El Totumo
| El Totumo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) [1] |
| Prominence | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Coordinates | 10°44′40.1″N 75°14′29.05″W / 10.744472°N 75.2414028°W |
| Geography | |
| Location | Santa Catalina, Bolívar, Colombia |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Mud volcano |
El Totumo Mud Volcano (Spanish: Volcán de Lodo El Totumo) is a mud volcano located near sea level in northern Colombia in the municipality of Santa Catalina.[2] A local tourist destination, popular for its alleged healing mud bath, it receives most of its visitors from nearby Cartagena. The mound has a prominence of about 15 m (49 ft) and it is accessible via a staircase that leads to the crater, which can accommodate about 10 to 15 people at a time; there, tourists bathe in the dense, warm mud and have the option of receiving personal massages from the attendants.[3] The experience is then followed by a bath in a nearby lagoon to remove the mud.[1][3]
According to local lore, the volcano used to spew fire, lava, and ashes, but it was turned into mud by a local priest who believed it was the work of the Devil, and endeavored to banish him by sprinkling holy water into it.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 Woods, Sarah (2008). Colombia. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 371–372. ISBN 978-1-84162-242-2. OCLC 190777529. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
- ↑ "Nuestro Municipio". Turismo (in Spanish). Alcaldía de Santa Catalina. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
- 1 2 Esrock, Robin (2008-01-08). "Tourists bask in the mineral-rich goo of Colombian mud volcano". The Dallas Morning News; Life/Travel. Retrieved 2010-02-23.