A journey to Mompox is a journey back in time, everything is preserved as it was hundreds of years ago. The town boasts splendid churches and lets you relive the colonial era as many colonial houses with vast spaces and majestic courtyards are now hotels. Mompox is located on the Magdalena River’s alluvial deposits.
Located approximately 5 to 6 hours from Cartagena. The first 4 hours are by private transportation to the town of Magangué from where you will take a ferry to Mompox across the Río Magdalena. Life in this charming town is very much focussed around the river and on its banks it is common to meet friends for a beer after work.
The heart of Mompox is Calle Real del Medio which is home to the town’s most beautiful manor houses from the colonial period. Also here you will discover the towns most beautiful churches such as the San Agustín church and the San Francisco church.
Mompox is world famous for its intricately crafted gold jewellery, there are numerous workshops where the jewellery is still made to this day in time honoured fashion with the original tools. A visit to the workshops make for an interesting day out.
Mompox is flat and lies at 25m below sea level, its swamps and islands provide the perfect habitat for a diverse population, caimans and capybaras. We will gladly organise a boat trip to explore this fascinating landscape.
We’d recommend one or two nights in Mompox. It works particularly well as an overland journey from Cartagena, with an early morning departure arriving in Mompox during the afternoon.
There are now also direct flights between Mompox and Medellín, which means that Mompox can fit logically between Medellín and Cartagena in a wider Colombian itinerary.
Important
- The heat in Mompox can be overbearing because of its location. Be sure to wear head protection and drink plenty of water.
Programme
Depending on how Mompox fits into your wider itinerary, we would normally recommend one or two full days in town. For a first visit, we particularly recommend combining our Mompox walking tour with a boat excursion to the Ciénaga de Pijiño. Together they give you two very different perspectives on the destination: the history and architecture of the colonial town, and the rivers and wetlands of the surrounding Depresión Momposina.
Mompox is compact and wonderfully easy to explore on foot, but its importance is not always obvious simply from wandering its streets. A guided walking tour adds the historical context behind its churches, plazas, riverfront and distinctive colonial architecture, while still leaving plenty of time to enjoy the town independently.
The Ciénaga de Pijiño excursion takes you out onto the Magdalena river system and into the wetlands beyond the town, with excellent opportunities to observe birdlife and experience an entirely different side of the region. With one full day in Mompox, a walking tour and a late-afternoon wetlands excursion fit together particularly well.
Mompox also offers some wonderful accommodation in restored colonial houses, ranging from simple and characterful to considerably more luxurious. We can recommend hotels to suit both your travelling style and your budget.
