Considering the local Calamari people were decimated in the Spanish conquest—in part due to the kidnapped young woman being forced to collude with the Spanish—it might seem strange that the sculpture of her has become so iconic. But really, the statue, which was sculpted by Eladio Gil Zambrana and unveiled in 1974, is a tribute to the Indigenous people who inhabited this land before the Spanish conquest. Thanks to its significance and central position, La India Catalina Monument is featured on the majority of Cartagena sightseeing tours.
Though there are a few steps leading up to the statue, the area surrounding it is flat and easy for travelers using wheelchairs and strollers to access.
The park surrounding the statue offers great views of the Caribbean Sea and is often much quieter than the center of the Old Town.
There aren’t any restaurants or public facilities near the statue, so bring plenty of water and snacks if you plan on spending a while there.
Atop a marble plinth, La India Catalina Monument marks the entrance to Old Town Cartagena. It’s located on Avenida Venezuela in La Matuna, and takes about 10 minutes to reach on foot from El Centro neighborhood in the walled city.
The monument is open year-round, 24 hours a day. It has become so well-known around Cartagena that small-scale replicas are handed out as awards at the Cartagena Film Festival, which takes place every year in March and sees the city awash with cultural events.
Thanks to its richly textured past, Cartagena boasts plenty of statues and monuments around town. One of the most famous is La Gorda Gertrudis, a nude figure by Fernando Botero who lies on a pedestal in the center of Plaza Santa Domingo. The sculpture makes for an excellent photo stop, and legend has it that if you rub her breast, you’ll be granted good luck.
