DISCOVERING THE HE MAGICAL REALISM OF THE CARIBBEAN COAST

"What happens when an extremely detailed, realistic scenario is invaded by something that is just too strange to believe?" (Matthew Stretcher, 1999)

The answer is: Magic Realism

Many places on the Colombian Caribbean coast were and still are the inspiration for this genre of art. The town of Ciénaga or the vast marshes of Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, are among those enchanting places that mesmerize their visitors not only due to their myths and legends, but also - or above all – due to their welcoming people, their history, their ambience, and their exuberant flora and fauna! 

Lena was on the road last week to explore these very places for you, and she was absolutely blown away by both, the town of Ciénaga, as well as the marsh area Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta!
On top of that, both tours are entirely community based tourism, i.e. socially sustainable, away from mass tourism and involving the local population. In both tours, all services offered are provided directly by the locals, who, in the framework of a long-term project, have been trained for international tourism and do excellent work!

The tours can either be done directly from Ciénaga, or as a half-/full day tour from Santa Marta or Tayrona. They are also a perfect stopover for transfers along the coast, for example between Tayrona/Santa Marta and Barranquilla or Cartagena. 

In the town of Ciénaga itself, the enchanting boutique hotel Casa D'Remedios La Bella is an excellent option, in no way inferior to the hotels in Santa Marta and therefore highly recommended to your clients.

Please find in the following the detailed description of the two tours.

1. Half Day City Tour Magic Realism in Ciénaga

Today we move around town by typical bicitaxis, bicycle cabs. First stop is the Cementerio de los Ricos (cemetery of the rich), where we learn about famous local people and get first insights into Magic Realism. Afterwards we visit the monument of the massacre of the banana plantations and various buildings of importance for the history of the city. At each stop we learn a little more about the culture, history and development of the town, until we finally have the opportunity to experience all of this up close during a folkloric interlude. 

2. Half day Tour to the Village on Stilts, Nueva Venecia:

Early in the morning we are transferred to Ciénaga's jetty, from where we cross the wetlands of the seemingly endless Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta by speedboat. After about 1.5 h ride through breathtaking landscapes, we reach the village of Nueva Venecia, which is enthroned on stilts in the middle of the wetlands. Once there, we try our luck at fishing, together with the local fishermen, which is not that easy on a simple wooden canoe and with a casting net...Afterwards we take a tour through the village, passing the painter's "workshop", the bakery and the community areas. Life on the water is definitely different from life on land and we let ourselves be enchanted by the stories, experiences and performances of this charming little village with its warm inhabitants before we return to the starting point of our trip by boat and car in the afternoon. 

For further information, please get in touch with your local travel agent.