The Secrets of Palenque: San Basilio's Influence on Cartagena's Culture Beyond Language

Origins

To truly understand Cartagena, you have to look beyond its walls. About 50 kilometers to the southeast, in the foothills of the Montes de María, lies San Basilio de Palenque. This corregimiento of Mahates is not just a picturesque town: it is the first free territory in the Americas, founded by maroon slaves who escaped Spanish rule in the 17th century. While Cartagena was the most important slave port in the New World, a silent revolution was brewing just a few hours away on horseback.

The maroons, led by figures like Benkos Biohó, built palenques —fortified settlements— in swampy and mountainous areas that were difficult to reach. San Basilio was the most famous and managed to remain independent thanks to a Royal Decree in 1713 that recognized its freedom, an almost unique event in the colonial history of the Americas. But its true strength was not in documents: it was in oral memory, language, rituals, and a worldview that did not bow to colonial power.

Today, when you walk the cobblestone streets of the Centro Histórico or hear the sound of drums in Getsemaní, you are breathing the air of Palenque. The influence of San Basilio on Cartagena goes far beyond language, even if language is the tip of the iceberg. It is a heritage that is tasted in the cuisine, felt in the music, danced in the festivals, and mourned in the funeral rituals. And the most fascinating part: most tourists —and even many locals— do not know they are immersed in it.

Timeline or Historical Milestones

To appreciate how San Basilio shaped Cartagena, you must follow the trail of milestones that connect both worlds. Here are the key moments, from the escape of the first maroons to the global recognition of their culture.

17th Century: The Founding of the Palenques and Maroon Resistance

• 1605-1619: Benkos Biohó, an African from the Biafara ethnic group, escapes slavery in Cartagena and organizes a network of maroons in the Ciénaga de la Virgen and the Montes de María area. He founds the Palenque de la Matuna, precursor to San Basilio.
• 1691: The Spanish crown, tired of wars with the maroons, signs a peace treaty with the Palenque de San Basilio. The palenqueros gain freedom in exchange for not receiving more fugitive slaves. It is a fragile but historic pact.
• 1713: King Philip V issues a Royal Decree officially recognizing the freedom of San Basilio de Palenque. The town becomes a symbol of resistance for the entire Caribbean region.

19th Century: Abolition and Migration to Cartagena

• 1851: Colombia abolishes slavery. Many palenqueros begin migrating to Cartagena in search of work, especially in port commerce and construction.
• Late 19th century: The Getsemaní neighborhood consolidates as the main recipient of palenquera migration. The narrow streets of the working-class neighborhood fill with drums, African languages, and agricultural techniques brought from the palenques.

20th Century: Invisibilization and Cultural Revival

• 1940s-1960s: Palenquera culture is stigmatized. Speaking "Palenquero" in Cartagena schools is punished. Many palenqueros hide their origins to avoid discrimination.
• 1970s: The Negritude movement and Afro-Colombian studies begin to reclaim the legacy of San Basilio. Intellectuals like Manuel Zapata Olivella document the language and traditions.
• 2005: UNESCO declares San Basilio de Palenque a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. This recognition changes public perception and sparks tourist and academic interest.

21st Century: Integration into Cartagena's Identity

• 2010-present: Organizations like the Fundación Afrocaribe and the Colectivo de Comunicaciones de San Basilio promote language, music, and cooking workshops in Cartagena. The Getsemaní cabildo becomes a meeting point for the diaspora.
• May 2026: Today, the palenquera influence is more visible than ever: from the sweets of the palenqueras in the plazas to the beats of champeta, a musical genre born from the fusion of African, Caribbean, and palenquera rhythms in the popular neighborhoods of Cartagena.

Key Figures or Events

The history of San Basilio would be nothing without the people who made it possible and who keep it alive in Cartagena today. Here are some names and moments you should know.

Benkos Biohó: The Legendary Founder

Born in the Biafar region (present-day Guinea-Bissau), Benkos Biohó was captured and taken to Cartagena as a slave. But he did not sit idly by. In 1605, he led a mass escape and organized the maroons in the swamps east of the city. His military cunning was such that he managed to negotiate with Spanish authorities, although he was eventually betrayed and executed in 1621. His legacy, however, is the foundation upon which San Basilio was built. In Cartagena, his name is on streets, murals, and in the memory of the elders who still tell his story on the corners of Getsemaní.

Manuel Zapata Olivella: The Chronicler of Afro-Colombianity

This Cartagena-born doctor and writer (1920-2004) dedicated his life to documenting Afro-Colombian traditions, especially those of Palenque. His novel Changó, el gran putas is an epic of the African diaspora in the Americas. In his essays, Zapata Olivella described how the Palenquero language —a mix of Spanish, Kikongo, Kimbundu, and other Bantu languages— filtered into the everyday speech of Cartagena. Thanks to his work, many practices that were dying out were recorded and revitalized.

The Palenqueras: The Candy Sellers Who Are Cultural Ambassadors

If you have been to the Centro Histórico, you have surely seen the women in colorful dresses, turbans, and trays of fruit or sweets on their heads. They are the palenqueras, direct descendants of San Basilio. For decades, they have been the most visible face of the palenquera heritage in Cartagena. They not only sell cocadas, alegrías (sesame seed sweets), and bollos de mazorca (corn cakes); they are also guardians of the language, traditional medicine, and work songs. Many of them speak Palenquero among themselves, a code they use to communicate without tourists understanding them. A curious fact: the typical dress of the palenqueras is not a tourist costume, but an adaptation of the clothing worn by slaves in the 18th century, but with brighter colors and accessories that symbolize resistance.

