But then came independence from Spain in 1811 and the emancipation of the slaves in 1851, followed by a deadly outbreak of cholera. Suddenly, the city lost its economic raison d’etre. The center of culture shifted to Bogota, while Barranquilla, a city farther north on the coast, became Colombia’s principal port. Cartagena turned into relic, a mausoleum within its high walls.

“We looked hard at shooting somewhere else because there was some trepidation from the talent,” said Dylan Russell, one of the producers of the film “Love in the Time of Cholera” (scheduled for release this November). As we clack-clacked through the cobblestone streets on our way to a cast party in an old-fashioned carriage pulled by a skinny nag, he said, “But just look at this place.

Where else are you going to find all this?” The film stars Javier Bardem as a pathologically romantic gentleman who waits 50 years to reunite with the love of his life in a crumbling tropical port city that could be only Cartagena. It’s based on the novel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, who was raised a few miles down the coast, studied and worked as a journalist in Cartagena, and owns a vacation house near the grandiose Santa Clara hotel, which any local can point out. Russell described the three-month shoot as coming off without a hitch — some of the actors even looked at real estate. As we passed the shrine of San Pedro Claver, a saint who dedicated his life to caring for the slaves (there’s a new sushi lounge right in front of it), he shouted, “You must tell your readers that Cartagena is an enchanted castle city full of rusty cannonballs!”

How safe is Cartagena for the average voyager who isn’t a movie star with a security detail or the sophistonaut guest of wealthy Colombians with retinues of armed guards? Cartagena feels as safe as the new gringo mecca of Buenos Aires, at least to this large 30-something white male. It passes the “staggering home drunk through predawn streets while bellowing Shakira” test, a fail-proof diagnostic of any locale’s risk level.

In fact, the most menacing figures you are likely to come upon during a visit are the leering vice-trippers, those globe-trotting sybarites who come here for beautiful young girls who have few options for making money and for the drugs — cocaine, while illegal, is cheap, pure and easy to procure. In response, the government has placed undercover police on the streets to catch tourists buying drugs, and a campaign against child prostitution is plastered throughout the city.

Most foreign visitors have more benign intentions, however, and some have moved here permanently. Several of the boutique hotels that have opened in the last few years are owned by sophistonauts who were invited to Cartagena by Colombian friends, fell in love with the place and decided to stay. “It was love at first sight,” said Diana Chen, a software engineer from San Francisco who nows runs the lovely five-room Casa Boutique Veranera. “I wanted to own something here, to be part of the amazing history of the place.”

Charlie Chaplin’s daughter, the writer and filmmaker Jane Chaplin, has lived in Cartagena since the mid-’90s. She came for romantic reasons but stayed because “it’s a place where you can work in peace and quiet, but you can also invite friends to visit. When you share Cartagena with a visitor, you feel like you are letting them in on a great secret.”

Colombians may gripe about travel warnings dampening tourism, but 10 years from now the visionaries who rescued the city from its decline might fondly recall the days when most foreigners were too scared to visit. “Cartagena survived pirates,” Chaplin said with a shrug. “It can probably survive tourists.”

VISITOR INFORMATION
GETTING THERE
Avianca (800-284-2622; www.avianca.com), Colombia’s national airline, flies nonstop between Miami and Cartagena every day except Thursdays; other flights from the United States go through Bogota¡. Visas are not required for American visitors.

HOTELS
The hotels in the old city offer more charm and convenience to sights. Agua Hotel: Exquisitely designed boutique hotel, with six guest rooms. Calle de Ayos 4-29; 011-57-5-664-9479; www.hotelagua.com.co; doubles from about $270. Casa Boutique Veranera: A jewel box of a hotel with a spa and yoga studio. Calle Quero; www.casaveranera.com; doubles from $200. Casa El Carretero: Intimate property located in the funky Getsemani neighborhood. (415) 508-3927; www.casaelcarretero.com; doubles from $250. Hotel Sofitel Santa Clara: Located within a magnificent 17th-century convent. Calle del Torno; 011-57-5-664-6070; www.hotelsantaclara.com; doubles from $426.

RESTAURANTS
Cartagena’s hothouse climate means there is delicious produce year-round to accompany the local seafood. 8-18: Trendy international fare with Caribbean accents. Calle Gastelbondo; 011-57-5-664-2632; entrees $15 to $18. Juan del Mar Restaurante: Funky seafood joint run by the charismatic actor-bullfighter-singer Juan del Mar. Plaza San Diego; 011-57-5-664-5862; entrees $13 to $21. La Vitrola: Glamorous Old Havana-themed restaurant. Reserve ahead; it’s a favorite with locals. Calle Baloco 2-01; 011-57-5-664-8243; entrees $15 to $30. Restaurante Club de Pesca: An outdoor restaurant located in the San Sebastian fort serving top-notch seafood. Fuerte de San Sebastian del Pastelillo; 011-57-5-660-5863; entrees $42 to $60.

BARS AND CLUBS
Café del Mar: Set on top of the old fortification walls overlooking the sea. The crowd isn’t as interesting as its location, but it’s open late and the vibe is tropical chill-out. Baluarte Santo Domingo; 011-57-5-664-6513. Comarca: A former nautical antique shop that evolved into a bar. Calle Santo Domingo 3-38; no phone number. Quiebra Canto: The best club for an authentic Cartagena scene. Carrera 8B, No. 25-110, Edificio Puerta del Sol; 011-57-5-664-1372. Tu Candela: Latin pop and salsa in a tight-packed room; a thousand romances (or at least passions) have been sparked by people squeezing past each other. Portal de los Dulces; 011-57-5-664-8787.

BEACHES
Cartagena doesn´t have the Caribbean’s best beaches, but the water is crystal clear. The Rosario Islands, a group of 27 islets, are about an hour away by boat. Even better is Baro Island, on a peninsula that juts out from the city, a 45-minute boat trip away. Here there’s a public beach, Playa Blanca, open to day trippers.