Volunteering program at unal: Caribbean Coast of Colombia: Barranquilla

Barranquilla

Barranquilla is located in the north of Colombia. It is the only major city in South America that was populated before its formal foundation. It is called the golden door of Colombia. There are around 2’370,000 inhabitants. It is also the main industrial, shopping, educational and cultural center of the Colombia’s Caribbean Region. The city is the capital of the Metropolitan Area of Barranquilla, which also includes the municipalities of Soledad, Galapa, Malambo, and Puerto Colombia.

The Barranquilla’s geography generally is flat, it has a lot of beaches in the metropolitan area, the most important beaches are Pradomar, Puerto Colombia, Santa Veronica and Puerto Salgar.

The most important river of Barranquilla is the Magdalena’s River,precisely, the ends of Magdalena's River. Barranquilla has a port for river and maritime transportation within Colombia.

Weather

Barranquilla has a tropical savanna weather, it is hot all year with high levels of relative humidity. The temperature is already 30 °C (85 °F), but the thermal sensation is so hot, it’s around 39 °C. The last month of the year, is windy. In October is rainy, when it rains, the city change because the streets become in small rivers and it is very dangerous.

Music
The most important and representative kind of music is the cumbia. Other important musical rhythms are pulled, the jalao, puya, garabato, cumbión, chandé, porro, gaita, bullerengue, merecumbé, vallenato and pajarito. Other traditional dances are Congo, Mapalé, Son de Negro, Diablos, Gusano and Farotas. Also represented is the Marimondas, the Monocucos and the Toritos and those associated with the famous Carnaval de Barranquilla.

Gastronomy

The food of Barranquilla embodies the history of the immigrants who arrived there to fuse knowledge and flavors. The typical food in Barranquilla are the sea and fried food. The typical dish of the city is Chipichipi, it is rice whit fish and Caribañolas (cassava buns). Very characteristic of the local cuisine is a pigeon pea stew with salted meat and the Patacón (fried plantain). The typical juice are Tamarindo, Zapote and Nispero juice.

TURISTIC PLACES

Amira de la Rosa Theater

This forum is located between the areas called El Prado and Abajo del Rio and is where the rich culture of Barranquilla comes from.

Museo Romantico

This popular museum ("the Romantic Museum") can be found in an old mansion that was built during the Republican Period of Colombian architecture. Here you can find memories of the past and the different typical objects that represent the history of this city.

Parque cultural del Caribe

This park (Cultural Park of the Caribbean) is a space that is dedicated to the promotion of the cultural, historic and natural heritage of this part of Colombia. There is also a room dedicated to the life and work of the great Nobel Prize winner: Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Parador Sombrero Vueltiao
It is a big hat of iron and concret, inside this there is a restaurant of typical food.

Malecon Leon Caridi

It is a boardwalk located along the Magdalena's River.

In Barranquilla a lot of artists known for everybody, like Shakira, Sofia Vergara, Silvia Tcherassi and Edgar Rentería. were born.

Sports

The principal sport in Barranquilla is the soccer. The principal soccer team is Junior Fútbol Club S.A.
Others important sports are the baseball and the basketball.