Cartagena de Indias is a city on the northern coast of Colombia and capital of Bolívar Department. The metropolitan area has a population of 1,240,000, and the city proper 1,090,000. It is the fifth largest urban area in Colombia.Today the city is a centre of economic activity in the Caribbean region and a popular tourist destination. Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984