Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino

Bolivar arrived here on 6 December 1830, forty-seven years old, gravely ill and out of power - the Gran Colombia union he had built was breaking up and he had resigned the presidency intending to leave for Europe. A Spanish supporter, Joaquin de Mier, offered him the hacienda; he died there on 17 December. The estate was a working sugar and rum property and the mill buildings, the distillery and the trapiche survive alongside the house. The room he died in is kept with the bed. Gardens of large samán and ceiba trees surround it, and a monumental Altar de la Patria was added in the twentieth century. His remains were later moved to Caracas.

History

The hacienda was built in 1608 in Mamatoco, today part of the tourist district of Santa Marta, and in Bolívar's time it produced rum, honey and panela. Simón Bolívar died here on 17 December 1830 (Wikipedia, Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino).

What to look for

• The room where Bolivar died - kept with the bed, 17 December 1830.
• A working sugar estate - mill, distillery and trapiche buildings.
• Old samán and ceiba trees - through the gardens.
• A twentieth-century monumental altar - added to the site.

When to go

December to April; 17 December is the anniversary. Two hours.

What to expect

His remains are in Caracas, not here. Labelling is largely in Spanish. Heat and humidity are heavy. The monumental additions sit oddly against the modest house.

Nearby

Santa Marta is west; Tayrona is east along the coast.

Key facts