Barranquilla is known as Colombia’s Golden Gate due to its importance as the largest industrial modern city and seaport of the Colombian Caribbean. In the XIX century Barranquilla was Colombia’s main seaport, and by the mid-XX century it quickly became Colombia’s fastest growing and most cosmopolitan city, welcoming immigrants from all over the world, especially from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Its people are well-known for their wit, friendliness, and unique idiosyncrasy.
It is strategically located nearby the Caribbean Sea on the west bank of the Magdalena River delta. Barranquilla hosts the Historic Centre with its ‘Paseo de Bolívar’ ,Bolivar’s Path; buildings and structures from the Republican period of immense historical value; and the neighborhood El Prado with its neo-classical architectural buildings, including the famous Hotel El Prado. Among its modern landmarks, La Ventana al Mundo, a colorful contemporary monument, has become one of the city’s most recognized icons, while the Malecón, stretching along the Magdalena River, offers a vibrant cultural and recreational space for both locals and visitors. Nearby Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla Zoo is a wildlife sanctuary of Colombian fauna, and the beautiful Santa Veronica white-sand beach and Puerto Velero with its ‘Sombrero Vueltiao’ Restaurant emulating this traditional Colombian lapped hat.
The city is most famous for its world-renowned Carnival, held annually preceding Ash Wednesday. It is one of the main festivals in Colombia and the second largest Carnival in Latin America, second only to that of Rio de Janeiro. The streets are transformed into a mainstream of popular dancing (Cumbiamba) characters with Joselito Carnival as its main figure; the Dancing Schools, El Diablo (The Devil), the popular ‘Marimondas,’ and many others, united in celebration from a shared yet diverse heritage. It was declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
