Monteria: a Tropical City and Gateway to the Caribbean
Cities
4 min.
Monteria is a pleasant tropical city situated on the Sinu River not far from Colombia's southern Caribbean coast. The city of 400,000 is off the tourist circuit and relatively unknown to foreign tourists. Considered one of the 10 most important cities in the nation, those who visit will be pleasantly surprised.
There is a major domestic airport in town making it a convenient stop if one is enroute to Capurgana, Arboletes or any of the beaches south of Cartagena.
The capital of the Cordoba region, Monteria was founded in 1777 and made its riches cattle farming. The region's inhabitants are descendants of Zenus, indigenous of the area, Africans and Spaniards.
The Malecon or boardwalk along the Sinu River
Planchones crossing the Sinu River
Monteria is a hot, steamy city on the Sinu River. There is a long park running alongside the river, the heart of the city center, called Sinu park. Take a morning walk through the park and along the river. The park is dense with trees, tropical vegetation and teaming with large iguanas, monkeys and sloths.
At several points along the park there are 'planchones' or passenger boats taking locals from one side of the Sinu river to the other. The flat bottom boats are pulled across the river by a rope stretching from one river bank to the other. They say you can't come to visit Monteria and not take a sunset ride on a planchone.
Folkloristic status on the boardwalk
The boardwalk in Monteria
Strolling north through the park and along the river, you come to the Muelle Turistico, or tourist docks, where boats from villages along the Sinu river still dock while on business in the capital city. The city's big market, Mercado de los cuatro patios, is just across the street.
A few blocks in from the river lies the main park, Parque Simon Bolivar, and nearby the cathdral of San Jeronimo. The streets are lined with shops and full of people during the day. But towards night the city center empties out early. Most of the people go to the fringes of the city where most of the city's residents live.
Cathdral of San Jeronimo
Selling herbal medicines in the town square
As in most of Colombia, the people are leaving the city centers and moving to the outer suburbs where life is more modern with apartment towers, shopping centers and abundant night life.
If it's night life you're looking for, take a taxi to the zona rosa. It's a 10 minute taxi ride north, up the river, around Park Los Laureles. A wealthy area of Monteria, the zona rosa is flush with new restaurants, bars, shopping centers, theaters, upscale shops and discos. Grab a steak dinner at one of the restaurants. Still heart of one of Colombia's cattle regions, the meat here is top of the line. And being so close to the sea there's also a good selection of fresh seafood.
Monteria is definitely off the tourist path. A hot, steamy river town near the sea this city has a personality all its own.
Jon McInnes is a journalist who has been traveling to Colombia since 1972. He travels to Colombia and other parts of South America yearly and writes for newspapers, food, wine and travel publications. He currently lives between Colombia and Detroit. You can also follow him on facebook and contact him via email at: jonmcinnesjon@gmail.com
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