The mangrove tunnels of nearby La Boquilla are an easy day trip from Cartagena. Guided tours will often combine a visit to the beach (one of the Playas De La Boquilla) with a boat or canoe tour of the mangroves, passing through Cienaga de Juan Polo and the Cienaga de la Virgen lagoons. Some tours will also include a closer encounter with local fishermen and offer insight into their craft. La Boquilla is an area of contrasts: the district of upscale hotels — Morros — borders on humble neighbourhoods populated by workers. When sitting down to tuck into no-frills seafood dishes served up by local eateries, make sure you're clear about the price of each item ordered from the get-go, as there have been reports of "surprise" bills amounting to several hundred US dollars.

AlMaqta'a Fort is a watchtower built over 200 years ago to protect the sea crossing from the mainland to Abu Dhabi. Constructed in traditional style with soft sand-coloured stone and ornately carved wooden features, it remains almost intact and serves as an important testament to the city's past. The building functions as a small museum displaying artefacts from the 1950s to the 1970s, while also presenting the history of the nearby Maqtaa Bridge. It offers a brief but interesting insight into the area’s past and the development of one of Abu Dhabi’s earliest crossings.

The Royal Palace was built between 1924 and 1929, on orders by King Alexander I, as the official royal residence. It is designed in the Serbian-Byzantine style, surrounded by pergolas, park terraces, pools, a pavilion, and a concert terrace. Located on the ridge of a hill, it provides a magnificent view of Dedinje, the Košutnjak forest, Topčider, and Avala. Within the same complex, a residence for sons of King Alexander I had been built and named the White Palace. Its salons are arranged in the styles of Louis XV and Louis XVI, and it contains a valuable art collection including notable artworks by Rembrandt, Fromentin, Vouet, Poussin, Bourdou, Jakšić, Meštrović and many others. It also contains the Royal Library that once housed around 35,000 books and the Ceremonial Dining Hall set up in the Chippendale style. The palace complex also contains the Royal Family Church modelled after the Church of the Monastery of St Andrew on Treska in Macedonia. Palaces are open for visits on weekends, during the tourist season, as it is a home of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Alexander of Serbia and his family.

The Tito Bustillo Cave is on the selected list of World Heritage and is one of the most important Palaeolithic art sites. Make sure to wear warm clothes when visiting the cave. It is also advisable to book your visit in advance.