Caribbean History On The Colombian Coast, Wars, Gold and Pirates.Caribbean History Explorers and discoverers of the Caribbean region
Cartagena (Cartagena de Indias) is a city of fantastic history and colonial architecture dating back to the 1600's, this city seems to be at the top of everybody's list as a destination, great food, beaches, it really has it all. If you fly in to the airport you are already downtown so it's a great place to plan as your arrival city. The city was founded in 1533 This is where the gold was stored that came up from Peru, transported across Panama then loaded on a ship for Cartagena, also for any goods that came from Spain. Forts around Cartagena
Barranquilla (barranca meaning bluff, barranquilla meaning little bluff) is the second industrial city of Colombia after Medellin and the fourth largest in the country after Bogota, Medellin and Cali. Situated right on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of the Rio Magdalena it is also a coastal shipping port. The city had no gold or mining so eventually developed, due to it's proximity to the Rio Magdalena into a trading and transportation hub.The first airport built in South America (1919) along with the worlds second oldest airline (SCADTA, now called Avianca). The airport in Barranquilla (Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, code BAQ) is very modern, has bookstores, ATM's, good food and coffee. I have taken flights out of this airport many times and it is always a good experience, as usual, the people who work at the airport at the counters and security are always helpful and very polite and most of the people that I have dealt with can speak english. Santa Marta is a Caribbean port city on the northern coast of South America located in Colombia, one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in the world. This is the first settlement in Colombia and is full of caribbean history. The founder Rodrigo de Bastides, chose the locaton for its fine harbour and proximity to the largest river in Colombia, the Rio Magdelena that flows into the interior of the country up the Magdalena Valley. The city over time lost it's importance to Cartagena probably in part because it did not have the fortifications for defence that were built for Cartagena making Santa Marta vulnerable for attack.Santa Marta has been a major exporter of bananas which are grown locally and coal now the no. 2 export after oil. Rio Hacha is a port on the Rio Cesar, located approximately 160 km from Santa Marta. Founded in 1545 by Nicolas Federmann. Pearls from the nearby oster beds made Rio Hacha a tempting target for pirates.
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