Valledupar

“(…) Conquered by Spaniard Hernando Santana, the city was originally called “Ciudad de Los Santos Reyes del Valle del Cacique Upar” - Valledupar, for short. It is situated on the southwestern margin of the Guatapurí River – “Agua Fría”, according to the Chimila Indians who ruled the region up to the time of the Conquest.

(…) The Festival of the Vallenato Legend is linked to Gabriel García Márquez’s work. It has been taking place since 1968, during the last days of April. The idea of having a musicians contest arose in 1967, when several characters, among them Gabriel García Márquez, Consuelo Araújo Noguera, Rafael Escalona, and Alfonso López Michelsen, met at Alfredo Molina’s historical mansion and materialized the project with the backing of companies as important as Germany’s Hohner.

(…) Valledupar is framed by tall mountains. Unfortunately, the mist permanently makes them look hazy. To the west, across the horizon, is the snow mountain range closest to the sea in the whole world: the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. To the east, rises the imposing Perijá Mountain Range (…).” Pilar Lozano, Revista Diners Number 244, July, 1990.

Consult the complete texts on Valledupar in Las rutas de García Márquez guide, available at the following bookshops: Librería Nacional in Cartagena and Barranquilla and Librería Ábaco in Cartagena.