cartagena
the country excels in many dancing arenas. Directly connected to the rhythms of West Africa, adapted and inspired by enslaved Africans carried to Colombia’s northern and western coasts, displays of mapalé, cumbia, champeta, palenque and bachata are all on show in this city. Get tickets to a show or simply head to Plaza Trinidad after dark, where dance troupes congregate all night long. One of those forms, palenque (a unique
blend of rhythms that mimics champeta, Congolese soukous, and reggae, played with traditional percussion instruments) shares deep roots with Cartagena’s most photographed residents, the palenqueras. Travelers line up to pose with the elaborately dressed women, most often spotted sporting flouncing layered skirts and colorful head wraps topped with bowls of pineapples perched precariously on their heads. Over
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the years, they’ve become a symbol of Cartagena, but their characteristic style of dress, dance and music comes from a town called San Basilio de Palenque, a few hours south of the city. Considered the first free town in the Americas, it was populated by enslaved Africans who escaped from Cartagena’s port, and its residents retain strong ties to West African culture, religion and language. Take the time to chat to one of them — it’ll help you better understand Cartagena’s unique, blended culture. The palenquera look is also a common feature in the street art that lines the colorful streets of Getsemani, a neighborhood situated a short walk away from the old walled city. The area has gained a reputation for its politically charged street art — wander its painted alleys to take in the socio-political, historical and cultural commentary artists have plastered over the walls.
HISTORY For 500 years, Cartagena has changed hands between marauding pirates, European conquistadors and liberating armies. Its thick city walls have survived battles with the British navy and Spanish counter-revolutionary forces — today, they offer travelers a vantage point over the old city and the surrounding sea; head up at sunset to join the locals who gather there each evening. From here, the sun slips over the 16th-century castle that lies just outside the city walls. Passed between privateers over centuries of conflict, the fortress was built by the Spanish to defend one of their most crucial trading ports. Venture inside to explore its complex of tunnels and underground chambers, frequented by generations of defenders. The city’s darker history is also easy to explore: wander the halls of Las Bóvedas,
images: alamy; get ty
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