Best Palenque Tour Ever! - Outstanding tour! This was the highlight of my trip to Cartagena, and I was so glad I booked it with this company. I wanted a tour that was run by someone who was indigenous to Palenque, so that I could get a more authentic feel. Erick did not disappoint! He was the perfect balance of down to earth, professional, personable, and informative. He was very patient with all of our questions and gave us a real insider knowledge of the culture. This tour hit all of the highlights that I had seen online. The food was the best I experienced during my entire stay in Cartagena. Visiting the medicine man was such a rich experience, and being able to play some of the authentic instruments and dance with local artists was absolutely fantastic! The art work and local crafts were beautiful and we had enough time to experience it all. I couldn't recommend this tour more!

Erik was an AMAZING... - Erik was an AMAZING guide! After a last minute cancellation with another tour company, Erik went above and beyond to accommodate our party. It is evident he is passionate about his community and it shines through during the tour. I’d definitely recommend this tour and ask for Erik!

The best experience for anyone visiting Cartagena - Visiting Palengue was the best experience my friends and I could want in terms of learning about the culture and history of this area. Ronal and his team had an infectious passion and love for their community. I highly recommend this tour for anyone considering a trip to Cartagena.

Palenge In My Soul: Connecting to My Distant Cousins! - The Palenqua Freedom Tour was one of the key highlights of our trip to Cartagena! We enjoyed every moment; from the vibrant energetic welcome, to the rich history explored via a walking tour, the laid back vibe, the connection with the medicine man, the plethora of murals representing the beautiful facets of our heritage, a 'tiny desk' jam session with a world-renown artist born in Palenge (African spelling) whi happened to be in town, and a delicious fresh cooked meal (make sure you have the fish)!!! Our tour guide Erik is a native of Palenge, and his connections made our experience richer than we imagined! His love for Palenge and commitment to preserving its culture and language was evident and positively influenced our experience! Take the tour!!! P.S. The pickup and drop-off at our hotel was a nice plus.

The Best Tour Ever in Cartagena. - Of all of the tours I have attended in my travels, this was by far the best. Our tour guide, Ronald, was not only an excellent representative of his community, he was a historian who left no stones unturned, and we later found out that he was the President of their Community Council. I learned so much from this 1-day trip that I don’t even know where to start. It was such an honor for me to find out about this first freed village founded by marooned slaves in the New World. Their leader was Benko, a king from Guinea Bissau, who was a brilliant military strategist and moved the then enslaved people to San Basilio de Palenque. This region was chosen because it was surrounded by mountains and the sentinels could watched from these mountains any attempt to attack by the Spaniards and quickly communicate their movements by drums to the warriors who were always able to defend their community . Palenge (in Spanish Palenque) was founded in 1603 and in 1713 Spain declared Palenque, free of slavery. Because the enslaved were from different regions of West Africa with their own languages and customs, they were able to preserve their identity by creating a unique language ri Palenge which allowed them to pass on their culture and traditions to future generations , up to the current. In their schools, the piacha (teachers) teach in their language. Only Palenqueros can buy land in Palenque and even if you have a house , everything is done for the good of the community. They are organized in Kuates (I may have the spelling wrong) and if one Kuate is grieving, celebrating or in need of help, all the others rally around them. Their food is also unique to them. We had a fish cooked in coconut milk, along with coconut rice, a red bean sauce, fried plantains and a salad. Some in my groups, who were vegetarians, seemed to enjoy their meals as well. One of the parts I particularly enjoyed had to do with the music and the dancing. The dance steps and rhythms are passed on from generation to generation and reminded me of many of the steps in our folkloric dances in Haiti. I felt a deep connection with this place. Even though there is a medical clinic (with the bare necessities), they also believe in traditional healers who use different herbs and spells to cure many ailments. I want to thank the Curandera, Rosa Lina, who gave me a special blessing to protect me from any evil. I almost forgot our skilled driver, Alvaro, who had to take a detour because of a manifestation on the main road. I am sure my review does not do it any justice. You have to go and see it for yourself.

Wholesome Experience - Amazing tour getting to learn the history of Palenque and its people and culture. Very welcoming, informative, and felt a strong sense of community. Will highly recommend for a full experience of being culturally informed, entertained through arts, dance & music, and last but not least experiencing delicious food. 10/10 recommended.

Phenomenal cultural experience - Eric was the most amazing guide!! We got a very thorough experience that was perfectly paced with refreshing drinks and meals. We even got to visit a traditional medicine man and learn about Palenque’s approach to health. This experience was the most fun I had in my trip to Colombia. 10/10 recommend :)

Good experience and got to learn more - We enjoyed our guides Maria and Alberto. We did our research before going, but the tour was informative. The dancing, lunch, and "medicine man" were fantastic. I would have liked more time to explore the area, shop, and take pictures. That's what was missing, just time to explore. Everyone was very nice.

Make your own decision - Travelers should know that it is a 2 hour drive from Cartagena to Palenque and two hours back. That leaves two hours in Palenque. Unfortunately, I learned more About the history and culture from reading about Palenque than I did From the tour itself.

Cruise ship excursion - We booked this trip online while on a first stop on Virgin Cruise line in Cartagena Columbia. Our guide was on time, but it was about a mile walked to get to him. The bus was cramped because every seat was filled. There was a massive traffic jam heading to Palengue. Trip trip to approximately 3 hours . The tour was super fun once we arrived at our destination. Our tour guide Erick was very knowledgeable and accommodating. It would have been nice to have some bottled water on board. Now the host of the area was awesome. Out lunch was over the top good. Heading back things were real well. Minimal traffic. So we are 30!” Minutes from over dropoff point and our van broke down. Our guide could have been more empathetic to us as passengers, and more forthright as to the issue. I am grateful he was able to get another van within 30 -45 minutes after the breakdown.