A LUXURY VACATION TO MOMPOX
“Mompox doesn’t exist. Sometimes we dream about her, but she doesn’t exist”, wrote Gabriel García Márquez of this remote, laid-back town on the banks of the Rio Magdalena.
Founded in 1537, Mompox prospered as a port for the transportation of goods upriver into the interior. A royal mint was established and the town became famous for its goldsmiths.
Today, crowds flock to the international jazz festival, held in October each year. For the rest of the year, Mompox’s remote location keeps visitor numbers low. The few who do make the pilgrimage (usually from Cartagena or Santa Marta) enjoy strolling the colourful streets, motorboat trips up the Magdalena (the birding here is fabulous), and classes in filigree jewellery-making.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN MOMPOX
It takes around 10 hours to reach Mompox from Bogota, ending with a somewhat temperamental river crossing. You would be hard pressed to find many cities more remote.
In this long-forgotten city, ancient trades are once again flourishing as it is rediscovered by visitors. Fine jewellery making and other artisanal work continue in the traditional styles of the Magdalena valley.
Thanks to its year-round high temperatures, the city moves at a somewhat lethargic pace, with the city only really picking up the pace during April for Holy Week. The heat, however, does allow for an awesome array of flora and fauna to flourish.
There is no better place to get lost in history.
ELSEWHERE IN COLOMBIA
Having visited the spiritual home of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s works, head to Cartagena, the city in which he set several of his novels.
Many of the delights of Colombia are found off the beaten track. Take in the Marquezian charm of Mompox, the biodiversity of the Amazon, the wild beauty of El Chocó, the quaint cobbles of Barichara, or the vast wetlands of Los Llanos.
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Conde Nast Traveler Specialists every year since 2017
