Casa Pestagua

Casa Pestagua is a mansion on Calle Santo Domingo, inside the walled old city of Cartagena that UNESCO lists as World Heritage. The house was built in the 18th century on the model of the Moorish-style palaces then in fashion, and it was restored in 2022 with every element of the old house kept. It is a member of Relais & Châteaux and holds Two MICHELIN Keys. At its heart is a large central courtyard of arches, palms and tropical plants, where breakfast is served and where AniMare, the restaurant, cooks the food of Colombia's Pacific and Caribbean coasts; Virtuoso singles out its ceviche. The 16 rooms and suites have high ceilings, antique furniture and dark woods, with a few more modern rooms, and colonial, republican and contemporary art runs through the house. There is a pool in the palm garden, a fitness room and a rooftop jacuzzi, and treatments are taken at Aurum Spa at the sister hotel, Casa San Agustín, a few minutes away. The hotel also has its own beach, Acasí, on Barú Island, about 45 minutes away by boat. The service is professional and friendly rather than formal, and Santo Domingo Square and the restaurants of the old city are a short walk from the door.