Homenaje a la Etnia Tayrona
The Tayronan People lived in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain region.
*mountain region is separate from the Andes
*highest elevation 5,700m (18,700 ft)
*avg yearly rainfall - 157.5 in (Los Angeles: Jan - March 2023 - 22 in)
Tairona (now Santa Marta, Colombia) was officially conquered on July 29, 1525 by the Spanish slaver Rodrigo de Bastidas making it the oldest surviving colonized city in Colombia.
*The Tayronan Peoples were forced into the encomienda system by the Spanish.
Homenaje a la Etnia Tayrona (Tribute to the Tayrona Ethnic Group) are a group of Indigenous sculptures created by famed Magdalenan artist and sculptor Héctor Lombana Piñeres (1930 - 2008).
The tribute to the indigenous Tayronan peoples was donated to the city of Santa Marta in 1993.
Las estatuas were located along the largely ignored beach boardwalk.
In 2017, the port began receiving commercial cruiseliners creating a boon to the local economy.
Monumento Tayrona
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Teyuna (Ciudad Perdida)
The city dates back to 9th Century (650 years before Macchu Picchu).
The 30 mile trek through the tropical mountains is offered as a 4-day backpacking tour. The New York Times made the trip.
Looters mistakenly reached the area in 1972 discovering the 'Lost City' (Ciudad Perdida).
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In early 2020, Las Estatuas mysteriously disappeared...