Zenú Indigenous Heritage Tour

Get deep into Zenú culture and learn directly from them about their heritage, history, and most recognized Zenú handcrafts in a weaving workshop and a visit to Cartagena's Gold Museum.

On this tour, you will be picked up at your hotel to take you to Zenú Gold Museum where you will see amazing gold ornaments crafted by ancient Zenú indigenous. The Zenú indigenous guide will give you a deep insight and further information of the pieces and their iconography full of meaning and history that reflects Zenú’s worldview.

After the visit, you will head the 20 de Julio neighborhood, a peripheral area in Cartagena, where the Ninha workshop takes place. When you arrive, you will meet resilient indigenous women who lead this weaving project and workshop as a way to support their families and keep alive their endangered indigenous heritage. Through this group of women, you will get to know the history of the Zenú people, the struggles they have faced, and their story of resilience. Also, you will learn the process of Caña Flecha, the primary raw material used to make their woven crafts, on how to weave with this material, and which are the symbolic meanings of the famous Sombrero Vueltiao. During the workshop, you can enjoy a traditional maize and coconut beverage and a snack.

How this tour creates an impact?

As many indigenous cultures, the Zenú were driven out of their original territory a long time ago. The life in the city created many challenges for them, the biggest one being the preservation of their culture surrounded by a completely different environment. For indigenous communities, their culture often offers them refuge from the outside world, but maintaining appreciation for traditions and customs, especially among the younger generations, can be difficult. By sharing their culture with travelers, they keep the Zenú culture alive and can pass appreciation for their roots on to the next generation.