The bridge rises gently like a smile on the face of a quiet morning, ushering you toward the vibrant soul of Paseo del Pescador in Zihuatanejo. Sunlight filters through the canopy above like golden confetti. The painted tiles beneath your feet bloom like a mosaic garden—turquoise, terracotta, coral. Palm trees sway lazily, brushing the breeze like soft whispers in a language only the sea understands.

There’s a particular kind of calm you only find by the sea early in the morning. In Cartagena, Colombia, that stillness takes the shape of a curved walkway beside Bocagrande Bay. It’s not a grand spectacle, but something quieter, more intimate—like a gentle welcome from the day itself. As I walked in the direction of Castillo Grande, the city was just beginning to stir, and I had the water, the breeze, and the garden path mostly to myself.