Bocagrande on Foot: A Tour of Its 4 Forgotten Statues

Introduction: The Fisherman Nobody Looks At Anymore

If you have ever walked along avenida San Martín in Bocagrande, you probably walked right past a bronze figure staring out to sea. It is the statue of a fisherman, installed in the late 1980s, when this neighborhood was still a family beach resort and not the canyon of buildings you see today. A 74-year-old resident, Don Héctor Mendoza, told me that when he was a child, that fisherman was the meeting point for the neighborhood kids. "We would sit at its feet waiting for my mom to finish her grocery shopping at the store next door," he recalls. Today, the statue has a broken hand, the bronze is oxidized, and nobody sits there anymore. This article is a walking tour of four forgotten statues in Bocagrande, a stroll that will make you see the neighborhood with different eyes.

July 2026. The heat in Cartagena is still relentless, but walking these four stops will take you about two hours, with stops for shade and water. You need nothing more than comfortable shoes, a water bottle, and the curiosity of someone seeking what no one else looks at.

What to Do: The Walking Tour of the Four Statues

The starting point is parque de la Marina, right in front of the Hotel Caribe. From there, you walk south along avenida San Martín, then turn towards the malecón del Laguito. Each statue has its own story, and I'll tell them to you in order.

Statue 1: The Lonely Fisherman (avenida San Martín with calle 5)

This is the best-known, but also the most neglected. It is a male bronze figure, about 2 meters tall, holding a fishing rod in its right hand. It was installed in 1988 by the Mayor's Office of Cartagena as a tribute to the artisanal fishermen of the bay. According to El Universal archives from that year, the sculpture was the work of local artist Rafael Gómez, who cast it in a workshop in the Getsemaní neighborhood. Today, the rod is broken in half, and the base has graffiti from soccer teams. The state of conservation is fair: the bronze has turned green from the salty humidity, and the right hand shows a crack that seems to have been caused by a blow. Don Héctor told me that "the kids sometimes climb on it to take photos, and that has been damaging it."

Statue 2: The Woman with the Fan (malecón del Laguito, in front of the El Dorado building)

About a 15-minute walk south, you reach the malecón del Laguito. There, hidden among palm trees and concrete benches, is a statue of a seated woman with a fan in her hand. It dates from 1995, installed during the administration of Mayor Carlos Díaz. It represents a "palenquera," a typical fruit vendor from the region. But the curious thing is that she has no fruit basket, only the fan, suggesting the artist wanted to capture her in a moment of rest. Today, the statue is almost invisible: the undergrowth covers it up to its waist, and the original paint (an ochre color) has almost completely peeled off. A little-known fact: on the base there is a bronze plaque that reads "Tribute to the Cartagena woman," but it is so worn that only "Tribute" is legible. If you bring a mirror or a flashlight, you can read it better.

Statue 3: The Boy with the Seashell (parque de la Marina, north side)

Returning to parque de la Marina, right next to the entrance of the Hotel Caribe, there is a statue of a barefoot boy, about 80 centimeters tall, holding a seashell to his ear. It was installed in 2001 as part of a park beautification project. The sculptor was Luis Carlos Jiménez from Cartagena, who called it "The Ear of the Sea." The idea was for children to sit next to the figure to hear the sound of the shell. But the original shell was ceramic and broke within a few months. It was replaced with a resin one, which is now split in two. The statue is in good general condition, but the base has rust stains from nearby metals. Hotel workers told me that tourists sometimes put coins in its hand, as if it were a lucky fountain.

Statue 4: The Lighthouse of Memory (malecón del Laguito, southern end)

The last stop is the most recent and the most mysterious. At the southern end of the malecón, right where the Laguito ends, there is a 3-meter-tall metal structure that looks like a lighthouse. It is not exactly a statue, but an abstract sculpture made of steel tubes and a sphere at the top. It was installed in 2010 by the District Mayor's Office as part of the malecón renovation. But no one really knows what it represents. In the District archives, it appears as "Monument to the Memory of the Sea," but there is no plaque or artist's signature. Locals call it "the lighthouse of nobody." Today, the top sphere is dented, possibly by lightning or an impact, and the tubes are rusty. It is the least photographed of the four, and perhaps that is why it is the most interesting: it forces you to wonder what it really means.

