Cartagena: History, Former Names & Timeline

Fortified Caribbean port where the Spanish treasure fleets gathered; its walls and forts survive.

Map showing Cartagena in 1700 — Border map for 1700. See the world in 1700.

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Former names of Cartagena

From	Name	Note
1533	Cartagena de Indias

Timeline of Cartagena

Year	Event
1533	Pedro de Heredia founds the city
1586	Drake takes the city and holds it to ransom
1741	A British fleet under Vernon fails to take the city
1811	The city declares independence from Spain
1984	The port, fortresses and monuments become a World Heritage Site

Who ruled Cartagena

Derived from the border maps; each row runs until the next recorded border change.

Period	State
500 BC–2 BC	Manioc farmers
1 BC–1491	Unclaimed / no data
1492–1499	Mokaná
1500–1599	Unclaimed / no data
1600–1649	Viceroyalty of New Spain
1650–1782	Viceroyalty of Peru
1783–1879	Viceroyalty of New Granada
1880–today	Colombia

Questions about Cartagena

What was Cartagena called in the past?

Cartagena has been known as Cartagena de Indias (from 1533). Its present name dates from 1533.

Which states have ruled Cartagena?

On the historical border maps from 500 BC to today, Cartagena lies within 6 different states: Manioc farmers, Mokaná, Viceroyalty of New Spain, Viceroyalty of Peru, Viceroyalty of New Granada, Colombia.

What are the key dates in the history of Cartagena?

1533: Pedro de Heredia founds the city. 1586: Drake takes the city and holds it to ransom. 1741: A British fleet under Vernon fails to take the city. 1811: The city declares independence from Spain. 1984: The port, fortresses and monuments become a World Heritage Site.

Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.