10 reasons to visit Usiacurí
10. Location, location, location
At about an hour from Barranquilla and two hours from Cartagena, Usiacurí is an easy enough distance for a day trip. There’s plenty to see and do so staying the night is a great idea. An idyllic eco-hotel with private cabañas run entirely by solar power is currently under construction. In the meantime, visitors can arrange lodging at the Punto de Información Turístico (located next to the Alcaldía across from the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán) where members of the tourism association can connect you to one of the local families that host guests in their homes.
9. Musa Tejedora
The Musa Tejedora, a monumental stainless-steel sculpture of a spider with its legs forming the shape of a heart, welcomes you to Usiacurí. Created by Barranquilla-based artist Gino Marquez and installed in May 2010, the piece pays homage both to the Julio Flórez poem La Araña and to the tradition of weaving palma de iraca for which Usiacurí is famous.
8. Mirador Cristo Rey
Rising up from Usiacurí’s main cancha (soccer field), the Mirador Cristo Rey is a steep hill topped by a statue of Christ with his arms outstretched. From the top of the hill, you get a panoramic view of the town including the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
7. Sendero de los pozos
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, tourists flocked to Usiacurí to bathe in its mineral water wells (pozos) to cure a variety of ailments. A new well was built in Usiacurí in the 1960s to provide residents with potable drinking water. As an unfortunate and unforeseen consequence, the new well caused the prized mineral wells (eighteen in all) to dry up. Now the old wells are in the process of being restored, and you can still enjoy the sendero de los pozos, a path that leads through lush forests past several of the old wells.
6. Carrizal sunsets
The sendero de los pozos leads up to Carrizal, a tranquil residential neighborhood with spectacular views. You can also get there via a road that goes from the center of town and which was recently constructed by residents of Carrizal through a local government program called Mi Calle Mi Gente, by which residents are provided with training and materials to construct a road in their community. The best time to visit Carrizal is late afternoon so that you can watch the sun set over the verdant hills of Atlántico.
5. Casa-museo Julio Flórez
One of the tourists that came to Usiacurí in the early 20th century for the mineral wells was the Colombian poet Julio Flórez. He ended up falling in love with a Usiacureña so he stayed, got married, had five kids and continued to write poetry in Usiacurí until his death in 1923. His former residence has been transformed into a museum with beautiful gardens and is definitely worth a visit.
4. Iglesia Santo Domingo de Guzmán
The local Catholic church is the center of pretty much any Colombian pueblo, and Usiacurí is no exception. The church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán is situated on the highest hill in town and surrounded by elegant landscaping. Named after the Spanish preacher who founded the Dominican order, the current church was completed in 1925 although earlier versions date back to 1540, soon after the Spanish arrived and founded a settlement in Usiacurí on lands that were previously occupied by the Mokaná indigenous group.
3. Luriza
Luriza is a nature reserve located about 15 minutes in motocarro from the center of Usiacurí. Home to hollower monkeys, boa constrictors, and various species of birds, Luriza’s bosque seco tropical (dry rain forest) is a great place for a hike.
2. Artesanía
Regionally, Usiacurí is best known for its artesanía. For generations, Usiacureño artisans have woven palma de iraca, a straw-like material, into baskets, handbags, hats, earrings, placemats and other decorative objects. As you walk around town, it’s common to see women sitting on their front porches weaving or selling their latest creations. For a high-quality, one-of-a-kind, handmade piece, the prices are very reasonable, and buying in Usiacurí ensures that the money goes directly to the artisan.
1. Usiacureños
The best part of Usiacurí is, of course, the Usiacureños themselves who are very proud of their municipio. They are very welcoming to tourists and aware of the benefits of tourism for their community. This year, as a result of a lot of hard work by various community leaders, Usiacurí was certified by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism as a sustainable tourism destination, a great honor which the community is dedicated to maintaining.
It’s an exciting time to be in Usiacurí. With the sustainable tourism destination certification and the creation of a local tourism association, hopefully more tourists both national and international will visit Usiacurí and see for themselves all that it has to offer. As for me, I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to spend two years here.
