Cartagena, Colombia - Wikipedia Cartagena ( ˌkɑːrtəˈhɛnə KAR-tə-HEN-ə), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (Spanish: [kaɾtaˈxena ðe ˈindjas] ⓘ), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, along the Caribbean Sea Cartagena's past role as a link in the route to the West Indies provides it with important historical value for world