Mud Volcano (Volcán de lodo el totumo)

Was talked into going on an eco-toruism trip to the Mud Volcano between Cartagena and Barranquilla during a recent trip to the former city. An odd experience. And probably discussed here before, but my google-fu is weak.

We were told that the mud volcano attracts between 30 and 100 tourists a day in low and high season, which doesn't seem like many and is nothing compared to say, El Piñol, which is much more worthwhile.

Essentially you climb thirty wooden stairs, strip, and lie in a pool of warm mud, twenty feet by twenty feet. The volcano has mud and not magma. While pretending to be a hippo, you get a massage for tips. You take photos that show what you look like as a mud zombie. In a nearby cienaga, the mud gets washed off except for the stuff that oozes into your ears and you are still Q-tipping a week later.

Worth doing once. I have a few questions.

1. Are mud volcanoes particularly rare?
2. Does the mud at the top of the volcano solidify in the sun and need to be broken, or is it always liquid?
3. All the Colombians on the tour took back Postobon bottles full of mud for souvenirs. Why do they think it has medicinal properties?
4. Do ordinary Colombians dream of visiting the Volcán or do they view it as a good day-trip for gringos naive enough to pay for anything... Colombians I met would laugh themselves SICK if I told them about my trip to the Volcán and shoved a muddy Q-tip in my ear.
5. Any reason I couldn't build my own mud volcano?

Just curious to learn more about mud volcanoes. The experience was somewhat surreal.

By Man Tequila on Apr 13, 2007, 13:16 in Friendly Talkzone.

kat1 (Moderator) says on Apr 13, 2007, 13:20:

I love to go there,I think brians have been there is sooooooooo cool

Azul says on Apr 13, 2007, 13:39:

I was there in November Not a bad day trip out of BQ or Cartagena.

las cosas caen por su propio peso

Azul says on Apr 13, 2007, 13:40:

las cosas caen por su propio peso

Azul says on Apr 13, 2007, 13:41:

las cosas caen por su propio peso

Azul says on Apr 13, 2007, 13:47:

Mud

las cosas caen por su propio peso

Pappassito says on Apr 13, 2007, 14:01:

Good for the skin... At least that is what I was told about 10 or 11 years ago when I did this with some friends from Bogota.. As far as I know,it is always liquid..

jinksmiester says on Apr 13, 2007, 15:32:

Been there..they claim the mud is medicinal(i suppose for your skin).
i know how they make the mud...its all those shitters flushing in BQ...just kidding..

A man is not old until regret takes the place of dreams

Miguel says on Apr 13, 2007, 16:16:

Different strokes for different folks Been there, done that. It was interesting, especially watching the locals pack that mud into empty bottles of Postobon, Coca Cola, Coca Cola Light and even in plastic bags. It is for sure worth seeing.

GregYohn says on Apr 13, 2007, 17:35:

Missed It! Hola!

I got sunburned last week in Cartagena, so I had to miss that trip to the volcano. I think it would have been much like a jacuzzi, except my sunburn would have been worse. My GF from Cali thought it sounded like a nice side trip.

We stayed in town that day and visited the Castle where I met Megan McCormick from Globe Trekker that day!

Greg

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