La historia del
edificio
Eduardo Wills' Room
In the Eduardo Wills hall there is an exhibition called “Naval Gallery”, offering an immersive tour through didactic modules that combine historical objects with models, sounds, videos and interactive simulators.
Naval Gallery
The Naval Gallery bears the name of the Vice Admiral of the Colombian Navy, Eduardo Wills Olaya, an admirable man, who dedicated the last ten years of his life to create this museum and to compile the secrets of our naval history.
Secrets that will be unveiled in the exciting story of this room: the Naval Gallery of the Naval Museum of the Caribbean. “Avanti marines, full sail, trincar escotas with North course, fourth East. To die or to be free”.
In the Eduardo Wills room is the exhibition called “Naval Gallery”, which offers an immersive tour through didactic modules that combine historical objects with models, sounds, videos and interactive simulators. This room has two models of important and historic ships of the Colombian Navy: the ARC Gloria and the Bergantín Independiente, the first warship of our Navy.
It also has a room where the history of the Naval Battle of Lake Maracaibo is projected and an interactive section that includes a real boat, a submarine simulator, the deck of the ARC Quitasueño and a helicopter where visitors can climb and live a complete experience.
In this room you will find a series of modules in which you can learn about the anthem of the National Navy of Colombia, composed in 1938 by the poet Daniel Lemaitre and the composer Adolfo Mejía, both illustrious Cartagena natives. The history of our Navy is closely linked to Cartagena de Indias. Next to this module, there is a display of working and gala uniforms used by the National Navy’s non-commissioned officers. Some specialties, ranks and decorations can be seen in them.
The organizational chart of the Navy is also exhibited here, which today is a dynamic and modern organization in continuous development. It has a high-tech shipyard, Cotecmar, and the Maritime Directorate (Dimar), in charge of controlling commercial maritime traffic in Colombian waters. The National Navy identifies its ships, bases and schools with the initials ARC: Armada República de Colombia.
In addition, there is an urn containing an officer’s sword and an admiral’s sword. These swords come from the tradition of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, whose officers laid the foundations of the modern National Navy between 1934 and 1939.
You can also find a huge interactive map of Colombia, which offers a general idea of the presence of the Navy in the national territory.
The room also has a chronological section that relives a history that begins in the city of Cartagena de Indias, in 1810, with the heroic decision of a group of sailors from the King of Spain to take the first step towards the country’s independence, inspired by the ideas of equality and democracy that arrived by sea. These sailors confronted Spain, a maritime empire of great power.
How did this country achieve independence from a maritime empire like Spain? Were there naval battles?
Unusually, only in 1934, that is, 124 years after that first step of the seafarers towards independence, the Republic of Colombia decided to create its National Navy.
What happened to our seas during more than a century in which Colombia did not have a navy? Why was the National Navy finally created in the middle of the 20th century?
The answers to these questions are a sword stuck in the hearts of many sailors throughout history and are part of the mystery that is unveiled in this tour.
Naval Gallery
The Naval Gallery bears the name of the Vice Admiral of the Colombian Navy, Eduardo Wills Olaya, an admirable man, who dedicated the last ten years of his life to create this museum and to compile the secrets of our naval history.
Secrets that will be unveiled in the exciting story of this room: the Naval Gallery of the Naval Museum of the Caribbean. “Avanti marines, full sail, trincar escotas with North course, fourth East. To die or to be free”.
In the Eduardo Wills room is the exhibition called “Naval Gallery”, which offers an immersive tour through didactic modules that combine historical objects with models, sounds, videos and interactive simulators. This room has two models of important and historic ships of the Colombian Navy: the ARC Gloria and the Bergantín Independiente, the first warship of our Navy.
It also has a room where the history of the Naval Battle of Lake Maracaibo is projected and an interactive section that includes a real boat, a submarine simulator, the deck of the ARC Quitasueño and a helicopter where visitors can climb and live a complete experience.
In this room you will find a series of modules in which you can learn about the anthem of the National Navy of Colombia, composed in 1938 by the poet Daniel Lemaitre and the composer Adolfo Mejía, both illustrious Cartagena natives. The history of our Navy is closely linked to Cartagena de Indias. Next to this module, there is a display of working and gala uniforms used by the National Navy’s non-commissioned officers. Some specialties, ranks and decorations can be seen in them.
The organizational chart of the Navy is also exhibited here, which today is a dynamic and modern organization in continuous development. It has a high-tech shipyard, Cotecmar, and the Maritime Directorate (Dimar), in charge of controlling commercial maritime traffic in Colombian waters. The National Navy identifies its ships, bases and schools with the initials ARC: Armada República de Colombia.
