Gabriel Garcia Marques private day trip from Cartagena
Private ride with a local driver
14h 45mRound tripPrivate driver
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About your trip
Admire the tropical towns that inspired Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Macondo, the magical realist world in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Start in Cienaga to understand the tragic history of the banana workers’ strike, and then visit the author’s hometown, Aracataca, and learn about the family stories and local history that inspired his creation.
Exclusively yours: private vehicle and professional driver
Discover local insights you won't find in guidebooks
Experience the freedom to explore at your own speed
Perfectly planned for families, friends, or solo travelers
What to expect
Your day trip begins wherever you are
Meet our professional driver right where you prefer in Cartagena whenever suits you best. No time wasted getting to the pickup point, grab your bag and start your trip right away.Discover more with local expertise
Your driver’s local insights will set the tone for your day trip. A hidden café here, a must-try restaurant there; insider tips you’ll love sharing later. This isn’t a guided tour but your ride will be rich with stories and discoveries along the way. And throughout the day, your driver will be available for you as needed, ready to assist, happy to help, making your trip stress-free.Explore at your own pace
You can look forward to a seamless journey from Cartagena to Cienaga and Aracataca with a professional driver. You’ll explore at your own pace and enjoy a smooth return trip.
Perfect for any private group
Whether you're traveling solo, as a family with kids, or as a large group, this service is tailored for your comfort and flexibility. It's the ideal option especially if you have limited time or a busy schedule.Good to know
- Two-way private car transfer
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Personalized pickup and drop-off
- Professional English-speaking driver
- Complimentary bottled water
- Free cancellation 24 hours before departure
- Entry/Admission tickets to paid attractions Cienaga and Aracataca should be purchased separately unless specified otherwise
- Meals, snacks, and gratuity are not included
From €87
per person
Select date and travelers
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your pickup time.
For a group of 1-3 travelersTotal€262
Your trip at a glance
Your trip at a glance
Start in Cartagena
You choose the pickup spot.
1
Cienaga
Feel free to explore at your own pace and discover
Stop: 2 h 30 min - admission not included
Cienaga boasts incredible natural beauty and is tied to Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Visiting Cienaga allows travelers to immerse themselves in the rich natural beauty and abundant wildlife of Caribbean shores and the Cienaga Grande Wetlands. Against this backdrop, the Plaza del Centenario forms the vibrant heart of town, with bustling local life and colonial architecture. The town is also well known for its Banana Massacre, which is commemorated by a memorial in town. This 1928 tragedy was woven into Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and travelers should learn more about the real histories that inspired the culturally-enriched magical realism in his writing.
2
Aracataca
Feel free to explore at your own pace and discover
Stop: 2 h 30 min - admission not included
Visit the birthplace of famed author Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Aracataca.
The small town of Aracataca is most famous for being the birthplace of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, author of One Hundred Years of Solitude. Travelers can visit the Casa Museo to see a reconstruction of his childhood home and admire his family's memorabilia. Then, meander through the streets and along the railway that inspired key scenes in his writing, seeing where everyday life meets the mythology of the novel. You can also learn more about the surrounding Banana Zone and gain a deeper understanding of how the industry impacts locals. The town is primarily popular among Marquez fans and is not a busy tourist hotspot.
Back to Cartagena
We’ll take you back to your starting point.
Duration of the stops can be changed upon request after booking
Have questions or need help?Contact our Customer Support. We are available 24/7
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Know more about your day trip
The Gabriel Garcia Marquez day trip takes you through the tropical towns that inspired Macondo, the magical realist world in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Start in Cienaga to learn the history of the banana workers' strike, and then to his hometown, Aracataca.
Not at all! While fans of his works will recognize locations from novels like "Love in the Time of Cholera" and "One Hundred Years of Solitude," the tour is designed to be engaging for everyone. Your driver and local guides will share fascinating stories about Colombian culture, the magical realism literary style, and how Cartagena influenced Garcia Marquez's writing, making it accessible and interesting regardless of your familiarity with his works.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez, affectionately known as "Gabo," is Colombia's most celebrated literary figure and a cultural icon who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982. His style of magical realism put Colombian literature on the world stage, and he often used Cartagena as inspiration for his settings. His works capture the essence of Caribbean Colombian culture, history, and magical atmosphere that still permeates Cartagena today, making him an integral part of the city's cultural identity.
The ideal time for this literary tour is in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat in Cartagena. Morning tours (starting around 8-9 AM) offer cooler temperatures and less crowded streets, while afternoon tours (starting after 3 PM) provide beautiful lighting for photography and a chance to see the city transition into evening, which captures the magical atmosphere that inspired the author.
The Gabriel Garcia Marquez day trip lasts all day, allowing enough time to visit all the significant literary sites in Cartagena at a relaxed pace. This includes time for walking tours in the historic districts, visits to important buildings, photo opportunities, and short breaks to enjoy refreshments or local snacks. The private nature of the trip allows for flexibility in timing based on your interests.
Yes, you'll visit several authentic locations where Garcia Marquez lived, worked, and found inspiration. This includes the museum dedicated to him in his hometown of Aracataca.
For comfort and enjoyment of the tour, bring comfortable walking shoes for exploring the cobblestone streets, sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses) as Cartagena is typically hot and sunny, a water bottle to stay hydrated, a camera to capture the colorful colonial architecture that inspired the author, and perhaps a small notebook to jot down interesting facts or quotes from the tour.
Yes, during the tour you'll have opportunities to purchase unique Garcia Marquez-related souvenirs. Look for locally printed editions of his books in Spanish and English, artistic postcards featuring quotes from his works, handcrafted items inspired by magical realism, and colorful art pieces depicting scenes from his novels. The Portal de los Dulces (Sweet Portal), which you'll visit during the tour, offers traditional Colombian sweets mentioned in his stories that make for authentic culinary souvenirs.
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