Portal de Los Dulces (Sweets Portal), Cartagena

The Sweets Portal is one of the most colourful and tempting corners of Cartagena’s Old Town. Located beneath the covered arcades of old colonial houses lining Carriages Square, directly opposite the Clock Tower, it has been associated with the sale of traditional sweets for generations. The portal acquired its name from the vendors who historically sold homemade confectionery here, preserving recipes and techniques passed down through their families.

The setting itself is worth admiring. The market occupies the shaded walkways beneath brightly painted Spanish colonial buildings, distinguished by their charming balconies and tiled roofs. Beneath the arches, numerous confectionery stalls display glass jars and containers filled with traditional Caribbean treats.

Coconut sweets are a particular speciality, prepared in a variety of flavours and forms. You may also encounter tamarind balls, milk-based treats and sweets made with sesame, guava and other tropical ingredients. Look out for Cubanitos, distinctive rolled sweets wrapped in colourful paper. Sampling a few treats while browsing the stalls is an easy way to experience Cartagena through its culinary traditions.

The Sweets Portal also appears in Gabriel García Márquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera, in which Fermina Daza visits the sweet vendors and buys an assortment of treats.

More than simply a place to satisfy a sweet tooth, the Sweets Portal remains a living part of Cartagena’s culinary heritage.