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Barrancabermeja is a city along the Magdalena River in the Santander department of Colombia.
Introduction to Barrancabermeja
Barrancabermeja is one of the hottest and most humid places in the country. It was originally inhabited by the Yariguí people, descendants of the Caribs. The town was founded on October 12, 1536, by Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1509-1579). Oil was discovered in the area in 1917.
Today, Barrancabermeja is home to the largest oil refinery in Colombia. It has a somewhat cosmopolitan culture, attracting workers from every corner of the country and oil executives and engineers from all over the world. There’s very little of touristic value.
While on our way to explore the Santander department, we decided to break up the drive with a stop in Barrancabermeja. Our goal was to see the National Petroleum Museum (Museo Nacional del Petróleo), which is just outside the city. Unfortunately, it was closed but we were able to spend some time in the city itself.
We expected the city to be unfriendly and dirty, but we were wrong. We thought the people were welcoming and for the most part the streets and parks were fairly clean.
Getting to Barrancabermeja
Barrancabermeja is a business city that’s not on the tourist path, but it’s easy to get there on a bus from Bucaramanga. You’ll be able to board a local bus or take a taxi to access the museum, which is about 20 minutes from the city center.
Where to Eat in Barrancabermeja
We’ve eaten at the same restaurant twice on two different stops in the city.
La Cazuela
We had lunch at La Cazuela on both of our trips. Considered one of the best restaurants in town, the prices are a bit high for Colombia but the food and service are excellent. They’ve been around since 1977.
On our first visit, I had Belgian style mussels while Marisol had the cazuela de mariscos (seafood stew). On our second visit, Marisol again had the cazuela de mariscos and I had salmon. We were both very happy with our meals each time.
Malecón
There’s nothing of real touristic value other than the museum, but we did visit the malecón. This promenade along a marsh features great views of the oil refinery and a few works of art. A small platform jutting out over the marsh next to the main part of the malecón offers some of the best views.
The most important work of art is Cristo Petrolero, a monument of Christ Redeemer designed by Fernando Fernández in 1995. Another monument depicts a hand holding a globe.
If you look out onto the marsh, it’s possible to spot wildlife such as different species of migratory birds.
On the main part of the malecón, there are a few replicas of different types of oil equipment.
Finally, the path to the west of the main part is lined with sculptures of dinosaurs.
