Mariquita

Jose Celestino Mutis moved the Royal Botanical Expedition of New Granada here in 1783 and worked in the town for about seven years, until the expedition moved to Bogota in 1790, with a team of illustrators producing thousands of botanical plates of Andean plants that are among the most substantial scientific records made in colonial South America - a large part of the collection ended up in Madrid. The house he used survives as a museum. Mariquita sits low and hot on the western side of the Magdalena valley, and its agriculture is fruit, with mango the dominant crop and a mango festival held in the town. The road west from here is the start of the Alto de Letras climb to Manizales. Nearby are waterfalls and the Medina hot springs.

What to look for

• Mutis's house - base of the Royal Botanical Expedition from 1783.
• The expedition's botanical record - thousands of plates, mostly now in Madrid.
• Mango orchards and a mango festival - the town's agriculture.
• The start of the Letras climb - west towards Manizales.

When to go

December to March; the mango festival is in June. Half a day.

Practical notes

It is very hot and humid. The museum is small and keeps limited hours. Most of the expedition's material is in Spain, not here. The town is quiet outside festival time.

Nearby

Honda is east; the Letras climb starts west.

Key facts