Katanzama: Arhuaco indigenous community

Katanzama is an Arhuaco village in northern Magdalena, between the Don Diego and Palomino rivers, twenty-five minutes on foot from the Caribbean highway. It is the most accessible way to enter indigenous territory in the Sierra without committing a full day.

The route passes the indigenous houses and their traditional architecture, and the Arhuaco guide explains the medicinal plants, the harvest, the diet and the meaning of the poporos and mochilas. You see the cotton and weaving traditions first-hand, from the people who practise them.

The experience ends at the sacred pool, a place of meaningful stones where you take a refreshing swim. As an optional extra you can visit the area's artisanal cacao workshop.