Thanks to nonstop flights on JetBlue from about $350 roundtrip, getting to Cartagena — Colombia’s Caribbean-front pearl — has never been easier.

This colonial-era walled city, famed for its leafy plazas, historic museums and elegant hotels, is equal parts high-end cultural destination and nonstop party town.

Here’s a quick guide to Cartagena’s choicest lures.

The new InterContinental Cartagena de Indias (from $135) is a retreat with contemporary design a short drive from the old city. A sleek glass-and-steel tower, the hotel is set in the lively Bocagrade district directly abutting the sea. While 287 spacious rooms offer prime vistas, the hotel’s real draw is its massive rooftop infinity pool.

Located deep in the heart of the old city, Casa San Agustín is among the most elegant of Cartagena’s chic boutique hotels. With just 30 rooms spread over a series of meticulously restored former homes, the hotel is nearly always booked. But no matter.

Visit to dine at Alma, where chef Heberto Eljach churns out innovative takes on classic coastal Colombian dishes. Think shrimp ceviche with tamarind salsa followed by a hearty seafood cazuela, a South American stew. The next-door bar literally grooves all night long.

Casa Chiqui is a one-stop shop for the best of local artisan work and design, along with a finely curated collection of must-haves from around the globe. Owner Chiqui Echavarria is one of Cartagena’s most celebrated doyennes; her namesake gallery heaves with the types of covetable pieces you’d find in her own casona (big house). Look for everything from jewelry and accessories to small fashion items and furniture.

Of all the museums in Cartagena — and there are many — the Palacio de la Inquisicion cannot be missed. Don’t be fooled by its grand, early 16th-century exterior. Inside you’ll find all sort of instruments used to inflict torture on folks deemed heretical back during colonial times (along with a far more palatable collection of pre-Colombian art and pottery).

Before Colombia’s 1821 independence, five public executions were conducted here, for crimes ranging from witchcraft to blasphemy.