ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LINA DE LA ROSA
Lina is an experienced traveler with a passion for her native Cartagena, as well as the entire Great Caribbean region and Colombia in general.
As a Colombian born and raised on the Northern Caribbean Coast, living and traveling around this territory feels like being immersed in the pages of a Magic Realism story. When I started to delve into Gabriel García Márquez's literature, his books somehow brought back memories of my childhood and the time spent with my grandparents in the village during holidays. Their way of life and the stories of my relatives in the countryside were not so far from the pages of those books. Now, as an adult, I can understand what Magic Realism means because what I experienced in my earliest years makes me realize that Colombians live stories unimaginable to others.
This trip was about discovering authentic, off-the-beaten-path destinations in Colombia, which could well seem like fiction but are more alive and present than ever.
I couldn't describe my journey without this insight, as it was my first impression upon arriving in Buenavista and Nueva Venecia. Our journey started at 7:00 AM, an hour from Santa Marta, specifically in Puebloviejo. During a two-hour boat ride through the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, we saw a few fishermen along the way, who kept the traditional way of fishing: they were there from sunrise in small canoes with their nets and traps trying to catch fish and crabs.
At the time, I marveled at how colossal the wetlands were. For a while, we saw nothing but water around us, and then suddenly, the palafitos—stilt houses—appeared. These colorful houses looked like a huge aquarelle painting on the horizon and left me speechless.
We disembarked in Buenavista, near a wooden bridge, and walked to the church and the elementary school. Our guide, Saray, told us the history of the community: how it was created, how it was touched by the conflict—like every part of Colombia—and how life is nowadays. The community was established by fishermen who took advantage of the abundance of fish. As an outsider, I would say they created their village in the middle of nowhere, but thinking deeply, they had all the essentials: water, food, and peace, and they built their homes according to their necessities. Nowadays, their main economic activity is still fishing, and tourism is slowly gaining a foothold.
After visiting Buenavista, we took the boat to Nueva Venecia. Before arriving, we stopped at El Mirador, a lookout where locals performed traditional dances for tourists. The view from the top was beautiful. Our last stop was at a local house where we enjoyed a delicious typical lunch that included fish, rice, plantains, and agua de panela—a sugar cane drink.
During lunch on the terrace, sitting at a table in a floating house, I was impressed by children ten years old or younger walking easily through the canoes and even some riding with their families. I thought, “People here learn to swim before walking or at least at the same time." Another lasting image was how people needed a canoe to visit their neighbors—it was surreal. Our lunch was also enlivened with music from the neighbors, because if you don’t know, music is always an important and essential part of Colombian culture.
We started our way back around 11:30 AM, and during the journey, I reflected on how Colombia always surprises me with its authenticity, landscapes, and unique beauty. If you are looking for an authentic experience and want to get a taste of local life, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the stilt villages of Colombia, like Nueva Venecia and Buenavista. It’s another way to connect with people and discover this amazing country.
If you would like to visit the Palafito Villages of the Great Wetlands of Santa Marta send us a message over WhatsApp or an email to info@impulsetravel.co
This trip was about discovering authentic, off-the-beaten-path destinations in Colombia, which could well seem like fiction but are more alive and present than ever.
I couldn't describe my journey without this insight, as it was my first impression upon arriving in Buenavista and Nueva Venecia. Our journey started at 7:00 AM, an hour from Santa Marta, specifically in Puebloviejo. During a two-hour boat ride through the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, we saw a few fishermen along the way, who kept the traditional way of fishing: they were there from sunrise in small canoes with their nets and traps trying to catch fish and crabs.
At the time, I marveled at how colossal the wetlands were. For a while, we saw nothing but water around us, and then suddenly, the palafitos—stilt houses—appeared. These colorful houses looked like a huge aquarelle painting on the horizon and left me speechless.
We disembarked in Buenavista, near a wooden bridge, and walked to the church and the elementary school. Our guide, Saray, told us the history of the community: how it was created, how it was touched by the conflict—like every part of Colombia—and how life is nowadays. The community was established by fishermen who took advantage of the abundance of fish. As an outsider, I would say they created their village in the middle of nowhere, but thinking deeply, they had all the essentials: water, food, and peace, and they built their homes according to their necessities. Nowadays, their main economic activity is still fishing, and tourism is slowly gaining a foothold.
After visiting Buenavista, we took the boat to Nueva Venecia. Before arriving, we stopped at El Mirador, a lookout where locals performed traditional dances for tourists. The view from the top was beautiful. Our last stop was at a local house where we enjoyed a delicious typical lunch that included fish, rice, plantains, and agua de panela—a sugar cane drink.
During lunch on the terrace, sitting at a table in a floating house, I was impressed by children ten years old or younger walking easily through the canoes and even some riding with their families. I thought, “People here learn to swim before walking or at least at the same time." Another lasting image was how people needed a canoe to visit their neighbors—it was surreal. Our lunch was also enlivened with music from the neighbors, because if you don’t know, music is always an important and essential part of Colombian culture.
We started our way back around 11:30 AM, and during the journey, I reflected on how Colombia always surprises me with its authenticity, landscapes, and unique beauty. If you are looking for an authentic experience and want to get a taste of local life, don’t miss the opportunity to visit the stilt villages of Colombia, like Nueva Venecia and Buenavista. It’s another way to connect with people and discover this amazing country.
If you would like to visit the Palafito Villages of the Great Wetlands of Santa Marta send us a message over WhatsApp or an email to info@impulsetravel.co
