Cartagena Graffiti Tour: Street Art in Getsemani

The murals in Getsemaní are not decoration and they are not, mostly, spontaneous. They are the visible edge of an argument the neighbourhood has been having with itself for a decade about who Getsemaní is for. Two and a half hours walking the painted streets with a guide who can name the artists and explain the commissions gets you considerably further than photographing walls and moving on.

The streets the work is actually on

Getsemaní’s street art is concentrated in a handful of alleys, and knowing which ones saves you an afternoon of wandering:

• Calle de la Sierpe — the umbrella-strung alley, and the densest concentration of murals in the neighbourhood.
• Calle San Juan and Calle de la Media Luna — larger pieces on bigger wall surfaces, including several of the portraits people photograph without knowing who they are.
• Calle Larga — the through-street, where commissioned work and unauthorised work sit next to each other and the difference is instructive.

Among the artists whose work you will see are Showy and Bluny, both of whom have painted repeatedly in the neighbourhood.

The conversation at Parque del Centenario

The tour pauses at Parque del Centenario for the question the neighbourhood keeps returning to: where the line falls between street art and vandalism, and who gets to draw it. In a district that has gone from working-class to heavily visited within about fifteen years, that question is not academic. Murals commissioned by hotels sit metres from work nobody asked for, and residents disagree, publicly and often, about which is which.

Your guide will have a position. So will the people you pass. That disagreement is the most interesting thing on the walk and it is the part a self-guided visit cannot give you.

What the walk looks like

• Pickup and the walk in, about 30 minutes. Private hotel pickup, and an introduction to muralism in Colombia before you see any of it.
• Getsemaní’s streets and alleys, about an hour and a half. Sierpe, San Juan, Media Luna, Larga, the artists, and the stop at Parque del Centenario.
• A Caribbean snack and local recommendations, about 30 minutes. Sitting down with something traditional, and honest suggestions for the rest of your stay.

Two and a half hours, private guide, private hotel pickup and drop-off.

What is included, and what is not

• Included: a private English-speaking guide, private hotel pickup and drop-off, a traditional Caribbean snack, and all-risk insurance.
• Not included: breakfast, lunch, and anything you buy along the way.

Practical notes

• Late afternoon is the best light for the murals and considerably kinder than midday heat.
• Ask before photographing people. Residents live behind these walls and are photographed constantly.
• Cash in pesos for drinks and anything from the vendors.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the street art in Cartagena?

Almost all of it is in Getsemaní, the neighbourhood just outside the old city walls, concentrated on Calle de la Sierpe, Calle San Juan, Calle de la Media Luna and Calle Larga. There is very little inside the walled city itself.

Can I see Getsemaní’s murals on my own?

Yes, and plenty of people do. What you miss is who painted them, which were commissioned and which were not, and why a portrait of a particular resident is on a particular wall. The paint is free to look at; the context is what the tour is for.

How long does the graffiti tour take?

Two and a half hours including the walk in and the snack at the end, which is about right for the amount of work concentrated in those few streets.

Is Getsemaní safe for a walking tour?

Yes, in daylight and in the early evening. It is busy, residential and well populated, and the tour stays on the main painted streets.

Who are the artists?

Several painters work regularly in the neighbourhood, among them Showy and Bluny. Your guide can point out recurring signatures and explain who was commissioned and who was not.