Just 2 miles from the French Quarter, this expansive green oasis offers a welcome escape from the city. The park features numerous attractions, including museums, lakes, fountains, sports facilities (such as a golf course), an amusement park, and the world’s largest collection of oaks. It's a favorite spot for runners, cyclists, picnickers, and boating enthusiasts. The park also hosts a variety of events, including concerts, an Easter egg hunt, and the popular Celebration in the Oaks.

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.

Take a break from sightseeing and head over to Aire de Sevilla and enjoy the Hammam experience in some of the nicest Baños Arabes (Arab baths) in all of Spain. You can unwind with temperature baths or have a massage in a magical atmosphere.

National Tile Museum is devoted to the quintessentially Portuguese tiles seen so frequently on buildings across the country. The collection is housed in a monastery, the varying architectural styles and decorations of which give a quick walkthrough the country's major movements. One of the highlights is an enormous tiled fresco which shows Lisbon as it was just before the big earthquake in 1755.