Mariquita: History, Culture and Nature

Mariquita offers a range of options for planning a trip: Plaza de Armas, buildings associated with José Celestino Mutis, a music festival in August, and nature destinations in the municipality and nearby area. If you are looking for a hotel in Mariquita, you can plan your stay around whether cultural history, the festival or scenic destinations are your main focus. The locations range from the square in Mariquita to destinations in the municipality and nearby area.

Plaza de Armas and historical connections

An obelisk erected in 1815 stands in Plaza de Armas, also called Plaza Mayor José Celestino Mutis. It commemorates the centenary of the founding of the sovereign and independent State of Mariquita. A ceiba (Pentandra) also stands in the square; it was planted in 1988 in memory of the Armeritas and Mariquiteños who lost their lives in Armero in 1985. The Catedral Mayor de San Sebastián dates from the 16th century and is located in Plaza Mayor de Armas. Together, these places connect different aspects of Mariquita’s history: the founding of the state, remembrance of the victims of Armero, and a building from the 16th century.

Houses and botanical history

The Casa de habitación del Padre José Celestino Mutis is an 18th-century house associated with José Celestino Mutis and the painters of the Expedición Botánica. The Casa de los Virreyes dates from the 16th century. During the Expedición Botánica, the archbishop and viceroy Caballero y Góngora, as well as other distinguished guests and senior Spanish government officials, stayed there. The two houses connect Mariquita with the expedition in different ways: one through its association with Mutis and the painters, the other through the guests who stayed there.

The site of the Casa del Primer Jardín Botánico is also associated with Mutis. The first botanical garden was located there; Mutis planted and tended cinnamon tree seedlings. Together, these places offer different ways to explore Mariquita’s architectural history, the Expedición Botánica and Mutis’ botanical work.

Music festival in August

The Festival Nacional de Música Mangostino de Oro takes place in San Sebastián de Mariquita in August. The program includes musical, academic, artisanal and visual arts activities. The festival therefore combines music with several other cultural fields.

Nature destinations in the municipality and surrounding area

The Reserva Forestal Protectora de las Quebradas El Peñón y San Juan is located in the Municipio de San Sebastián de Mariquita, in the north of the Departamento del Tolima. The Bosque de Mariquita is part of the reserve. The protected area covers 637 hectares and lies at an elevation of 600 to 950 meters. For this nature destination, the municipality—not just the town center—is the relevant geographic reference.

The Cascadas del río Medina are about 7 km from Mariquita and include around 20 waterfalls. The Laguna del Silencio, also called Laguna de la Serpiente Dorada, is 12 km from the town center; access is via the road to Vereda El Rano. The two distances refer to different starting points: Mariquita and, specifically, the town center. Bear this difference in mind when comparing the destinations geographically.

The Balneario Cancún, also called Río Sucio, is located on the Río Sucio, 2.5 km from the municipal seat, on the road to Victoria (Caldas). Facilities include a bar, a dance floor, individual charcoal cooking stations, and sports areas for soccer and beach volleyball. If these facilities are important to your visit, check in advance which ones will be available for use at that time.

Discover more destinations: Espinal, Valle De San Juan, San Antonio, Alpujarrá, Carmen De Apicala, Villa Restrepo, Vega Grande, Saldana

For the broader travel overview: Tolima.