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Taganga

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Taganga
Corregimiento
View of Taganga
View of Taganga
Etymology:see text
Taganga is located in Santa Marta
Taganga
Taganga
Position of Taganga with respect to Santa Marta
Coordinates:11°16′2.92″N74°11′26.98″W/ 11.2674778°N 74.1908278°W/11.2674778; -74.1908278
CountryColombia
DepartmentMagdalena
MunicipalitySanta Marta
CorregimientoTaganga
Founded29 July 1525
Founded byRodrigo de Bastidas
Government
• Mayor (Santa Marta)Rafael Martínez
(2016-2019)
Area
• Water0 km2(0 sq mi) 0%
• Urban
[1]
1 km2(0.4 sq mi)
Elevation
[2](Church)
11 m (36 ft)
Highest elevation
[2]
100 m (300 ft)
Lowest elevation
(Caribbean Sea)
0 m (0 ft)
Population
(2005)[3]
•Corregimiento5,021
•Urban
5,021
• Urban density5,000/km2(13,000/sq mi)
DemonymTaganguero/a
Time zoneUTC-5(Colombian Time)
Postal code
470001[4]

Tagangais a traditionalfishing villageandcorregimientoofSanta Marta,located on the Caribbean coast ofColombiaat about 10 minutes or 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Santa Marta. Both Santa Marta and Taganga were founded byRodrigo de Bastidason July 29, 1525, making them two of the oldest remaining colonial settlements in present-day Colombia.

The touristic town and backpacker hub is famous for its sunsets, diving and access to theTayrona National Natural Park.Bohemian and richly decorated Taganga is full of hostels and forms part of the South AmericanGringo Trail.In the months of July and August the village is visited by manyIsraeliswho finished theirmilitary draftperiod.

Etymology[edit]

The source of the name Taganga is uncertain; it is either derived from theTaganga peopleinhabiting the area before theSpanish conquest,from the wordstaandgunmy;"Snake mountain range" or from theTaironawordstaandganga;"Entrance of the sea".[5]

Geography and geology[edit]

Position of Taganga with respect to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Taganga
Taganga
Position ofTagangawith respect to theSierra Nevada de Santa Marta
TheTaganga Faultforms the northern boundary of the village bordering the triangular shaped alluvial fans coming off the mountains in the background of the village

Taganga is located on the northern coast of Colombia, at the northwestern flank of theSierra Nevada de Santa Marta,the triangular mountain range in northern Colombia hosting the double peakPico Cristóbal ColónandPico Simón Bolívar,the highest mountain(s) (5,700 metres (18,700 ft)) closest to the sea (42 kilometres (26 mi)) in the world.

The village of approximately 1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi) is situated south of the Tayrona National Park. It is home to theTairona peopleand to a richbiodiversity.The mountain range is thought to have formed from to the easternward movement of theCaribbean Plate,along theOca Fault,which forms the boundary with theSouth American Plate.

The area around Tanganga geologically forms part of the Santa Marta Supergroup with mainrock typesmetamorphic rocksasphyllitesandamphibolites.[6][7]The phyllites are overlain by the Ciénaga Marble.[8]The greenish phyllites are rich inphyllosilicates,amphibolesand large crystals ofpyrite,while the amphibolites containquartziteveins showing stockwork patterns surrounded bymuscovite.[9]The contact of the twometamorphic faciesis located within Taganga.[10]

The urban center of Taganga is situated onalluvial fandeposits fed by thehinterlandof the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.[11]

Analysis ofactinoliteminerals in the phyllites of Taganga producedLowerand Mid-Cretaceousages, which is much older than theRodadero Formationoutcroppingsouth of Santa Marta.[12]The metamorphic rocks were formed under pressures of 3–9.5 kbar and temperatures between 300 °C (572 °F) and 650 °C (1,202 °F).[13]

Taganga Fault[edit]

See also:Bucaramanga-Santa Marta Fault

The Taganga Fault is the tectonic lineament separating the village of Taganga from the Tayrona Park in the north.[14]The activity of the NE-trending fault has produced carbonitization of the phyllites.[15]The fault is areverse faultthat is characterized byserpentinites,the presence ofepidoteand the formation oftalcminerals.[16]

