Santa Cruz De Mompox
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SANTA CRUZ DE MO M P O X
When you arrive into Mompox the slow pace of life is clearly evident. Mompox is
all about slowing down and taking in the sights. Numerous colonial churches,
beautiful streets, an interesting cemetery, and the Magdalena River are the main
attractions. Mompox is not a place for rock and rollers. Taking long strolls down
by the river is as exciting as it gets, but they are fabulous walks. If you're lucky,
you can grab a tour into the swamps and explore waters that go on forever, filled
with wildlife. Mompox was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1995.
HISTORY
Santa Cruz de Mompox or Mompós was founded by the Spaniard Don Alonso de
Heredia, the brother of Cartagena's founder Pedro de Heredia. The city was
founded on May 3, 1537, after hard struggles against indigenous resistance by
the Quimbaya tribe. During the colonial period, the convent of St. Augustine was
founded in Mompox. Mompox's location on the shores of the Magdalena River
helped the city develop into an important commercial center. During the
struggle for independence from Spain, Mompox was used to transport arms and
gunpowder into the country. Mompox was declared a national monument in
1959.
GETTING TO MOMPOX
Mompox is an isolated destination, which takes more than five hours of bus
travel to get to depending on where you're coming from. Traveling to Mompox is
done in different forms from different directions. Please consult this website for
the best explanation.
(www.lacasaamarillamompos.com/english/Transport.html).