Meetings Industry: Leading Successful Encounters
Barranquilla, the golden gate of Colombia, is a city characterized by its colors, its rhythms, its flavors, and especially by its population. Located in the Colombian Caribbean, on the banks of the mouth of the Magdalena River and the Caribbean Sea, this city hosts one of the most important carnivals in the world: the Barranquilla Carnival.
The Official House of the Colombian National Team is recognized for its spontaneous, cheerful, and warm people. It is one of the four main cities in the country and the largest in the Colombian Caribbean.
- Population: around 1.32 million inhabitants.
- Average temperature: 26-28 ºC – 78-82 ºF.
Incentive Travel
Barranquilla is a city that has everything to complement any incentive trip you have in mind. The pleasant weather allows enjoying its beaches and celebrations throughout the year. In addition, the city has various national and international routes seeking to increase its accessibility and connectivity with the world.
The Carnival of Barranquilla was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003, considered one of the most important in Latin America, second only to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival. The joy, color, and flavor of this and other events can be felt throughout the year. The city offers different incentive activities, which can be part of your program so that all attendees feel the rhythm of Barranquilla's culture to the sound of the millo flute and the drum.
Here are some tourism products you can find in Barranquilla:
- Culture: Barranquilla offers cultural tours that allow visitors to explore the city's rich cultural heritage. These may include visits to museums, art galleries, historical monuments, and traditional neighborhoods. The Barranquilla Carnival is one of Colombia's most important cultural events and one of the largest carnivals in the world. Although the main festivities take place in February, the city breathes carnival throughout the year. Incentive travelers can enjoy carnival-related activities, such as costume-making workshops and folk dances.
- Shopping: Barranquilla is a prominent place for shopping, especially for Caribbean handicrafts. Incentive travelers can explore markets and shops offering unique products such as vueltiao hats, hammocks, and artisanal jewelry.
- Gastronomy: The cuisine of the Colombian Caribbean is varied and delicious. Incentive travelers can taste traditional dishes such as "coconut rice," "shrimp ceviche," and "patacon with hogao." It is also an ideal place to try fresh exotic fruits and tropical juices. In Barranquilla, travelers can enjoy fresh seafood, grilled fish, and meats in relaxed environments with live music.
- Nature: Barranquilla is surrounded by various parks and natural attractions. These include the Isla de Salamanca Natural Park, the Barranquilla Zoo, Bocas de Ceniza, and the recently inaugurated Ecoparque Ciénaga De Mallorquín.
- Wellness: In addition to enjoying the Caribbean breeze on its beaches, in Barranquilla, you can access a varied offer of spas where you can relax. Some of these have taken advantage of the privileged location by the Caribbean Sea to create a revitalizing atmosphere by the coast. You can also find therapies that use natural ingredients such as aloe vera, coconut, and cocoa, which are common products of the region. These ingredients not only provide benefits for the skin and body but also connect you with the richness of the local flora.
- Nautical: sail through the Caribbean in an area outside the hurricane influence, making it safe for all cruise, yacht, and sailboat sailors.
- Luxury: In Barranquilla, you will find a varied offer in accommodations that offer attractive activities. In these, you can enjoy accommodations and plans inside and outside the city, as well as delight in the best Mediterranean dishes.
Congresses and Conventions
Barranquilla is a tourist destination with a high vocation for event tourism and business travel. The city has a modern world-class infrastructure and extensive experience in the segment, with venues such as the Puerta de Oro Events Center, the Blue Gardens Inn Convention Center, sports venues, and hotel ballrooms for the organization and realization of all types of events.
Additionally, it has the Grand Malecón for a complementary experiences offer and a space like the Crystal Pavilion with capacity for events of up to 1,000 people. This inspiring destination is ideal for any type of meeting.
In recent years, Barranquilla has hosted major congresses such as the World Congress of Jurists held in December 2021. The city is equipped with all the necessary technology to host business meetings.
Events
Barranquilla is the ideal city for hosting large events. Thus, in recent years, there are important success stories, such as the Central American and Caribbean Games, whose competitions took place in 13 new and/or recently remodeled sports venues, receiving more than 6,000 athletes from 38 countries. International events of great importance held in Barranquilla were the FOROMIC 2018 Microfinance Forum of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Annual Meeting of the Inter-American Development Bank (2021), and the World Law Congress (2021). Likewise, matches of the Colombian National Soccer Team, tennis tournaments (mainly held at the Country Club and Lagos de Caujaral), and seasons of the national baseball league are frequent, among many other disciplines.
