Data Centers in Cartagena

Cartagena – The Caribbean Subsea Gateway to the Americas

Executive Summary

Cartagena serves as the primary subsea landing point for Colombia, acting as a high-capacity digital bridge between South American markets and North American hubs. This location is essential for enterprises requiring international transit and low-latency paths that bypass the congestion of inland routes to support global commerce.

Cartagena: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Cartagena is a vital node for international data transit, providing direct maritime links that offer a performance advantage for global traffic.

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality: Carrier count: over 5, as of September 2025. The ecosystem is centered around global subsea operators and international transit providers. Most facilities operate with high neutrality, allowing for efficient interconnection between local terrestrial networks and submarine cables.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps: 0, enabling access to 0 cloud regions, as of September 2025. There are currently no direct on-ramps for AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), or Microsoft Azure within the local metro area. Organizations typically access these services through private waves or point-to-point connections to the primary cloud hubs in Bogota.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs): Peering is largely handled through private interconnects at cable landing stations or by routing traffic to the national exchange in Bogota to ensure efficient regional distribution.

Bare Metal: High-performance compute options are available through providers like Latitude.sh, enabling organizations to deploy hardware directly at the edge of the subsea gateway.

Power Analysis

The energy profile in Cartagena is defined by a commitment to renewable sources, which helps stabilize long-term operational costs for infrastructure.

Average Cost Of Power: $0.15/kWh, as of September 2025. This rate reflects a competitive regional pricing structure. The national energy mix is approximately 72% renewable, primarily driven by hydropower, which offers a more sustainable footprint for energy-intensive operations.

Power Grid Reliability: Local infrastructure is engineered to meet the demands of a major industrial and maritime hub. Redundant power feeds and dedicated substations support the uptime requirements of critical subsea landing stations and logistics facilities.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Cartagena is a central pillar of Colombian trade, providing direct access to the most important maritime and digital pathways in the Caribbean.

Proximity To Key Business Districts: Data center facilities are positioned near the Port of Cartagena and the Manga industrial area. This proximity is essential for logistics, shipping, and international finance firms that rely on immediate access to global data transit and maritime operations.

Regional Market Reach: Cartagena serves as the northern digital gateway for all of Colombia. Its location allows for the efficient distribution of data from the Andean interior to the Caribbean basin and onward to North American markets.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers: Colombia provides significant financial benefits through Law 1715, which focuses on renewable energy investments. This law grants long-term tax exemptions and credits that help infrastructure operators reduce total cost of ownership when using sustainable power solutions.

Natural Disaster Risk

The risk profile for Cartagena is High (5.3/10), as of September 2025. The ranking is primarily driven by its coastal geography and regional seismic activity.

• Earthquake: 8.9/10. Seismic activity is the most significant natural hazard for infrastructure in this region.
• Tsunami: 8.1/10. Coastal proximity makes this a relevant regional consideration for shoreline facilities.
• River Flood: 7.0/10. Seasonal rainfall can impact drainage systems in low-lying areas.
• Coastal Flood: 6.2/10. Storm surges and rising sea levels are persistent factors for coastal planning.