The village of Palenque de San Basilio has a population of about 3,500 inhabitants and is located in the foothills of the Montes de María, southeast of the regional capital, Cartagena. The village is inhabited mainly by Afro-Colombians, which are direct descendants of African slaves brought by the Europeans during the Colonization of the Americas.
The descendants have preserved their ancestral traditions and have developed also their own language; Palenquero. In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed the Palenque de San Basilio village Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
We were fortunate to be able to visit a local school in the village to meet the students. It is always amazing to meet students studying around the world. Girls in the village are known for their creative, fun hair designs.