Highlighted Locations for Your Event
Traditional Locations
1. Puerta de Oro Events Center:
- Maximum capacity for 16,000 people in cocktail layout and 7,000 people in auditorium.
- Other spaces: auditorium with capacity for 300 PAX and 1,600 m2 lobby.
- Adaptable to space and capacity requirements.
- 7,830 m2 column-free pavilion.
2. Blue Gardens Convention Center:
- It has 11 rooms designed to accommodate corporate meetings, congresses, and social events.
- The total area of the Convention Center is 3,200 m2.
- The largest room can accommodate 800 PAX.
3. Country Club-Jumbo Hall:
- It has a space of over 3,000 m2 with 80 parking spaces available.
- It has rooms with a capacity for 2,000 people, auditorium-style rooms, and meeting rooms.
4. Crystal Pavilion:
- Space built on the banks of the Magdalena River on the Grand Malecón.
- Maximum capacity for 800 PAX in auditorium.
- Area of 1,740 m2, with a 240 m2 lobby.
5. Crystal Cube:
- Located in Plaza de la Paz.
- It has modern architecture with an imposing 600m2 metal and glass structure.
- Capacity for 200 PAX.
Non-Traditional Locations
1. Customs Square:
- Urban building of republican architecture built in 1849, due to the importance of the city as a maritime and river port.
- Stage for outdoor parties and cocktails in a space of 2,500 m2.
2. Salgar Castle:
- Building that preserves features of colonial architecture, being a historical monument of Puerto Colombia facing the Caribbean Sea. Built by the Spaniards during the Colonial era. It is located 20 minutes from the capital of the Atlantic.
- Capacity for 350 PAX outdoors.
3. Caribbean Cultural Park:
- First museum and cultural center specializing in a region.
- It has six rooms with permanent exhibitions, a large public square outdoors for cultural events, children's areas, and green areas.
Hotels
Barranquilla is a city with a hotel capacity of approximately 4,200 corporate rooms divided among 45 hotels of medium and high category. Major international and national chains such as Dann Carlton, Movich, Estelar, Hilton, among others, are part of this array of options when accommodating clients traveling to the city.
Highlighted Activities for Your Event
Follow the rhythm of colors and joy of a carnival with over 100 years of tradition:
- Experience duration: 3-5 days.
- Description: participate in the festivities of the country's largest and most important Carnival, dressing in colors and joining a parade that marches along Vía 40 during the popular Battle of Flowers and other traditional parades. Live an unparalleled experience dancing to the rhythms of Caribbean music and feel the joy of the people of Barranquilla united in a single celebration.
Visit the Grand Malecón, on the banks of the Magdalena River:
- Experience duration: 1-2 hours.
- The Magdalena is also known as "The River of Life" thanks to Gabriel García Márquez's work One Hundred Years of Solitude.
- Description: the Grand Malecón is a frequent venue for numerous cultural activities. If you wish, you can also enjoy a pleasant walk along the river, aboard the boats that depart from the pier. This is a unique space where you will find sports, nature, gastronomy, and culture without leaving the city. The Grand Malecón is the place that welcomes both locals and visitors with the same warmth and joy, who continue to arrive to enjoy the great tourist offer of Barranquilla.
Experience exploring the Magdalena River:
- Experience duration: 2-3 hours.
- Description: the Mita is one of the boats that take a tour along Colombia's largest river, where you can live an experience amidst representative folkloric rhythms of the Barranquilla Carnival; reaching "Bocas de Cenizas," the place where the river meets the Caribbean Sea. Magdatours, Zero Stress, Osorio Tours, and Asitours are just some operators that offer this experience.
Enjoy the gastronomic delights of a varied and unique immigrant cuisine in one place:
- Description: Barranquilla stands out for its gastronomic variety, from the most traditional to haute cuisine. Thanks to its influence from other immigrant cultures, the city has to offer its visitors culinary experiences for all tastes: typical food, seafood, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Mediterranean, and Asian.
- Some recommended restaurants are: Manuel, Palo de Mango, Varadero, Miura, Nena Lela, Teriyaki Komodo, Kinto Elemento, El Celler, Sabina, Storia D’ Amore, Santa Cabrona, Mistura, Cuzco, Noa Sushi and Robata, Mia Italy, Fiordi, Casa Tua, Pepe Anca, M Cocina, Zaitún, Árabe Gourmet, Harissa, Narcobollo, La Tiendecita, Rosa Negra, La María, Nancy Cabrera, and Mimi.
