Yu Garden embodies the quintessence of classical ancient Chinese gardens south of the Yangtze River – a creation of maximum out of minimum. While it takes a familiar person only five minutes to walk from the entrance to the exit, most first-time visitors find themselves lost in this little paradise with fish ponds, rockeries, plants, bridges, and buildings of various types arranged along zigzagging paths. The ingenious use of Chinese gardening art in combination with the garden’s 400-plus years of history makes Yu Garden one of the most popular tourist attractions in Shanghai.

The mangrove tunnels of nearby La Boquilla are an easy day trip from Cartagena. Guided tours will often combine a visit to the beach (one of the Playas De La Boquilla) with a boat or canoe tour of the mangroves, passing through Cienaga de Juan Polo and the Cienaga de la Virgen lagoons. Some tours will also include a closer encounter with local fishermen and offer insight into their craft. La Boquilla is an area of contrasts: the district of upscale hotels — Morros — borders on humble neighbourhoods populated by workers. When sitting down to tuck into no-frills seafood dishes served up by local eateries, make sure you're clear about the price of each item ordered from the get-go, as there have been reports of "surprise" bills amounting to several hundred US dollars.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, Via Garibaldi is lined with resplendent Renaissance palaces, constructed by Genoa's wealthiest families during the 16th and 17th centuries. Palazzo Bianco is home to an extensive collection of Italian and Flemish art, featuring works by illustrious artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, and Caravaggio. Meanwhile, Palazzo Rosso showcases an incredible collection of art that has been amassed over the course of two centuries by the Brignole-Sale family.