Ambalema

Tobacco grown on the Magdalena floodplain made Ambalema briefly one of the richest towns in the country in the middle of the nineteenth century, when Colombia's export economy ran on it and European buyers came here directly. The historic centre, a national monument since 1980, is what remains: streets of two-storey buildings with continuous arcades on timber posts, built as warehouses and offices for the trade, using guadua bamboo and timber with clay infill rather than stone, which is the local building method. The boom faded from the late 1850s as the soils tired and other regions took over, and the town declined, which preserved the streets. Bamboo construction is still practised in the region. The Magdalena runs alongside and the town remains a fishing and farming place.

The main sights

• The arcaded centre - streets of trade buildings, a national monument since 1980.
• Guadua bamboo and timber construction - with clay infill, the local method.
• A boom that faded after the 1850s - which preserved the fabric.
• The Magdalena alongside - still fished and farmed.

When to go

December to March. Half a day.

Practical notes

It is very hot on the river. Buildings are in mixed and sometimes poor condition. There is little tourist infrastructure. The town is quiet and off the main routes.

Nearby

Honda is north; Ibague is south-west.

Key facts