Mariquita
A hot Tolima town where the Royal Botanical Expedition was based for years, and where mangoes are the local crop and the local festival.
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Jose Celestino Mutis moved the Royal Botanical Expedition of New Granada here in 1783 and worked in the town for about eighteen years, 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 you actually see
- 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.
Honest expectations
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.
What to pack for Mariquita
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.