New tour in Santa Marta: Cultural exchange in the Arhuaco village Katanzama
In December, Christopher was at the Caribbean coast for a live, close-up look at an exciting new tour. It is about an intensive exchange with the Arhuaco culture, an indigenous tribe living on the northern slopes of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain range in the world.
The tour is easy to do from Santa Marta or Palomino. The tour takes about 7-8 hours.
Tour description:
The indigenous Arhuaco, who are said to be the direct descendants of the ancient Tayrona civilization, inhabit the valleys of the Palomino, Don Diego, San Miguel and Ancho Rivers. Their population is estimated to be more than 10,000 members and all of them live in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Our so-called “Elder Brothers" take care of the natural treasure of the Sierra, a mountain that in their culture represents the center of the world and source of all life. Even today they naturally take the role of guardians of cosmic balance and are considered one of the most valuable ancestral cultures on the planet.
From the city of Santa Marta we drive along the stunning coastal road to the town of Perico Aguao, Magdalena (70km, 1.5 hours). Here we are welcomed by a community guide and after a brief introduction we start a walk (2.5 km, about 45 minutes) through the tropical forest to the indigenous village Katanzama, located in a magical place on the seashore. The community's indigenous leader will give us a tour around the houses and community buildings, explaining the traditional cooking and the culture of the Arhuacos, and from there we continue to the plantations to learn about their farming and working materials. Afterwards we gather around a tree in a sacred place, where we have the opportunity to chat with a Mamo - a spiritual leader of the community. After a short visit to the school, we head to the beach to enjoy a delicious picnic, during which those who wish to can learn how to knit the traditional mochilas (traditional shoulder bags). To complete our tour we visit the community plantation and sow, along with the locals, a tree native to the region, as a footprint that you leave as a visitor of honor.
My personal conclusion:
If you actually want to get some insight knowledge about the people living on the American continent before the Spaniards arrived in South America at the beginning of the 16th century, this is the perfect tour for you.
Please feel free to ask Christopher or our Kiubo colleagues directly for more details.
