Plaza Santo Domingo is Cartagena's most famous evening plaza — a small square in the walled city dominated by the 16th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo (the oldest church in Cartagena, completed in 1552) and featuring Fernando Botero's monumental bronze sculpture 'La Gordita' (officially 'Mujer Reclinada'), a voluptuous reclining nude donated by the Colombian sculptor in 2000 that has become the most-photographed statue in the city.
The square fills nightly with tables from the surrounding restaurants (Restaurante Santo Domingo, El Santísimo), musicians, and locals on the traditional Caribbean evening stroll. The colonial atmosphere — carriage horses clopping past, yellow lamplight against white stucco and bougainvillea, music from multiple directions — is Cartagena at its most theatrical. The church interior is usually open after 6 PM and has an unornamented colonial simplicity that contrasts with the extravagance outside.
Verified Facts
Iglesia de Santo Domingo was completed in 1552, making it Cartagena's oldest church
Fernando Botero donated 'La Gordita' sculpture in 2000
The plaza is most atmospheric after sunset
Botero is one of Colombia's most famous artists
Get walking directions
Plaza de Santo Domingo, Cartagena
