If  you will vacation in Colombia, you must visit to  Santa Cruz de Mompox, is a town and municipality in northern Colombia, in the Bolivar Department, which has preserved its colonial character. Located on an island in the Magdalena River where it joins the Cauca, 249 kilometers from Cartagena. Mompox depends upon tourism, fishing and some commerce generated by the local cattle raising. It has about 30,000 inhabitants, and is adjacent to the municipalities of Pinillos and San Ferna.

History

Mampo (or Mompoj) was the local indigenous chieftain of the Quimbaya civilization (or Kimbaya) people when the Spanish arrived, and Mompox means “land of the ruler Mampo”. The city was founded on May 3, 1537 by Don Alonso de Heredia as a safe port on the Magdalena. Santa Cruz de Mompox became quite prosperous as a port for the transportation of goods upriver into the interior. A royal mint was established here and the town was famous for its goldsmiths. This prosperity had begun to wane in the Nineteenth Century, but continued until early in the Twentieth Century when the river shifted and sediment accumulated on this arm of the river. At which point Magangue became the favored port.

Buildings and Architecture

Santa Cruz de Mompox is known for the preservation of its colonial architectural features, as expressed by the mixture of its Spanish and Indian styles. UNESCO named the historic center of Mompox as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Today, most of the colonial buildings are still used for their original purposes, which provides an excellent example of a Spanish colonial city. Of particular note is the wrought iron work decorating doors, railings and window grills along the streets, notably on Calle de la Albarrada, Calle Real del Medio and Calle de Atras. Notable churches include Santa Bárbara (built 1613), San Agustín (built 1606), San Juan de Dios and Immaculate Conception.