Cienaga

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Founded in the 16th century, Cienaga was Colombia’s largest port in the 19th century, and one of the country’s main banana producers. In fact, the yellow fruits were so important here that the government sent in the military and massacred striking workers of the United Fruit Company. It was Cienaga’s banana industry that inspired Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ in 100 Years of Solitude and The Leaf Storm. The city’s rich past endowed it with a wealth of colonial and belle poque bananera monuments. The Logia Masónica mansion is the finest in the city, while the ruined Casa del Diablo attracts visitors because of the supernatural stories surrounding it. The Templete, San Juan Bautista Church, and the Old Railway station are also worth seeking out for their banana-fueled beauty. Nature lovers will want to take time to visit the Ciénaga Grande of Santa Marta, a Colombian Biosphere Reserves where villages are built on stilts over the water.