MORROA — SAMPUÉS — TOLÚ

We begin the route in a picturesque village of hammock weavers. If you arrive at Las Brujas Airport in Corozal it’ll take you 15 minutes (4.6 km) to arrive in Morroa. Monuments like La Devanadora sitting on her stool and El Pitero Pablo Domínguez, which celebrate thread weaving and the pito atravesao, a cane flute played like a transverse flute, will welcome you. You’ll understand why this is a land of weavers, as it’s customary for the people of Morroa to sit on their terraces and practice their craft. We invite you to meet Minelva Corena and Argemiro Corrales, who will show you every step of the weaving process, from winding the thread to weaving the fabric. With Argemiro, you’ll also learn about his marvelous work with natural dyes. Climb the dome of the San Blas church for a view of the undulating terrain of the Montes de María and try the pasteles de la sabana from the Piña sisters by the road, which, as the story goes, were a must-stop for Diomedes Díaz. You cannot leave without trying an amasijo with pava de ají dressing.

Sampués, an old Zenú indigenous reservation, is 26 kilometers away from Morroa. We recommend you to have a Sucre-style barbecue or a sancocho for lunch at the restaurant La Becerra. For dessert, head to the park and try the Helados Coquitos. In Sampués, visit Élida Polo and her son Víctor Otero, who will show you everything that can be crafted with the caña flecha braids used to weave the traditional sombrero vueltiao. Eleven kilometers from the town is the indigenous community of Huertas Chica, where the Zenú Ecotourism Park was inaugurated. This place allows you to learn more about their culture and history while enjoying nature by a beautiful lagoon.

Before heading to Tolú, which is 53 kilometers away and where we recommend you to spend the night, enjoy the typical bollos casaos and ask for a taste of the corn chicha distilled in the process.

COLOSÓ — SINCELEJO

We return from the sea to the Montes de María to visit Colosó, 65 kilometers away from San Onofre. This town seems like something out of a fairy tale. Among its colonial architecture and wooden structures, the Church of San Miguel Arcángel, the Public Library, and the House of Culture stand out. Near the town, you can refresh yourself in the clear and fresh waters of Salto del Sereno or Pozo de Arizal, where iraca palms grow wild on its banks, a plant used by the artisans of Martha Borja’s workshop in Colosó. This kind and ingenious woman leads a group of over 20 weavers who use the iraca coils technique, which was invented right here. Depicted in their baskets, you can see the rich surrounding nature, the fruits from their garden, and the visiting birds.

We finish the route 34.6 kilometers away in the capital, Sincelejo, famous for its bull festivals held in January. You’ve likely heard the porro music Fiesta en Corralejas, which has been playing since 1969 and still sets the tone for Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. If so, when you visit Plaza Majagual, a daily meeting point for the people of Sincelejo, ask for Rubén Darío Salcedo, its composer, who usually spends the afternoon there. Next to the square is the Finzenú Museum, where you can learn more about their history and cultural legacy. Then, walk to Parque Santander, where the Departmental Band performs porros from the savannah every Wednesday. Visit the impressive Cathedral of San Francisco de Asís and the Olaya Herrera Plaza. Before saying goodbye, we recommend having lunch at Gastrolab, very close to Plaza Majagual, and trying their unique twists on typical regional ingredients. Alternatively, try María Bonita in the city center to enjoy a hearty mote de queso or sancocho that will certainly leave you pleased and eager to return.