San Basilio de Palenque History Tour

In this experience, you will learn about the history of the first territory in the Americas free of slavery, San Basilio de Palenque, an Afro-Colombian community that, despite the passage of time—more than 400 years of history—still maintains African roots and customs, making this town a historical site of global significance. You will learn about the local culture, gastronomy, musical performances, traditional medicine, and much more, guided by a local expert who will provide you with all the information about Palenque, so that you can learn about our history, which is also your history, and feel like you belong. at home

Itinerary

1. This experience begins with a pick-up from your hotel. Our guide will collect you (if your hotel or address is not on the list, let us know, we can pick you up anywhere in Cartagena) and give you all the details of our experience. After a 1.5-hour drive, we will arrive in Palenque where you will be welcomed with a delicious salad of seasonal fruits from the region. (30 min)
2. We continue with the historical talk of Palenque, from different points of view, there we learn about the struggle that Africans had in America to regain their freedom and the process of formation of what we now call Palenque, from the main square we will begin our tour of the community; the tour can be done on foot or by vehicle according to your preferences. (1h 0min)
3. Monument to Benkos Bioho, founder of Palenque (10 min)
4. In the Palenquero House of Knowledge we'll have the music and dancers presentation, where we will learn about the musical rhythms, traditional dances of Palenque and learn how to play the drums (40 min)
5. At Doña Rupe's house, with Ruperta we will learn about the gastronomy of Palenque, and we will also learn how to prepare one of the ancestral recipes of the community. (30 min)
6. Patio Sikito: In this place, with local doctors (herbalist), we will learn about plant-based medicine, how they faced the Covid pandemic in Palenque, and the importance of ancestral medicine in keeping the community healthy to this day. (30 min)
7. "Kid Pambele" Boxing Gym: Here we learn about Antonio Cervantes Reyes, Colombia's first world boxing champion, and we'll also have a fun boxing class. (30 min)
8. At the Masú Tejedor House Museum, we will explore a traditional house built using the same techniques our ancestors used in the creation of Palenque, and we will also learn about the daily activities that take place there. (40 min)
9. Lunch time (1h 0min) Admission included
10. Time when visitors can shop and support the local economy (20 min)