The Lumbalú Ritual: A Cry That Crosses the City

Of all the legacies of San Basilio, the Lumbalú is perhaps the most profound and least known. It is a funeral ritual of Bantu origin that combines songs, drums, dances, and prayers to bid farewell to the soul of the deceased and ensure their passage to the afterlife. In San Basilio, it is practiced communally for nine nights after the burial. In Cartagena, some palenquera families settled in Getsemaní and the Olaya Herrera neighborhood keep this tradition alive, though more privately. However, there are occasions —such as the Festival de Tambores y Expresiones Culturales de Palenque— when public demonstrations are held in the city.

Current Status

Today, in May 2026, the palenquera heritage in Cartagena is in a bittersweet moment. On one hand, there is renewed pride and a tourist interest that has never existed before. UNESCO put San Basilio on the global map, and more and more travelers seek experiences that go beyond sun and beach. On the other hand, the gentrification of the Centro Histórico and Getsemaní is displacing the palenquera families who lived there for generations, and the culture risks becoming just another product for quick consumption.

But there is good news: cultural resistance is still alive. Associations like the Fundación Cultural Palenque and the Colectivo de Mujeres Palenqueras de Cartagena work to preserve the language, music, and culinary traditions. In Getsemaní, the Casa de la Cultura (located on Calle de la Media Luna) offers palenquera drumming workshops on Saturday mornings, where anyone —local or tourist— can learn the rhythms of bullerengue, chalupa, and son palenquero. The cost is symbolic: around $15,000 COP per session, though it is recommended to confirm times before going.

In gastronomy, the influence is undeniable. The arroz de lisa (mullet rice), mote de queso (cheese grits), coconut sweets, and fish empanadas you find on the streets of Cartagena have palenquera roots. The palenquera women remain the queens of the plazas: at Plaza de la Trinidad, in Getsemaní, you can buy cocadas, bollos de mazorca, and tamarind sweets made with recipes passed from grandmothers to granddaughters. Bring cash, as not all accept cards, and prices range from $2,000 COP for a small sweet to $10,000 COP for a mixed tray.

In music, champeta is the genre that most clearly connects Palenque with Cartagena. Born in popular neighborhoods like Chambacú, Olaya Herrera, and El Pozón, champeta fuses African rhythms (soukous, highlife) with palenquera drums and lyrics that tell the reality of the diaspora. Artists like Louis Towers and Mr. Black are direct heirs to this tradition. If you want to hear live champeta, look for it at Plaza de los Coches on weekends, where local groups often perform.

How to Trace the Palenquera Heritage in Cartagena: A Practical Route

If you are the type of traveler who wants to go beyond the selfie at the Torre del Reloj, here is a route that will take you to the heart of the palenquera heritage in the city.

1. Start in Getsemaní, the city's palenquero neighborhood. Walk along Calle de la Media Luna and look for the murals that tell the story of maroon resistance. The most famous is the 'Larga Vida', a huge graffiti on the corner of Carrera 8B with Calle 25, depicting a palenquera woman with her tray of sweets. It was painted by local artist Dexter and is a tribute to the feminine strength of palenquera culture.
2. Visit Plaza de la Trinidad. Here, every afternoon, the palenqueras gather to sell their sweets. Do not just buy: if you take the time to chat, many will tell you stories of their hometown. Ask for Doña Martha, a 70-year-old woman who still remembers when her grandmother taught her how to make alegrías in San Basilio.
3. Stop by the Casa de la Cultura de Getsemaní. Ask about the palenquera drumming workshops. If you are lucky, you will stumble upon a bullerengue session, a rhythm of drum and song that palenquera women used to celebrate fertility and life. You need no experience; just a willingness to move.
4. Look for live champeta. On weekends, at Plaza de los Coches or Avenida del Lago, there are performances of criolla champeta. The atmosphere is family-friendly and beer prices are affordable (around $4,000 COP).
5. Take a tour with authorized palenquero guides. Associations like Palenque Tours and Rutas de la Libertad offer tours that leave Cartagena for San Basilio. But they also have urban options: walks through Getsemaní explaining the architecture, cuisine, and palenquera rituals. Prices vary, but a half-day tour costs between $80,000 and $150,000 COP per person. It is best to book in advance, especially during high season.

Where to Witness the Lumbalú Ritual in Cartagena

The Lumbalú is an intimate ritual, and it is not a show offered every day. However, there are times when it is opened to the public. The most important is during the Festival de Tambores y Expresiones Culturales de Palenque, held every year in October in San Basilio, but with parallel events in Cartagena. In 2025, for example, a Lumbalú demonstration was held at Plaza de la Aduana, in the Centro Histórico, with the participation of elderly palenqueros who sang the traditional litanies.

Another option is to contact the Fundación Cultural Palenque, which has its headquarters in the Olaya Herrera neighborhood (Calle 31 # 18-45). They organize community gatherings where aspects of the Lumbalú are recreated for educational purposes. It is not a tourist show; it is a real opportunity to understand how death is experienced in the palenquera worldview: with drums, laughter, and tears, all at once. To attend, it is best to write to them on social media (search for "Fundación Cultural Palenque Cartagena" on Instagram) and ask about upcoming dates.

Key Contacts for an Authentic Experience

To avoid falling into superficial tourism, here are real contacts of organizations that work directly with the palenquera community in Cartagena.

• Colectivo de Mujeres Palenqueras de Cartagena: A group of women who offer traditional cooking workshops