Getsemani & Street Art

Cartagena's most vibrant and rapidly gentrifying neighborhood, historically home to freed slaves, artisans, and the working class outside the aristocratic Walled City. Getsemani was the launching point of Cartagena's independence — Pedro Romero, a free Black man, and the neighborhood's lanceros (lancemen) stormed the governor's arsenal on November 11, 1811. The streets are now covered in murals depicting Afro-Colombian culture, independence heroes, and Caribbean life. Plaza de la Trinidad is the social heart, filling with music and street food every evening. The neighborhood is fighting to preserve its identity against tourism-driven displacement.

Plaza de la Trinidad at night is magical — locals, musicians, and travelers mix freely. The street art on Calle de la Sierpe and Callejon Ancho are the neighborhood's outdoor gallery.

Getsemani's walls have become an open-air gallery celebrating Afro-Colombian identity, Caribbean culture, and social justice. The murals range from massive multi-story works to small stencils, created by local and international artists. Key works include tributes to palenqueras (Afro-Colombian fruit sellers in colorful dresses), independence hero Pedro Romero, and celebrations of cumbia and champeta music traditions. The street art movement accelerated in the 2010s as artists used murals to assert community identity against gentrification. Some of Colombia's most important urban artists — including Vertigo Graffiti and Toxicomano — have pieces here.

The alleys off Calle del Pozo have the most concentrated murals. Take a guided walking tour for the stories behind the art — several are led by local artists themselves.