In addition, there is an urn containing an officer’s sword and an admiral’s sword. These swords come from the tradition of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, whose officers laid the foundations of the modern National Navy between 1934 and 1939.
You can also find a huge interactive map of Colombia, which offers a general idea of the presence of the Navy in the national territory.
The room also has a chronological section that relives a history that begins in the city of Cartagena de Indias, in 1810, with the heroic decision of a group of sailors from the King of Spain to take the first step towards the country’s independence, inspired by the ideas of equality and democracy that arrived by sea. These sailors confronted Spain, a maritime empire of great power.
How did this country achieve independence from a maritime empire like Spain? Were there naval battles?
Unusually, only in 1934, that is, 124 years after that first step of the seafarers towards independence, the Republic of Colombia decided to create its National Navy.
What happened to our seas during more than a century in which Colombia did not have a navy? Why was the National Navy finally created in the middle of the 20th century?
The answers to these questions are a sword stuck in the hearts of many sailors throughout history and are part of the mystery that is unveiled in this tour.
Republican Room
In the Republican Hall you will find the exhibition called “Cartagena in the Caribbean Sea”.
In the Republican Hall you will find the exhibition called “Cartagena in the Caribbean Sea”. The story begins in Kalamarí, the village of the Carib Indians: navigators, traders and fierce warriors, on which the Spanish conquistadors founded the city of Cartagena in 1533. The infrastructure of this first module will allow you to live the experience of knowing the type of houses built by the Carib Indians.
In this room you can also appreciate the module “The World of the Spanish Conquerors”, which has an architecture in the form of a medieval castle, representing the tradition and the fortresses that the Spanish conquerors brought with them.
You will also find the Atlas of Lorenzo the Magnificent, where all of South America is named CARIBANA, which in the Carib language means “the land of the Caribs”.
In the center of this room is a model of the Galleon San Jose, where you can enter and discover the tragic history of this ship captain of the fleet.
Cartagena in the Caribbean Sea
His exhibit was designed to tell the students of Cartagena the history of their city. The story is divided into twenty-four modules that facilitate the understanding of history. Being a naval museum, Cartagena’s history is told from the point of view of its status as a seaport. The name of the complete exhibition is CARTAGENA IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA.
Cartagena de Indias is today the main port of the Caribbean Sea and an important tourist destination, whose main attraction is its Historic Center from the Spanish colonial period, surrounded by imposing fortifications. An architectural complex declared World Heritage Site, which hides behind its gates and in the stone of its walls, a fascinating story: until not long ago, most of the city and its fortifications, were a ghostly ruin and its original owners, rich and powerful, were lost in the mists of oblivion.
- Who built this beautiful Spanish city in this corner of the Caribbean Sea?
- From what dangers must they have protected it with such powerful fortifications?
- Where did its wealth come from?
- Why did its original inhabitants abandon it?
The answers are in the succession of events narrated in this room of the Naval Museum of the Caribbean; extraordinary events that gave Cartagena de Indias the honorable title of “Heroic City”.
Cartagena in the Caribbean Sea
His exhibit was designed to tell the students of Cartagena the history of their city. The story is divided into twenty-four modules that facilitate the understanding of history. Being a naval museum, Cartagena’s history is told from the point of view of its status as a seaport. The name of the complete exhibition is CARTAGENA IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA.
Cartagena de Indias is today the main port of the Caribbean Sea and an important tourist destination, whose main attraction is its Historic Center from the Spanish colonial period, surrounded by imposing fortifications. An architectural complex declared World Heritage Site, which hides behind its gates and in the stone of its walls, a fascinating story: until not long ago, most of the city and its fortifications, were a ghostly ruin and its original owners, rich and powerful, were lost in the mists of oblivion.
- Who built this beautiful Spanish city in this corner of the Caribbean Sea?
- From what dangers must they have protected it with such powerful fortifications?
- Where did its wealth come from?
- Why did its original inhabitants abandon it?
The answers are in the succession of events narrated in this room of the Naval Museum of the Caribbean; extraordinary events that gave Cartagena de Indias the honorable title of “Heroic City”.
Pedagogical room
In the pedagogical room you will find the exhibition “Submarine Adventure: An Invisible Hero”, here, the children of the city of Cartagena are introduced to the defense system built around the Bocagrande breakwater in an interactive way.
This room opens a way to learn about history in a dynamic and didactic way, thanks to its original illustrations and descriptions of how the city of Cartagena tried to keep itself safe from pirates through military strategies.
