El Cabrero is a residential neighbourhood north of the walled city, sitting between the Caribbean Sea and the El Cabrero lagoon. It has a quieter, more local character than the tourist-heavy old city. The beach here — Playa de El Cabrero — is used mostly by locals and is considerably calmer than Bocagrande. The neighbourhood contains several elegant early 20th-century mansions, some of which have been converted into hotels.
Rafael Núñez, the Colombian president who authored the current constitution, was born in El Cabrero, and his house is preserved as a small museum. The neighbourhood has a languid, slightly faded atmosphere that contrasts pleasantly with the bustle of the old city a short walk away.