With its crumbling walls, brightly painted buildings and swashbuckling pirate history, Cartagena is a city crammed with atmosphere and makes for a wonderful base in July. Take boat trips to the tiny Rosario Islands, stroll along the city walls and watch the locals dance salsa as the evening falls.
Colombia is slowly creeping into the popular imagination, but it still attracts far fewer tourists than most other South American destinations. If you go now, you’ll beat the crowds and get a real spin on the regular summer holiday.