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One of the best ways to see Lorica is to stroll along the riverwalk (malecón) on the Sinú River. There, you’ll get the best views of this Colombian Heritage Town (Pueblo Patrimonio) and see some of the Middle Eastern influence on the town.
Plaza Eva y María
The riverwalk runs for several blocks. We started from the west at Plaza Eva y María and made our way east. At this small plaza, there’s a statue of what I assume is Eve on her knees in front of the Virgin Mary.
This section of the riverwalk contains a few trees and benches as well as a bike path. As we continued towards the historic center of town, the views of the buildings got better and better.
Mural
At the end of the section, there’s an amazing mural plastered on the side of a building. It was created by Adriano Ríos Sossa, an artist born in Lorica.
The mural is a mosaic made of 1,200 pieces and depicts life in the town in the 1950s. In that era, Lorica was the most important commercial hub along the Sinú River. You can see the influence of immigrants from Syria and Lebanon, Germany, Italy, as well as Afro-Colombians and indigenous peoples.
The mural vividly captures life in Lorica in the 1950s, and helped me travel back in time to understand how the town must have appeared to travelers.
Gastrobar Saudita
Further along, we passed the Gastrobar Saudita, which opened in 1958. This shows some of the Arab influence in Lorica.
Afife Matuk Building
After visiting the Public Market (Mercado Público), we admired another Arab contribution, the Afife Matuk Building. It was completed in 1929.
Herons
We finished our stroll along the riverwalk shortly after the Afife Matuk building, stopping to admire some of the white herons that stood along the river’s edge.