Climate[edit]

DroughtinTagangain May 2016; 1 day of rain since November 2015

The climate of Taganga isBSh(Köppen classification), with hot days and warm nights with average daily temperatures of 30 °C (86 °F) to 32 °C (90 °F) and night average of 24 °C (75 °F). Rainfall is scattered throughout the year with a total of 661 millimetres (26.0 in), but many dry periods cause water shortages in the village.[5]From November 2015 to May 2016 a strong drought was present in Taganga; it only rained for one day in this period (299 millimetres (11.8 in)).[17][18]

Taganga - 11 m
Climate chart (explanation)
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
9
32
22
2
32
22
3
33
23
23
33
24
70
33
24
78
33
24
56
33
24
71
33
24
114
33
23
134
32
23
77
32
23
24
32
22
█Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
█Precipitation totals in mm
Source:Climate-data.org - Taganga
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
0.4
90
71
0.1
90
72
0.1
91
73
0.9
91
74
2.8
91
75
3.1
91
75
2.2
92
75
2.8
91
75
4.5
91
74
5.3
90
74
3
89
73
0.9
90
72
█Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
█Precipitation totals in inches

History[edit]

Main article:Spanish conquest of the Muisca
See also:List of conquistadors in Colombia
Rodrigo de Bastidas,founder of Santa Marta and Taganga

In the time before the arrival of the Spanish, Santa Marta was populated by theGairaindigenous people.Taganga was inhabited by theTaganga,under the leadership of acacique.In those ages the population of Taganga was substantial.[19][20]

The first European sighting of the mainland ofSouth Americawas byChristopher Columbusat his third voyage to theAmericasin August 1498 when he sailed through theGulf of Pariaseparating the island ofTrinidadwith mainland present-dayVenezuela.Although Colombia is named after Columbus, he never saw the lands of current Colombia. The furtherst south Columbus went was in present-day Panama, that until 1903 was part of(Gran) Colombia.One of Columbus's competitors,Alonso de Ojeda,was the firstconquistadorwho set foot on mainland Colombia in 1499.[19][21]In 1502, the Colombian Caribbean coast stretching from theNeedle Cape(Cabo de la Aguja) until theGulf of Urabá,was explored for the first time.[19]In 1514, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta was explored and on July 29, 1525,day of Santa Martha, her sister María and her brother Lázaro,the oldest colonial city of South America; Santa Marta, was founded byRodrigo de Bastidas.[19][22]ChroniclerJuan de Castellanosvisited Taganga in 1534.

In the 17th century, at the time of theencomiendas,the area from Santa Marta toRiohachawas ruled by governor Diego Fernández de Argote y Córdoba. The church of Taganga was built after thehermitagemade of clay was destroyed in theearthquakeof May 22, 1834. The earthquake was the result oftectonicmovements of the Oca Fault.[23]

Modern history[edit]

Taganga is north of Santa Marta and has grown in recent years

Until the 1950s, Taganga was an isolated fishing village due to the lack of road access from Santa Marta.[3]In 1988 there was only one hotel in Taganga.

Since August 1998 Taganga is a separate corregimiento again and on December 12, 2014, Taganga was incorporated into a locality for improvement of the local conditions.[24][25]

Pollution of the sea and projects for water treatment have gotten the attention of the authorities in the 21st century.[26]

Taganga, located on the southern edge of the Tayrona National Park, suffers fromillegal constructionin the park area, designated protected land.[27]

The village has a cultural center organizing festivities for the local residents. The center was established in 2004.[28]

West of the football pitch of Taganga, since 2015 a park is under construction.[5]

Sex and drug tourism[edit]

In 2015, an Israeli ex-soldier constructed a large hotel complex, including bars, swimming pool and tennis court, to accommodate Israeli travelers, notably ex-soldiers who ended their military service.[29]In 2017, the hotel became increasingly known for providing drugs and prostitutes to its customers, as well as organizing orgy-like parties. Some of the prostitutes were minors.[30]