It also allows children to explore the Bay of Cartagena, a place full of exciting stories that is divided into eight stages. The first, entitled “Brave Sailors,” introduces explorers to the theme. The second, “Stone Shields Protecting Cartagena,” shows how the fortifications defended the city. The third stage offers an overview of the trades important to the construction of the walls in colonial times.
The fourth, entitled “Little Captains,” explores the incredible seaport and the tools used by the brave sailors of yesteryear. The fifth stage, called “Warriors of the Ocean,” highlights important characters in Cartagena’s history. The sixth stage, “La Ruleta del Conocimiento” (Knowledge Roulette), is an interactive experience where each child can discover what he or she has learned during the tour.
The seventh stage, “Little Heroes,” invites them to protect the historical sites of the city, such as the emblematic city walls. Finally, the eighth stage, called “A Very Curious Invisible Hero: The Underwater Wall of Our City,” concludes this fun journey through the history of the Bay of Cartagena.
Underwater Adventure: An Invisible Hero
This room seeks to offer a tour through the history of the fortifications to understand the crucial role they played in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the protection of the city. It also highlights the importance of these fortifications in the cultural sustainability of Cartagena and raises awareness about the danger currently facing the Bocagrande breakwater.
This room opens a way to learn about history in a dynamic and didactic way, thanks to its original illustrations and descriptions of how the city of Cartagena tried to keep itself safe from pirates through military strategies.
It also allows children to explore the Bay of Cartagena, a place full of exciting stories that is divided into eight stages. The first, entitled “Brave Sailors,” introduces explorers to the theme. The second, “Stone Shields Protecting Cartagena,” shows how the fortifications defended the city. The third stage offers an overview of the trades important to the construction of the walls in colonial times.
The fourth, entitled “Little Captains,” explores the incredible seaport and the tools used by the brave sailors of yesteryear. The fifth stage, called “Warriors of the Ocean,” highlights important characters in Cartagena’s history. The sixth stage, “La Ruleta del Conocimiento” (Knowledge Roulette), is an interactive experience where each child can discover what he or she has learned during the tour.
The seventh stage, “Little Heroes,” invites them to protect the historical sites of the city, such as the emblematic city walls. Finally, the eighth stage, called “A Very Curious Invisible Hero: The Underwater Wall of Our City,” concludes this fun journey through the history of the Bay of Cartagena.
Underwater Adventure: An Invisible Hero
This room seeks to offer a tour through the history of the fortifications to understand the crucial role they played in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in the protection of the city. It also highlights the importance of these fortifications in the cultural sustainability of Cartagena and raises awareness about the danger currently facing the Bocagrande breakwater.
This room opens a way to learn about history in a dynamic and didactic way, thanks to its original illustrations and descriptions of how the city of Cartagena tried to keep itself safe from pirates through military strategies.
It also allows children to explore the Bay of Cartagena, a place full of exciting stories that is divided into eight stages. The first, entitled “Brave Sailors,” introduces explorers to the theme. The second, “Stone Shields Protecting Cartagena,” shows how the fortifications defended the city. The third stage offers an overview of the trades important to the construction of the walls in colonial times.
The fourth, entitled “Little Captains,” explores the incredible seaport and the tools used by the brave sailors of yesteryear. The fifth stage, called “Warriors of the Ocean,” highlights important characters in Cartagena’s history. The sixth stage, “La Ruleta del Conocimiento” (Knowledge Roulette), is an interactive experience where each child can discover what he or she has learned during the tour.
The seventh stage, “Little Heroes,” invites them to protect the historical sites of the city, such as the emblematic city walls. Finally, the eighth stage, called “A Very Curious Invisible Hero: The Underwater Wall of Our City,” concludes this fun journey through the history of the Bay of Cartagena.
Book your visit
Discover Colombia’s fascinating maritime history at the Museo Naval del Caribe, a space where naval history and Caribbean culture come together. Tour its various modules with exhibits of historical artifacts, ship models and antique maps, and learn about Colombia’s importance in the nautical world through its brave sailors and legendary pirates.
Located in Cartagena, this museum offers a unique experience for the whole family and is an unmissable visit to learn more about the country’s maritime legacy.
Come and immerse yourself in the history of the Colombian Caribbean!
Book your visit
Discover Colombia’s fascinating maritime history at the Museo Naval del Caribe, a space where naval history and Caribbean culture come together. Tour its various modules with exhibits of historical artifacts, ship models and antique maps, and learn about Colombia’s importance in the nautical world through its brave sailors and legendary pirates.
Located in Cartagena, this museum offers a unique experience for the whole family and is an unmissable visit to learn more about the country’s maritime legacy.
Come and immerse yourself in the history of the Colombian Caribbean!