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Cajamarca is a small town in the mountains of the department of Tolima, Colombia. It’s located about halfway between the cities of Ibagué and Armenia.
History
The area was settled around 1886 by farmers from Antioquia. The town was founded in 1913 by the bishop of Ibagué, Ismael Perdomo Borrero, as San Miguel de Perdomo. It adopted the name of Cajamarca in 1916.
The principal economic activity is agriculture, specifically coffee and plantains. Mining is also prevalent, with one of the world’s largest gold deposits in the area. In 2017, the town voted with a resounding 98% against the exploitation of the mine called Mina de la Colosa.
Cajamarca is notorious for the murder of a family of five, including a six month old baby, by the Colombian army on April 10, 2004. Supposedly, the soldiers mistook the family for FARC guerrillas. They were absolved of all their crimes by then-president Álvaro Uribe and the incident was officially put down as a “military mistake”.
Plaza
There’s really nothing to see in town, but it does make a good place to stop if traveling between Ibagué and Armenia. I was pleasantly surprised by the large plaza in the center of town. The church was closed to visitors, but it looked like a nice building. Surrounding the plaza are several small shops, cafés and bakeries.
