The Caribbean region of Colombia, especially Cartagena, is a place where the legacy of Africa remains present in everyday life. From traditional recipes to deeply rooted musical traditions. This city, shaped by a complex history of resistance and cultural exchange, invites travelers to explore a rich landscape of music and cuisine that celebrates its Afro-Colombian roots.
Sweets with African heritage
The palenqueras, Afro-Colombian women from San Basilio de Palenque, have preserved a unique culinary tradition through generations. In this historic town, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2005, women still make sweets like cocadas using coconut, papaya, and soursop, following recipes passed down for over 400 years.
Carrying metal bowls “poncheras” on their heads and offering sweets with a song and a smile, the palenqueras share not only food but knowledge and cultural pride. This legacy is part of their identity and a source of economic independence. Women like Emilia Reyes, a singer and candy maker, and her daughter Brenda Janeth Torres have kept this tradition alive in Palenque and nearby towns like Turbaco and Cartagena.
Bazurto Market: A hub of local food culture
Bazurto Market, located just outside Cartagena’s historic center, is where Afro-Colombian culture and Caribbean cuisine come together. It’s a working-class market where ingredients are fresh, meals are made on the spot, and the sounds of conversation and music fill every aisle.
Vendors offer fish, shellfish, tropical fruits, and spices in a space that’s lively, complex, and deeply tied to the city’s rhythm. One of the market’s signature dishes is seafood rice with lobster, it captures the essence of Cartagena’s coastal food.
Chef Anthony Bourdain once visited this market and praised its authenticity, calling it a key to understanding the soul of the city. Bazurto is a place where creativity and survival go hand in hand. Here, Afro-Colombian heritage is part of everyday life. From the way people cook to how they speak, share, and move through the world.
Ancestral rhythms that tell stories
Like the food, the music in Cartagena is shaped by centuries of African influence. Genres such as champeta, mapalé, bullerengue, and cumbia are living traditions born from a history of displacement and resistance.
Champeta, developed in Cartagena’s working-class neighborhoods, blends Afrobeat and Congolese soukous with local styles. Its lyrics speak to everyday life, struggle, and joy. Turning music into a tool of self-expression and pride. Mapalé and bullerengue are rooted in African ceremonial and communal traditions, often danced and sung in collective spaces, honoring freedom and memory.
The picós, massive sound systems found in neighborhoods and street parties. Have been essential in spreading these sounds. More than speakers, they’re cultural landmarks where generations have gathered to listen, dance, and celebrate.
San Basilio de Palenque, beyond its culinary traditions, is also a major center for music. Its influence is deeply felt across the region’s soundscape. Just as the palenqueras protect culinary memory, the music passed through these communities continues to shape Cartagena’s identity.
Get to know the real cartagena
Cartagena is more than colonial walls and postcard-perfect plazas. To truly know the city, you have to step into its neighborhoods, talk with its people, hear their rhythms, and share in their meals. Come with us to explore Cartagena and San Basilio de Palenque. Discover the deep roots of its music, its cuisine, and the Afro-Colombian essence that brings it all to life.
Travel beyond the tourist path and connect with the Afro-Colombian communities who keep Cartagena’s music and flavors alive. Join our Cartagena Weekend Music Tour, or go even deeper with the Colombia Music Tour. A journey through the rhythms, flavors, and soul of Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