At the end of 2017, the owner was summoned to a migration office in Santa Marta, arrested and deported after presenting a risk to ″public safety and social tranquillity″.[31][32]

Following the arrest, locals found that the security has improved.[33]

Economy[edit]

Boats in Taganga harbour in the morning

Main economical activity of the traditional village is fishing. The majority of the local population is active in the fishing industry with fishermen leaving the harbour early in the morning. The fishing boats are small wooden kayaks where three people row and one has a dragging net of 90 metres (300 ft) wide and 7 metres (23 ft) to 12 metres (39 ft) deep.[34]

Commercial fishing[edit]

These and other fish species are caught around Taganga:[35]

Tourism[edit]

Muralof ahostelin Taganga

Since the construction of the road to Santa Marta in 1953, Taganga has been growing to become an important touristic village with numerous hotels, hostels and restaurant arising in the late 20th and early 21st century.[3]The character of the backpacker hotspot is bohemian with variousmuralsdecorating the village. Most of the streets are unpaved.

Especially famous for Taganga are its sunsets; people come from Santa Marta to watch them on the beach. The colours can vary from orange to pink, depending on the atmospheric conditions.

Friction between the traditional local population of the village and the growing hostel industry mostly by foreign investments has been present in the 20th and 21st century.[36]

  • Mural of a Guna woman
    Mural of aGunawoman
  • Mural in Taganga
    Mural in Taganga
  • Another mural
    Another mural
  • Sunset Taganga
    Sunset Taganga
  • Sunset
    Sunset
  • Sunset
    Sunset

Diving[edit]

Dive sites in Tayrona National Park
Isla Agujais highlighted
View ofIsla Aguja
Sea slugaround Isla Aguja
Coraland fish around Isla Aguja
Honeycomb cowfish,sea slug and sponge around Isla Aguja
Spotted morayin the waters of Tayrona Park

Taganga is the starting point for one of the main dive locations of Colombia. TheMalpeloandGorgona Islandreserves are thePacificdive sites of the country, while diving aroundSan Andrés y Providencia,theRosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Parkoff the coast ofCartagenaand in Tayrona Park is done in the Caribbean. More than ten dive centers offer courses of all levels at low cost in Taganga. The prices are among the lowest of the Caribbean, competing withPanamaandUtila,Honduras.[37]

Various types ofcorals,sponges,sea turtles,molluscs,crustaceansand over 129 species of fish have been identified in the waters around Taganga and Tayrona Park. Most of the diving is concentrated aroundIsla Aguja( "Needle Island" ).

Underwater fauna that can be encountered in the vicinity of Taganga are among others:

  • Diving around Isla Aguja
    Diving around Isla Aguja
  • Diving around Isla Aguja
    Diving around Isla Aguja
  • Coral around Isla Aguja
    Coral around Isla Aguja
  • Coral around Isla Aguja
    Coral around Isla Aguja
  • Lost diver statue
    Lost diver statue

Gallery[edit]

  • Church of Taganga
    Church of Taganga
  • Church interior
    Church interior
  • View of Taganga, 2014
    View of Taganga, 2014
  • View of Taganga harbour from the north
    View of Taganga harbour from the north
  • Fishing boats in Taganga harbour
    Fishing boats in Taganga harbour

Panoramas[edit]

