Cartagena: the fascinating history of San Basilio de Palenque 1d

Where : Cartagena

Tomplanmytrip connects you with this local expert to organize your visit to San Basilio de Palenque.

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1 Day

French, Spanish, English

Deposit required. Free cancellation up to 72 hours before the visit.

With us, no overpay!

A piece of Africa in the heart of the Caribbean.

Imagine slaves escaping, founding a village, resisting the Spanish, and preserving their customs.

San Basilio de Palenque offers a remarkable opportunity to discover an oral culture inscribed in the World Heritage. Founded by escaped slaves, the village resisted Spanish colonizers and built a solid, united community based on its own organization, beliefs, and cultural practices rooted in African heritage. Their strong culture and traditions continue to thrive today.

Roadmap

1 Day

8.00am Departure from Cartagena to San Basilio de Palenque
3.00pm Back to Cartagena

What to expect

Many cultural aspects

After a 1-hour trip, you arrive in San Basilio de Palenque. Your local guide, a village inhabitant, awaits you to introduce you to the unique and distinctive world in which the people of Palenque live.

Immerse yourself in the history of the first free town in the Americas, discover Palenquero, a unique language invented by the slaves, Afro music and rhythms, traditional medicine, community organization, the famous Palenqueras, and much more.

Taste one of the city's flagship dishes and explore its many local treats to end the tour on a high note.

Must know

How to contact this expert

Click on the "contact this expert" button and complete our online form (1min).
Tomplanmytrip will receive your answers and create a WhatsApp group to put you in touch with the agency.
Once the group has been created, you can chat freely with the agency to get all the answers you need.
Then it's up to you to decide whether or not to book your experience.

Important information

Prices displayed are for up to 4 people. As the number of participants increases, the price per person decreases.
Rates are lower if you opt for the tour in Spanish.
Reserve 2-3 days in advance to ensure availability.
San Basilio de Palenque can be very hot, so remember to bring sun protection and refreshments.
The price includes a French-speaking translator.
The village tour is conducted by a local guide who lives in the village.

What's included

French-speaking translator.
Private transport to San Basilio de Palenque (1-hour trip each way).
Welcome cocktail.
Exploration of the ancestral Afro-Colombian Palenquera culture.
Village tour with a local Palenquero guide.
Workshop to learn the basics of Palenquero language.
Traditional lunch at a local's home.
Interaction with the inhabitants.

Options to confirm with your expert

Prices:

Prices are subject to chosen options, number of people, and currency exchange fluctuations.
Prices are lower if you speak Spanish and do not require a translator.
Displayed prices are indicative and should be confirmed with your expert.

Choose between a private or shared tour:

Prices on the page correspond to a private tour.
Shared tour: The agency may try to add you to a group to reduce costs. Depending on availability and the number of travelers, you may be able to join one.

Extras:

Afro-Palenqueros dance and rhythm show: 250,000 COP.
Observation of the traditional sweets manufacturing process in Palenque: 100,000 COP.
Afro hairstyles workshop to understand their importance, significance, and creation in Palenquera culture: 100,000 COP.
Percussion workshop to discover the techniques of making Palenquera musical instruments: 150,000 COP.
Palenquera boxing class at the Antonio Cervantes Reyes gym: 120,000 COP.
Pilanderas activity to prepare cereals and grains such as corn and rice: 100,000 COP.

Our review

Why choose this option:

Discover the incredible history of the first free village in the Americas.
Experience a rich cultural immersion in a village that has preserved its African roots over the years, even to this day.
Share with the village inhabitants.
Explore a unique language and understand the current functioning of the village and its cultural heritage.

What may disappoint:

It gets very hot, and there's no air conditioning.

Why this expert?

See his profile

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Cartagena: the fascinating history of San Basilio de Palenque 1d

Tomplanmytrip connects you with this local expert to organize your visit to San Basilio de Palenque.

A piece of Africa in the heart of the Caribbean.

Imagine slaves escaping, founding a village, resisting the Spanish, and preserving their customs.

Roadmap

What to expect

Must know