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Cereté is a small inland city in Colombia’s Caribbean region, a short drive north of Montería.
Introduction to Cereté
Cereté was founded as a settlement on April 21, 1721, by a group of Jesuit missionaries. It was officially established in 1740 by Spanish military officer Juan de Torrezar Díaz Pimienta, who later became governor of Cartagena and viceroy of Nueva Granada. The main industries are livestock and agriculture, with cotton as the major crop.
With very few interesting attractions, there’s no reason for tourists to visit. We passed through Cereté to visit a friend and only stayed for a short time.
Main Plaza of Cereté
We started in the main plaza, which is a pleasant space to walk through. It’s surrounded by a few historic buildings.
Church of St. Anthony of Padua
On one end is the Church of St. Anthony of Padua (Iglesia de San Antonio de Padua). It was built in the early 20th century and designed by architects Joseph François Martens Istas and Roberto Acosta Madiedo. The church was closed when we passed by.
Former Public School
Across the plaza is a former public school that was built in 1929. It had the most character out of all the buildings we saw in town.
Mural of Female Poets
To the right of the school is the town hall (Alcaldía), which had a large mural painted on the wall. It was dedicated to national and international female poets, and included excerpts of poems.
Iguana Park
A few blocks west of the plaza, we stopped by Iguana Park (Parque de las Iguanas). The name is misleading, and we didn’t see a single iguana. There were a few young trees and benches, along with a couple murals on side walls. There’s also a bridge over a small river. That’s it.