Where to Eat or Drink During the Tour

Walking under the Cartagena sun makes you thirsty and hungry. Here are three recommended stops along the route, without making up names of places I don't know:

• At parque de la Marina: There is a fruit cart that sells cold coconut and green mango with salt. Reference prices for July 2026: $3,000 COP for a coconut. It has no name, but you'll recognize it by the blue awning and the smell of coconut.
• On avenida San Martín, in front of the fisherman statue: A stall selling arepas de huevo that is open from 8am to 2pm. Each arepa costs $5,000 COP. The owner, a 60-year-old man, has been there for 30 years and will tell you stories of the neighborhood if you buy two.
• At the malecón del Laguito: Several street vendors sell water, sodas, and cold beer. A local beer costs around $4,000 COP. There are no formal restaurants on the malecón itself, but two blocks away is the Laguito restaurant area, where you can find options for fried fish and rice with coconut.

How to Get There and Transportation

Bocagrande is easy to explore on foot, but if you are coming from the historic center or Getsemaní, here are your options:

• On foot from the center: It is about a 20-minute walk across the avenida Venezuela bridge. You arrive directly at parque de la Marina.
• By bus: Routes that go to Bocagrande (like the "Bocagrande" or "Marbella" route) drop you off on avenida San Martín. The fare is $2,700 COP in 2026.
• By taxi or Uber: From the center, a taxi costs between $10,000 and $15,000 COP. Uber is a bit cheaper, but sometimes there is a delay in finding a driver.
• By bicycle: There are public bicycle stations at parque de la Marina. Rental is $5,000 COP per hour. It is a good option if you want to cover more ground, but be careful of cars on avenida San Martín.

Local Tips

These tips I give you as a local, not as a tour guide:

1. Leave early: The sun in Cartagena hits hard from 10am. Start the tour at 7am or 8am, when the malecón is cool and there are fewer people.
2. Bring repellent: The mosquitoes in the Laguito are intense, especially at dusk. A good DEET repellent will save your legs.
3. Don't trust the plaques: Many statues have illegible plaques or have been stolen. Bring a notebook to jot down what you see, or use your phone to take photos of the details.
4. Talk to the elderly locals: The grandparents sitting on the benches of the malecón know more than any archive. Ask them about the statues; some will tell you stories that aren't on the internet.
5. Bring extra water: There are no drinking water fountains on the malecón. Buy a large bottle before you start.
6. Watch your belongings: Bocagrande is generally safe, but during quiet hours (like 2pm), you need to be aware of pickpockets on avenida San Martín.

A curious fact that few know: the fisherman statue was originally installed facing the sea, but in 2005 it was rotated 45 degrees to face the avenue, because drivers complained that it looked like a pedestrian about to cross. That unfortunate turn turned its back on the sea it honors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does the full tour take?

If you walk without rushing, taking photos and resting on the benches, the tour lasts between 1.5 and 2.5 hours. It depends on the heat and how long you stop at each statue. If you want to do it faster, by bicycle you can cover it in 45 minutes.

Is there an entrance fee for the statues?

No, they are all publicly accessible and free. They are in open spaces: avenues, parks, and the malecón. You don't have to pay anything to see or photograph them.

Is there a guided tour that includes these statues?

As of July 2026, there is no formal tour that includes them. Most tour guides focus on the historic center and the walls. However, you can hire a private guide in Bocagrande for about $80,000 COP per hour; some know these stories. Ask at your hotel reception or look for Cartagena history Facebook groups.

Are they in good condition for taking photos?

Some are, others aren't. The boy with the seashell is the most photogenic, because it is in a well-maintained park. The fisherman has visible damage that can give your photos a "rustic" touch. The woman with the fan is half-hidden by undergrowth, which can be a challenge. The lighthouse is interesting for abstract photos. I recommend going with natural light, between 7am and 9am, to avoid harsh shadows.

Can I bring my children?

Yes, it is a family outing. Children usually enjoy the boy with the seashell statue and the malecón. Just be careful with traffic on avenida San Martín and with the sun. Bring hats and sunscreen for them.

Do you live in Bocagrande or are you visiting? Send us your photos of these statues today to our Instagram @malokal_cartagena or to the email on our website. We will publish them in a collaborative gallery to show what they look like in 2026. Your eye can capture what no one else sees!

