Girardot: Hotels and City History on the Río Magdalena

Girardot developed into a river port on the Río Magdalena in the 19th century; historic bridges and flights belong to later chapters in its transportation history, while the Plaza de Mercado preserves an important architectural connection. This offers different perspectives to help you decide whether Girardot is the right destination for you. You can explore the town through its transportation and trade history, or focus on its architectural history and the development of its urban identity.

The Plaza de Mercado within the urban ensemble

The Plaza de Mercado is one of Girardot’s defining buildings. This foundational ensemble also includes the Plaza de la Constitución, now Parque-Parqueadero Santander, the religious complex of San Miguel, the port facilities on the Río Magdalena, and the road to Tocaima. The market complex therefore stands not alone, but in a context shaped by different aspects of the city’s history. Its direct connection to the Río Magdalena is particularly striking: the plaza is considered a meeting point for commercial activity in Cundinamarca and Tolima, as well as in the subregions of Alto Magdalena, Sumapaz, Tequendama, and Magdalena Centro. This regional reach gives the market’s history a perspective that extends beyond individual buildings.

The architecture of the Plaza de Mercado also offers a distinct way to explore Girardot. German architect Leopoldo Rother designed it in 1946. While bridges and flights mark Girardot’s historic transportation connections, the complex represents the beginning of modernity and a new period in which modern architecture became part of the city’s diverse identity. Visitors interested in urban history will therefore find two themes in the same building: its place in Girardot’s defining ensemble and its importance to the city’s architectural development.

Girardot as a river port and gateway to Bogotá

In the 19th century, Girardot developed into a river port on the Río Magdalena. From 1880 onward, ships with a deeper draft traveled along the river toward Girardot. In this development, Girardot replaced Honda as the port of entry to Bogotá. The chronology helps put this change into context: Girardot’s development as a river port describes its role in the 19th century; from 1880, ships with a deeper draft gave that role particular importance as a gateway to Bogotá.

Another historic connection emerged in 1919: Girardot was the departure and arrival point for flights operated by the Colombian-German airline SCADTA. Residents of Barranquilla also traveled to Girardot on these flights. The river port and air traffic belong to different chapters of the city’s history. Together, they show how Girardot’s historic transportation connections can be described through different forms of travel.

Railway bridge and road bridge

The two bridges also highlight different aspects of the city’s history. The railway bridge in Girardot was built of steel by the English and opened in 1930. The Mariano Ospina Pérez road bridge dates from 1950. The distinction between a railway bridge and a road bridge alone helps place their construction in time and understand their different functions. After the road bridge was built, road traffic and tourism developed in Girardot. This historic development links the road bridge with a period of change in the city, without requiring the two structures to be treated as part of a single phase of transportation history.

For your travel decision, Girardot offers two different perspectives: its transportation and trade history leads from the river port and shipping to the later bridges and SCADTA flights. The architectural perspective focuses in particular on the Plaza de Mercado and its connection to modernity. If you are considering Girardot as a destination, you can weigh whether you are more interested in the changing transportation routes or in the city’s architecture and history.

Discover more destinations: Susa, El Peñón, San Antonio del Tequendama, Medina, Balastera, La Palma, Ubate, San Bernardo.

For the broader travel overview: Cundinamarca.