Santa Cruz de Mompox

Mompox was founded in 1537 on a branch of the Magdalena and grew rich as a river port. When this branch silted and traffic moved to the arm of the river past Magangué in the early twentieth century, the town stopped growing, which is the whole reason it still looks as it does: long low whitewashed houses with iron grilles and heavy doors, stone embankments and steps down to the water where boats once tied up. Silversmiths still draw and coil filigree wire in street-front workshops. The church of Santa Barbara, with its octagonal tower and encircling balcony, is the building everyone photographs. Heat and mosquitoes are constant.

History

The name means land of Mampo, the chieftain of the people living here when the Spanish arrived, and the town was founded on 3 May 1537 by Alonso de Heredia, brother of Pedro de Heredia, as a safe port on the Magdalena; it prospered on river trade into the interior, had a royal mint and was known for its goldsmiths. On 6 August 1810 it was the first town in Colombia to declare independence from Spain, under the motto Ser libres o morir, and in 1812 Simón Bolívar recruited 400 men here for his Admirable Campaign. Its role as a river port dwindled in the early 20th century as sediment built up and boats took the branch past Magangué instead; the 1987 film of Chronicle of a Death Foretold was partly shot here, and the historic centre became a World Heritage Site in 1995 (Wikipedia, Santa Cruz de Mompox).

What's there

• Iglesia de Santa Barbara - the octagonal tower with its balcony, above the river.
• The albarradas - stone walls and steps along the waterfront.
• Filigree workshops - silversmiths coiling wire by hand in open shopfronts.
• The cemetery - whitewashed tiers of burial niches at the edge of town.

When to go

December to March is the dry season and the practical time to come. Holy Week is the town's great week, with processions that run for hours, and rooms are taken months in advance. Whatever the season, the heat rules the day: mornings and evenings are for walking, the middle of the day is not. River levels in the wet months change which boat routes work.

Good to know

Reaching Mompox is a long day whichever way you come, and the final stretch may involve rough road or a ferry. It is genuinely hot and humid, and mosquitoes arrive at dusk. Beyond walking, eating and watching the river there is little to do, and two days is plenty for most. Some churches open only for mass, and power cuts are not unusual.

Nearby

Magangue is the river connection point; the Caribbean coast is a long drive north.

Key facts