History of the statues: an open-air museum with an expiration date

What many don't know is that these four pieces are part of a broader municipal project that sought to turn Bocagrande into an "open-air museum" in the late 1980s. According to the historical archives of the Cartagena City Council, the original idea was to install one sculpture every two years at strategic points in the neighborhood, from the Marina park to El Laguito. The project was called "Bocagrande, gallery of the sea" and was promoted by the neighborhood association of the time, which saw urban art as a way to attract tourism beyond the beaches.

However, the initiative fell apart due to lack of budget and political interest. Of the ten planned pieces, only four were installed, and no formal maintenance was ever carried out. Local historian Alberto Samudio, in his book Cartagena esculpida (2019), documents that the budget allocated for the maintenance of these works was barely $2 million pesos per year (about $500 dollars in 2026), a ridiculous figure for a saline climate that corrodes bronze and steel at great speed. "The statues of Bocagrande are a perfect example of how public art can be abandoned by administrations," Samudio wrote.

Another layer of history: the statue of the fisherman, the oldest one, was cast in a workshop in Getsemaní that also produced the bells of the San Pedro Claver church. The bronze used includes remnants of old bells, which gives it a darker tone than the other pieces. This detail, known by few, explains why the fisherman has an almost black color compared to the woman with the fan, which is more greenish.

Cultural significance: what they represent and what they tell us about Bocagrande

Each statue is a window into the social history of Bocagrande, a neighborhood that went from being a family seaside resort to a cluster of hotels and apartment towers. The figure of the fisherman, for example, evokes the traditional economy of the bay, when artisanal fishermen sold their catch on the beaches. His broken fishing rod is symbolic: it reflects the disappearance of that activity in the area, displaced by the tourism industry and vertical construction.

The woman with the fan, for her part, pays tribute to the palenqueras, Afro-descendant women who have been part of Cartagena's landscape since the 17th century. Although the statue does not include the typical fruit basket (an error by the artist, according to local critics), the fan represents the rest and dignity of these workers. "It's not a statue of selling, it's a statue of pause," a 68-year-old fruit vendor from El Laguito told me, who identified herself as Doña Rosa. "That woman is me, sitting down after walking all day."

The boy with the conch shell has a more playful and universal meaning. In Caribbean culture, the conch shell is a symbol of communication and connection with the sea. The artist Jiménez's idea was for children to come closer and listen to the "sound of the sea," a gesture that invites imagination. However, the fact that the conch is broken can also be read as a metaphor for the loss of innocence in an increasingly commercial neighborhood.

The lighthouse of memory is the most enigmatic. It has no clear narrative, but its lighthouse shape suggests orientation and guidance. Some residents believe it is a tribute to fishermen who died at sea; others say it is an abstract work without meaning. What is certain is that its dent, possibly caused by lightning in 2018, gives it an air of resilience: it remains standing, although damaged, as a reminder that Bocagrande is a place of contrasts.

Tips for visitors: how to make the most of the cultural experience

If you want to turn this tour into a complete cultural experience, here are additional recommendations to those already mentioned:

• Bring a field notebook: Write down your own interpretations of each statue before reading the plaques (if you find them). Comparing your perspective with the official history can be revealing.
• Visit during golden hour: Between 5pm and 6pm, the warm sunset light enhances the details of the bronze and steel. Also, the boardwalk fills with locals out for a walk, allowing you to observe the daily life of the neighborhood.
• Connect with oral history: Ask street vendors and older residents about anecdotes related to the statues. Many will tell you stories of when the fisherman was a meeting point for dates and the boy with the conch was a "lucky charm" for students before exams.
• Combine with other nearby cultural sites: A few blocks from the Marina park is the Casa Museo Rafael Núñez, where the Colombian former president lived. It's an ideal stop to broaden the historical context of the area.
• Download historical maps: Before heading out, search online for maps of Bocagrande from the 1980s and 1990s. Comparing them with the current neighborhood will help you understand how the surroundings of the statues have changed.

An extra fact: in 2024, a group of architecture students from the University of Cartagena proposed a restoration project for the four statues, but it did not receive funding. If you want to see them in their current state, don't wait for them to be "fixed up"; the passage of time is part of their charm and their history.