How walkable is Cartagena, Colombia?
By Oscar Higson-Spence. Updated
Cartagena, Colombia has a walkability score of 48 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 83, and open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre here, so the score is likely an underestimate. It is the 12th most walkable of the 18 cities ranked in Colombia.
What's within walking distance of the centre
664 shops, restaurants, parks and other everyday places are mapped within a 30 minute walk of central Cartagena, Colombia. The nearest grocery is about 10 minutes away on foot. It earns full or nearly full points for restaurants & bars, shopping, parks, schools and culture & entertainment. It is weakest for books & libraries.
Groceries
- Olimpica, 10 min
- MAKRO Colombia, 13 min
Restaurants & bars
- Black House Bar Restaurante, 1 min
- Nancy Healthy, 1 min
Shopping
- Imperio Motos S.A.S, 4 min
- Farmacia MallFarma, 5 min
Coffee
- Dogma Ensayadero Café, 11 min
- Asadero la Castellana, 11 min
Banks
- Bancolombia Paseo La Castellana, 13 min
- Banco Bancolombia, 24 min
Parks
- Parque La Troncal, 5 min
- Parque Residencial el Country, 6 min
Schools
- Colegio Clemente Manuel Zabala Flor Del Campo, 6 min
- Colegio Militar Almirante Colon, 8 min
Books & libraries
Culture & entertainment
- Casa Corona Avenida, 10 min
- Museo Naval Cartagena De India, 22 min
Further than usual
- The nearest library or bookshop is 22 minutes from the centre on foot, against 6 minutes for the median city ranked.
Measured from the centre at 10.3904, -75.4933, the point near Cartagena, Colombia's middle with the most places in walking range. Walking times assume 80 m per minute along an estimated street route.
Street layout
Within 800 m of the centre there are about 179 street intersections per km², and blocks average 71 m long. That is a well-connected street grid, so the score is not reduced.
How far walkability reaches
Cartagena, Colombia's score of 48 is the average across the 5 km around its centre, the point with the most everyday places within a walk. Walkability averages 77 within 1 km of the centre, 55 from 1 to 3 km out and 31 from 3 to 5 km out. 32 of the 91 points within 5 km fall on water or on land without streets, such as hillsides, forest or farmland, and are left out, so the score describes only the built-up part. 27% of the sampled area scores 70 or more, where most errands can be done on foot. Walkability falls off steeply away from the centre, so check a specific address on the map.
- 90+
- 70–89
- 50–69
- 25–49
- 0–24
Each hexagon is the score at a point, 1 km from its neighbours, across the 5 km around central Cartagena, Colombia. Rings mark 1, 3 and 5 km from the centre. Gaps are water or land without streets.
| Area | Score | Scoring 70+ |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | 83 | 100% |
| Within 1 km | 77 | 71% |
| 1 to 3 km out | 55 | 33% |
| 3 to 5 km out | 31 | 8% |
Nearby cities
| City | Distance | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Barranquilla, Colombia | 100 km | 64 |
| Cúcuta, Colombia | 430 km | 51 |
| Bucaramanga, Colombia | 448 km | 51 |
| Bello, Antioquia, Colombia | 452 km | 53 |
| Medellín, Colombia | 462 km | 80 |
Questions about walking in Cartagena, Colombia
Is Cartagena, Colombia a walkable city?
Its centre is, but most of the area around it is not. Cartagena, Colombia has a walkability score of 48 out of 100 across the 5 km around its centre, which makes it car-dependent: most errands require a car. Its centre scores 83. Open map data lists fewer everyday places away from the centre in some cities, so scores there may be underestimates. The score covers about 80 km² around the busiest point rather than the whole city, and suburbs further out are usually less walkable, so check a specific address on the map. It ranks 12th of 18 cities in Colombia and joint 617th of 690 worldwide on How Walkable.
What is the most walkable city in Colombia?
Bogotá is the most walkable of the 18 cities ranked in Colombia, with a score of 81. Cartagena, Colombia ranks 12th with 48.
How does Cartagena, Colombia compare with nearby cities?
Cartagena, Colombia is less walkable than its nearest ranked neighbours: it scores 48, against Barranquilla (64, 100 km away), Cúcuta (51, 430 km away) and Bucaramanga (51, 448 km away).
Which part of Cartagena, Colombia is most walkable?
Cartagena's most walkable area is its centre, the point near the middle of the city with the most places in walking range, which scores 83. Walkability averages 77 within 1 km of it. Beyond 2.5 km, it holds up best to the north-west (averaging 61) and falls most to the south (12).
How is Cartagena, Colombia's walkability score calculated?
For Cartagena, Colombia it is the average of 59 points spaced 1 km apart within 5 km of its busiest point, leaving out water and land without streets; 16 of them score 70 or more. Each point counts groceries, restaurants, shops, cafés, banks, parks, schools, libraries and cultural venues within a 30 minute walk, gives nearer places more weight, and loses up to 20% where streets are sparse or blocks are long, using open map data from Overture Maps (release 2026-09-23.1) and OpenStreetMap. It measures what is within a walk, not what the walk is like: pavements, traffic, safety, hills and heat are not part of the score.
This page is generated from open map data with a published walkability method, explained in the methodology. Places from Overture Maps release 2026-09-23.1. City position and population from GeoNames.
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