View ofTaganga harbour,2013
Park construction andTaganga mural,2016

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Google Maps Area Calculator
  2. ^abGoogle Maps Elevation Finder
  3. ^abc(in Spanish)History of Taganga
  4. ^Postal code Taganga
  5. ^abc(in Spanish)2015 -Etymology, droughts and park construction Taganga
  6. ^Caicedo & Guarín, 2011
  7. ^Sáenz Reyes, 2011
  8. ^Caicedo & Guarín, 2011, p.30
  9. ^Caicedo & Guarín, 2011, p.62
  10. ^Sáenz Reyes, 2011, pp.61-64
  11. ^Sáenz Reyes, 2011, p.95
  12. ^Sáenz Reyes, 2011, p.146
  13. ^Caicedo & Guarín, 2011, p.113
  14. ^Sáenz Reyes, 2011, p.73
  15. ^Sáenz Reyes, 2011, p.62
  16. ^Sáenz Reyes, 2011, p.72
  17. ^(in Spanish)2016 -Climate data Taganga February 2016
  18. ^Climate-data.org - Taganga
  19. ^abcd(in Spanish)2010 -The founder of Santa Marta-El Mundo
  20. ^Diccionario geográfico, 2010, p.412
  21. ^History of Colombia
  22. ^Exploration of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
  23. ^(in Spanish)Earthquake of May 22 1834
  24. ^(in Spanish)1998 -Taganga separate corregimiento again-El Tiempo
  25. ^(in Spanish)2015 -Taganga locality 2
  26. ^(in Spanish)2006 -Taganga, at risk?-Semana
  27. ^(in Spanish)2016 -Construction in Taganga
  28. ^(in Spanish)Cultural center Taganga
  29. ^How Israeli ex-soldiers turned a Colombia fishing town into a sex and drug den
  30. ^Cayó israelí que armaba orgías con drogas y menores en Taganga
  31. ^Sex, drugs and crime in Taganga: Colombia’s lesson on tourism development
  32. ^Israeli deported following arrest for running drug and sex hostel in Taganga
  33. ^Tras deportación del israelí Assi Moosh, habitantes de Taganga sienten más tranquilidad
  34. ^(in Spanish)2015 -Fishing activity in Taganga- El Tiempo
  35. ^Rodríguez Méndez et al., 2006, p.6
  36. ^(in Spanish)2014 -Taganga; a history of protests
  37. ^(in Spanish)2013 -Diving in Taganga- El Tiempo
  38. ^abcd(in Spanish)2010 -Underwater fauna Taganga
  39. ^(in Spanish)2010 -Lion fish hunt in Taganga
  40. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaabacadaeafagahaiajakalCuadrado González, 2002, pp.49-57

Bibliography[edit]

  • Caicedo Caballero, Karoll Lizbeth; Guarín Reyes, Erika Andrea (2011),Geología y petrología de las rocas metamórficas del sector comprendido entre las Bahías de Gaira y Taganga, Provincia tectónica de Santa Marta, Colombia - Geology and petrology of the metamorphic rocks of the sector between the Bays of Gaira and Taganga, tectonic province of Santa Marta, Colombia(in Spanish),Universidad Industrial de Santander,Bucaramanga,pp. 1–131
  • Cuadrado González, Jeimy N. (2002),Caracterización de la estructura de las comunidades ícticas en las zonas arrecifales de Isla Aguja, Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona, Caribe Colombiano - Characterization of the ichtyofauna in the reef zones of Aguja Island, Tayrona National Park, Colombian Caribbean(PDF)(in Spanish),Universidad Javeriana,Bogotá,pp. 1–125,retrieved2016-07-08
  • Rodríguez Méndez, Nataly; Gaitán, Saeko; Chaparro, Nicolás (2006),"Evaluación del crecimiento de juveniles del BagreAriopsis bonillaiutilizando alimento con probióticos en condiciones de laboratorio "[Evaluation of the growth of juvenile of CatfishAriopsis bonillaiusing food with probiotics in laboratory conditions](PDF),Revista AquaTIC(in Spanish),24:3–12,ISSN1578-4541,retrieved2016-07-08
  • Sáenz Reyes, Julie Andrea (2011),Itinerario geológico de la franja costera entre el Aeropuerto Internacional Simón Bolívar y la Bahía de Taganga, Provincia geotectónica de Santa Marta - Geological itinerary of the coastal strip between the international airport Simón Bolívar and Taganga Bay, geotectonic province of Santa Marta(in Spanish), Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, pp. 1–282
  • Various, authors (2010),Diccionario geográfico universal dedicado a la Reina Nuestra Señora - Universal geographic dictionary dedicated to Our Queen(in Spanish),Universidad Complutense,Madrid:Rev. José Torner, pp. 1–894,retrieved2016-07-08

External links[edit]

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