A Town Captured by Garcia Marquez Isn't Just a Dream

A long boat ride through swampy environs can make anyone doubt reality, and in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel The General in his Labyrinth, the title character tells his companion: “Mompox doesn’t exist,” he said “Sometime we dream about it, but it doesn’t exist” But the town of 30,000 actually does exist, and is apparently a very relaxing tourist destination, hailed by the New York Times and others for its slow way of life and picturesque scenery. The historic center of the town is listed as a World Heritage Site. Mompós, or Santa Cruz de Mompox, has a long history, founded by Spanish settlers on the banks of the Magdalena River in 1540.
The town also played a role in the rise of Simón Bolívar.