Palenqueras of Cartagena: The Business of Tradition and Myth

Origins

If you have walked through the Centro Histórico of Cartagena, you have surely come across a woman with a colorful skirt, an embroidered white blouse, a headscarf, and a tray full of fruits or sweets. That image, as iconic as the city walls or the Castillo de San Felipe, is that of a palenquera. But what you see is not just a pretty costume for a souvenir: behind that tray lies a story of resistance, survival, and a constant struggle not to be reduced to a souvenir.

The palenqueras are direct descendants of the maroons, African slaves who escaped colonial oppression and founded fortified communities called palenques. The most famous of all, and the one that survives to this day, is San Basilio de Palenque, about 50 kilometers from Cartagena. There, in this village declared by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005, the tradition of the women who went down to the city to sell fruits, sweets, and herbs was born.

Since the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Palenquera women walked the streets of Cartagena with their trays on their heads, offering products they grew on their lands or prepared with recipes passed down from generation to generation. They were not a "tourist attraction": they were workers who economically supported their families while the rest of the country discriminated against them for being Black and poor.

What few know is that the palenquera trade was not just about selling. Many of them were also healers, midwives, and experts in medicinal plants. In a Cartagena where official medicine was scarce in poor neighborhoods, the palenqueras were the first health resource for many communities.

Timeline or Historical Milestones

17th Century: The Birth of San Basilio de Palenque

Founded by maroons led by Benkos Biohó, San Basilio de Palenque becomes the first free town in the Americas. There, the Palenquero language, a mix of Spanish and African Bantu languages, is preserved and still spoken today.

Late 19th Century: The First Palenqueras in Cartagena

Women from San Basilio begin traveling to Cartagena to sell fruits and sweets. They do so walking for hours or riding donkeys. The tray, made of calabash or wood, becomes their hallmark.

1920s: The Image Becomes Popular

Foreign photographers and travelers begin to portray the palenqueras. The image spreads on postcards and international magazines, but without recognizing their humanity or their history.

1980s: The Tourism Boom of Cartagena

With the massive arrival of tourists, the palenqueras go from being street vendors to an icon of the city. They appear in travel guides and promotional campaigns.

2005: San Basilio de Palenque Recognized by UNESCO

International recognition puts the spotlight on Palenquera culture. The palenqueras become ambassadors of their heritage, but also the object of a tourism that often treats them as decoration.

July 2026: The Debate Remains Relevant

Today, the palenqueras are at once entrepreneurs, street photography models, and symbols of a struggle for respect for their identity. The prices of their sweets have gone up, but so have the criticisms about how they are photographed without permission.

Key Figures or Events

Benkos Biohó: The Maroon Leader

Without Benkos Biohó, there would be no palenqueras. This African leader, brought as a slave to Cartagena in the early 17th century, escaped and organized the maroons to found San Basilio de Palenque. He was captured and hanged by the Spanish in 1621, but his legacy of freedom lives on in every tray a palenquera carries.

The "Black Maroon Women" of the 19th Century

Before the term "palenquera" existed, these women were known as "Black maroon women" or "women of the coast." In the historical archives of Cartagena, there are records of fines imposed on them for "shouting in the streets" or "dressing in flashy colors." Racial discrimination was so brutal that they were often forced to wear dull dresses so as not to "offend the sight" of white people.

Juana de Dios: A Palenquera Who Made History

Poorly documented but remembered in oral tradition, Juana de Dios was a palenquera who, in the early 20th century, organized other women to demand better prices for their products. She is said to have led a small revolt in the Plaza de los Coches when a merchant tried to pay them less than agreed. Her name does not appear in official history books, but the grandmothers of San Basilio still mention it.

Cecilia "La Palenquera": The Image That Went Around the World

In the 1970s, a photograph of Cecilia, a smiling palenquera with a tray of mangoes, was published in National Geographic magazine. That image went viral before the internet existed, and since then, the figure of the palenquera has been associated with the joy and color of Cartagena. But Cecilia never received a penny for that photo, and she died in poverty in San Basilio.

The Case of the "Palenquera of Discord" (2023)

In 2023, a video of an American tourist who refused to pay a palenquera after taking her photos went viral in Colombia. The debate over whether palenqueras should charge for being photographed intensified. Many locals defended the palenquera, while others argued that the city's image should not be a business. This case marked a before and after in the conversation about tourism ethics in Cartagena.

Current Status

Palenqueras Today: Between Entrepreneurship and Exploitation

In July 2026, the palenqueras are still part of the landscape of the Centro Histórico, but their role has changed. Many no longer sell fresh fruits, but traditional sweets like cocadas, alegrías, enyucados, caballitos, and bollos de mazorca. Prices range from $2,000 COP for a cocada to $10,000 COP for a portion of enyucado. Some offer free tastings to hook the tourist.

However, most of these women do not live in Cartagena. They travel from San Basilio de Palenque every dawn on buses that take up to two hours, and return at dusk. The business is seasonal: in high season (December, Easter, July) they can earn up to $200,000 COP a day. In low season, they barely reach $50,000 COP.

