For years, the image of Colombia as an incubator for violence and drugs kept a New York City pianist, Hector Martignon, and his wife, Amparo Barron, a college professor, from buying the home they dreamed of in their native country. Last year, with the prospect of a strong economy and improved security, the couple took a chance and bought an ocean-side apartment in Cartagena, Colombia’s most frequented city. “We knew it was one of South America’s best-kept destination secrets,” Mr. Martignon, who now rents out his threebedroom apartment to tourists, says. “Travelers are realizing that it’s a safe and tropical destination.” In 2005, the government drew nearly a million visitors to Colombia — most of whom visited Cartagena — a 24 percent increase from 2004.

Cartagena was the jewel of the Spanish empire in the 16th century. Its strategic location on Colombia’s northern coast made it both a place on the Caribbean Sea for the Spanish to stash gold and other minerals en route to Europe and a place for pirates to loot. Today, Cartagena is a Unesco World Heritage site and a “living museum of colonial architecture,” according to the Lonely Planet guidebook.

To protect Cartagena from being ransacked, the Spanish fortified the city by building walls that divided the old town into the inner and outer regions. In El Centro, one of the inner town’s historical districts, visitors can explore artwork preserved in 16th-century cathedrals, monasteries, churches, and convents, including Convento de San Pedro Claver (Plaza de San Pedro Claver, 011-575-664-4991; admission $2, Monday– Saturday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 8 a.m.–5 p.m.). Tourists can also visit palaces such as Palacio de la Inquisicion (Plaza de Bolivar, 011-575-664-4113; $3, times vary).The Inquisition Palace is a great example of late colonial architecture with long balconies on each side of a stunning baroque stone entryway. It is also a museum filled with historical objects from the pre-Columbian era long before the arrival of Spanish settlers, and periods of colonialism and independence, including torture instruments once used on heretics. Narrow and winding streets lead to the places that infuse the novels of Gabriel Gárcia Márquez with their magical realism. Pedestrians can stroll the charming plazas or take advantage of the outdoor seating and stop for a fresh cup of Colombian coffee or, for about $1, a delicious “jugo,” a juice blend of water or milk and fresh local fruit such as maracuya, lulo, and guanabana. Visitors can explore the tunnels of Castillo San Felipe (8 a.m.–6 p.m., entrance fee $5), a 17th century fortress that sheltered Cartagena against pirates. In San Diego, travelers will find Las Bovedas, where dungeons have been converted into shops for pre-Columbian replicas and other crafts and jewelry.

One of the more popular day trips is to a set of small islands off the coast, Islas del Rosario. Visitors can arrange trips through hotels or tour agencies, which typically include a boat ride, ecological guide, lunch, and a few hours at Playa Blanca. Expect an additional park entrance fee ($5), aquarium fee ($7), or snorkeling fee ($15) at the end of the trip. Visitors may also want to experience Volcan del Totumo, a volcano where they can take a mud bath for $1.

The food in Cartagena is inexpensive and tasty, blending African with New and Old World cuisine. Dozens of restaurants line the streets and usually offer seafood or indigenous fish, chicken, or meat dishes served with coconut rice, plantains, and salad.

La Cevicheria (011-575-664-2760, Calle Suar, opposite Hotel Santa Clara) has a great menu selection of hot and cold ceviches for about $8 a dish. At Restaurante La Vitrola(011-575-664-8243; Calle de Baloco, $10–$15) one can enjoy excellent international cuisine and live music every night. For a romantic setting, diners seek Restaurante Donde Olano (Calle Santo Domingo 33-08, 011-575-664-7099, $6–$8) for its French-Creole menu. Any of the lobster, shrimp or fish dishes is exceptional.

Cartagena is about a five-hour flight from New York and a three-hour flight from Miami. The city is once again enticing international cruise lines and, according to Cartagena’s tourist board, 45,000 cruise ships arrived last year. Though the best way to explore the old town or the beachside peninsula Boca Grande is by foot, alternative modes of transportation are available. Buses carry visitors to other parts of the city, including the San Felipe fort, and taxis are both safe and usually easy to find. For taxi service, expect to pay $4 from the old town to Boca Grande or $7 from the airport to the old town. Tourists can also take day or evening tours around the city on Chivas, typical peasant buses with a live Vallenato band, who perform the local Afro-Latino music.

Visitors will find accommodations to suit any budget in Cartagena. At the Hotel Sofitel Santa Clara (011-575-664-6070, hotelsantaclara.com, $385–$487 a night), the 17th-century architecture makes it a sight to be seen. Guests also have access to the hotel’s private island, 45 minutes off the coast. A convent in the 17th century, today the Charleston Cartagena Hotel (011-575-664-9494, hotelescharleston.com/cartagena $230–$499 a night) is a luxurious getaway in the old town. Guests have incredible views of the ocean from its rooftop pool. For midrange prices, the delightful Hotel 3 Banderas, (Calle Cochera del Hobo #38-66, Barrio San Diego, 011-575-660-0160, hotel3banderas.com $47– $105 a night) offers guests a quiet atmosphere and friendly service and also is within walking distance of the galleries of Plaza San Diego, sidewalk cafes, and the Caribbean Sea. For accommodations in the upscale zone outside of the Walled City, Boca Grande, guests can lodge at the all-inclusive Decameron Hotel and Resort (011-575-665-4400, decameron.com for package rates), which is on the beach. Guests may also consider renting furnished ocean-side apartments, such as Mr. Martignon’s (hector@hectormartignon.com)

For safety tips before traveling to Colombia, go to travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1090.html.