Convento de La Popa
A colonial convent of the Augustinian Recollects on top of La Popa hill, the highest point in Cartagena. You go up by car or taxi; walking up isn't recommended.
- Hours
- Every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. (checked 2026-10-12).
- Price
- Paid (pay at the ticket office).
- Price level
- $$$$$
- Duration
- 0 to 2 hours
- Address
- Cerro de La Popa, Cartagena
La Popa hill is the highest point in Cartagena. The Spanish named it that because from a distance it looked like the stern (popa) of a ship. On the summit, the Order of Augustinian Recollects built a church and a convent between 1606 and 1611.
The story goes that Friar Alonso de la Cruz Paredes came to found the convent and threw down the hill the figure of a goat that was being secretly worshipped there.
Inside there's a cloister with an arched courtyard and a garden. From the lookouts you can see the walled city, the Castillo San Felipe, Bocagrande and the bay.
What to see
- The cloister courtyard, with arches and a garden.
- The convent church.
- The view of the city and the bay from the lookouts.
Getting there
- Car or taxi to the top; the road goes up through the Pie de la Popa neighborhood.
Tips
- Go up by car or taxi and arrange for the driver to wait to take you back down.
- Go in the morning, when the air is clearer for seeing the bay.
FAQ
What are the Convento de La Popa's hours?
Every day from 8:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
How do you get up to the Convento de La Popa?
By car or taxi to the top of the hill.
What can you see from the top?
The walled city, the Castillo San Felipe, Bocagrande and Cartagena bay.
On the map
Photos: Mariordo (Mario Roberto Durán Ortiz), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