A curious fact that few know: the palenqueras do not use the tray for aesthetic tradition. The tray, made of calabash or light wood, allows them to keep their hands free to count money, greet customers, and, above all, to balance the weight on their heads without hurting their necks. It is an ancient ergonomic design, not an ornament.

The Ethical Debate: Photographing Them Without Permission and the Commercialization of the Image

One of the thorniest issues today is photography. Many tourists see a palenquera and fire the camera without asking. Most palenqueras already charge for posing: between $5,000 and $15,000 COP per photo, depending on the number of people and time. Some have fixed rates, others negotiate.

But the problem is not the charge. The problem is that they are often treated as if they were part of the urban furniture. "I am not a statue," said a palenquera named María del Socorro in a 2024 interview. "If you want my image, respect my work." The ethical dilemma is real: is it folklore or exploitation? Is it fair that a woman representing African resistance has to beg for her own image?

Since 2022, several local organizations have launched campaigns to promote ethical photography. The golden rule: always ask, negotiate the price, and do not take photos on the sly. Additionally, it is recommended to buy sweets or fruits from them as a way to give back, even if you don't take photos.

The Dress: More Than a Tourist Costume

The palenquera's attire is not a costume. The colorful skirt (pollera) and the embroidered white blouse are an adaptation of the clothing of enslaved African women, who combined fabrics brought from Africa with scraps of European fabrics. The bright colors (red, yellow, green, blue) are no coincidence: they represent joy and resistance. The headscarf, called a turbante, is not just an ornament: it protects from the sun, holds the hair, and, in colonial times, served to hide messages or small valuables.

Today, many palenqueras buy their dresses in shops in San Basilio or at the Bazurto market. A complete set (skirt, blouse, turban, and scarf) can cost between $80,000 and $150,000 COP. Some have them made with custom embroidery. But there is also a market for cheap imitations that sell "palenquera-style" dresses to tourists for $30,000 COP in the Centro, which has drawn criticism for trivializing traditional clothing.

Visit San Basilio de Palenque: The True Origin of the Legacy

If you really want to understand what it means to be a palenquera, it is not enough to see them in Cartagena. You have to go to San Basilio de Palenque. This village, 50 km from the city, is the heart of Afro-Colombian culture. There, they speak Palenquero, play the drum, dance the cumbia palenquera, and cook the same sweets that the palenqueras sell in the city.

In San Basilio, you can take a community tour that takes you to visit a Palenquera family home, learn to make cocadas, listen to stories from the elders, and visit the church where the Virgen del Rosario, the town's patron saint, is venerated. The tours are organized by the inhabitants themselves, and the money stays in the community. Prices: from $80,000 COP per person, including transportation from Cartagena and a typical lunch (rice with coconut, fried fish, patacones, and dulce de leche).

A fact few tourists know: in San Basilio, there is a Museum of Palenquera Culture that displays historical objects, musical instruments, and old photographs of the first palenqueras. Admission costs $5,000 COP and is run by the Association of Palenquera Women. It is worth it to understand that the tray is not an Instagram accessory, but a symbol of freedom.

Practical Recommendations for July 2026

• Photos with palenqueras in Cartagena: Always ask first. Offer between $5,000 and $10,000 COP for a photo. If you take several, negotiate. Do not take photos on the sly; it is bad manners and can cause conflict.
• Buying sweets: The cocadas (coconut, pineapple, milk) are the most popular. Also try the enyucados (made from yuca) and the caballitos (dulce de leche with coconut). Bring cash, as many do not have card machines.
• Tour to San Basilio de Palenque: Look for local operators like "Palenque Tours" or "Ruta del Cimarrón." Avoid large agencies that do not reinvest in the community. Ask if the guide is a Palenquero by birth.
• Clothing: If you buy a "palenquera-style" dress as a souvenir, buy it in San Basilio, not in the shops in the Centro. You directly support the artisans.
• Hours: The palenqueras are usually in the Centro from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. In high season, some stay until 7:00 pm in the Plaza de los Coches or the Plaza de la Aduana.

The Future of the Palenqueras

In recent years, some palenqueras have created cooperatives to sell their sweets online and export them to the United States and Europe. Others have opened small restaurants in San Basilio where they offer traditional cuisine. However, the majority still depend on street tourism, which is uncertain and seasonal.

The debate between tradition and modernity is not easily resolved. The new generations of Palenquera women, many with university degrees, are rethinking the trade. Some no longer want to carry the tray, but rather manage the business from an office. Others, on the other hand, see the tray as a source of pride they are not willing to let go of.

What is clear is that the palenquera is not a myth or a postcard character. She is a real woman, with a history, with a hunger for respect, and with a culture that deserves to be known beyond a selfie. The next time you see a tray full of colors, remember that you are not seeing an ornament: you are seeing the result of centuries of struggle for freedom.

Call to Action: Don't just settle for the photo in Cartagena. Discover the real Palenque: sign up for a community tour that respects the culture and directly supports Palenquera families. Search online for "Ethical San Basilio de Palenque Tour" and choose a local operator. Your visit can make the difference between perpetuating the myth or honoring the tradition.