García Márquez in Love in the Time of Cholera—the walls, the port, the slow rhythm.

History, breeze, sunset. A solid mix.