Mamatoco Before the Pavement: The Last Mud Store
If you walk down Carrera 5ta in Mamatoco, amidst the smell of fritanga and the noise of mototaxis, there is a corner that seems frozen in 1950. There is no neon sign, no concrete facade. Just a bahareque wall stained by time, a worn wooden counter, and a 78-year-old woman who serves you coffee in a plastic cup while telling you how this neighborhood was nothing but bush, a royal road, and mud houses. It is Doña Matilde's Store, and it is all that remains of Mamatoco's original architecture. This article is a map of what is gone, a denunciation of what is taking over, and an invitation to discover this corner before the pavement swallows it all.
Origin of the Neighborhood as an Indigenous Settlement
Mamatoco was not born with the Spanish. Long before Rodrigo de Bastidas set foot on the bay, this area was a settlement of the Tairona ethnic group, specifically the Mamatoco branch, who controlled the trade routes between the Sierra Nevada and the sea. The neighborhood's name comes from Cacique Mamatoco, an indigenous leader who resisted the conquest and whose name was etched into the local toponymy. Until well into the 20th century, the inhabitants of Mamatoco spoke Chimila and maintained agricultural practices inherited from their ancestors.
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During the colonial period, the neighborhood was a mandatory passage point for those traveling from Santa Marta to Ciénaga or the towns of the Sierra. Houses were built with bahareque: a mixture of mud, straw, and guadua bamboo over a wooden frame. This system, brought from Africa and adapted by indigenous people, kept homes cool even in the infernal heat of the coast. In 1950, Mamatoco had just over 200 houses, all made of bahareque, with palm-thatched roofs and patios where chickens were raised and yucca was planted.
Today, of those 200 houses, only one remains. Literally one. The rest have been replaced by block, cement, and exposed brick constructions. Doña Matilde's Store is the last witness to this living architecture.
The Urban Transformation of the Last 20 Years
Between 2005 and 2025, Mamatoco experienced a demographic explosion that no urban planner knew how to manage. The construction of the Troncal del Caribe highway and the expansion of the El Rodadero hotel zone pushed thousands of people to seek housing on the periphery. Mamatoco, which was once a town separated from Santa Marta by pastures and mangroves, became just another neighborhood, connected by Avenida del Ferrocarril.
The change was brutal. Where there were dirt roads, they laid asphalt. Where there were lots with mango trees, they erected three-story buildings without any planning scheme. The aqueduct arrived, but the streets flood every winter because the pavement doesn't allow water to filter through. Lots that were once worth 5 million pesos are now negotiated at 200 million. Real estate pressure is such that several old houses were demolished in less than a week to build warehouses, workshops, and multi-family homes.
In July 2026, the landscape of Mamatoco is a collage of contrasts: a mud store next to a Domino's Pizza outlet, an evangelical church on a concrete second floor, and on the corner of Carrera 3 with Calle 12, the last bahareque facade that resists. The neighbors call it "grandma's house," and many young people don't even know that this material was the neighborhood standard until the 1980s.
The Only Store That Preserves the Original Bahareque Architecture
Doña Matilde's Store is located at Carrera 4 # 10-25, half a block from the San José de Mamatoco Church. The facade is made of bahareque plastered with lime, with a roof of fired clay tiles that are no longer manufactured in the region. Inside, the counter is a cedar plank over 60 years old, marked by knives and bottles. On the wooden shelves, there are cans of Klim milk, panela wrapped in bijao leaves, candles, matches, and Rey soap. There is no electric refrigerator: Doña Matilde keeps the sodas in a styrofoam cooler with ice that she buys every morning from the neighborhood ice factory.
The store doesn't just sell groceries. It is a living archive. On the walls hang photos from when Mamatoco was a rural hamlet, when the Manzanares River ran clean and people bathed in its pools. There is a black and white photo from 1947 showing the old town square, with a giant samán tree that was felled in 1999 to build the soccer field. There is also a diploma from the Mamatoco public school, dated 1953, which reads: "To Matilde Pinedo, for her dedication to study."
Doña Matilde inherited the store from her mother, who opened it in 1942. She herself was born in that house, in a room she now uses as a storage area. The original bahareque is intact: it can be seen on the internal walls, where the mud is mixed with coconut fiber and horse manure, a technique local builders call "embarrado." When it rains, the smell of wet earth permeates the entire store, and Doña Matilde says it is "the perfume of Mamatoco."
Interview with the Owner Who Refuses to Sell
Doña Matilde Pinedo, 78 years old, widow, three children, eight grandchildren. She sits on a red plastic chair behind the counter, wearing a floral apron and holding a rosary in her hand. While serving a black coffee to a neighbor, she speaks without filter:
"They offered me 300 million pesos for this house. Last year, a man from a construction company in Barranquilla came, with a lawyer and everything. He told me they were going to build an apartment building with a view of the Sierra. I told him: 'Look, young man, I don't need money. I need my grandchildren to know how we used to live.' He laughed, but I didn't. This house holds the memory of my mother, my father, my uncles. My grandmother died here in 1965, in that bed in the back room. How can I sell that?"
The neighbors support her. Don Carlos, the butcher on the corner, says that "Doña Matilde is the soul of the neighborhood." But the pressure is constant. The construction company has already bought the two neighboring houses, both made of bahareque, and demolished them in 2024. In their place, they built a five-story building with a glass facade and tiny balconies. Doña Matilde's store now looks like a doll in a concrete display case.
She knows her house is not official heritage. It is not declared a Property of Cultural Interest, nor is there any law protecting it. The District Heritage Institute of Santa Marta visited her once, in 2018, but never returned. "They told me they were going to make an inventory, but nothing happened," says Doña Matilde with resignation. Meanwhile, she continues selling panela, coffee, and loose cigarettes, and every afternoon, when she closes the wooden door, she prays a Hail Mary so the house can hold on one more day.
Contrast with New Constructions
Two blocks from the store, on Carrera 5 with Calle 14, there is a residential complex called "Portal de Mamatoco." It has 120 apartments of 45 square meters, with a pool, gym, and 24-hour security. The entry price is 180 million pesos. The walls are drywall, the floors are porcelain tile, and the windows are aluminum. There is not a single visible brick, clay tile, or wooden window. Residents pay a monthly maintenance fee of 200 thousand pesos and are prohibited from hanging clothes on the balconies.
This building represents what Mamatoco is today: a neighborhood that grew without memory. The new constructions ignore the topography, climate, and history. The bahareque houses had wide eaves to protect the walls from the sun and rain; the new buildings have glass facades that turn rooms into ovens. The old houses had inner courtyards that provided natural ventilation; modern apartments depend on air conditioning, which raises the electricity bill to 300 thousand pesos per month.
The contrast is most evident in the way people socialize. At Doña Matilde's Store, people sit on the sidewalk to chat, drink coffee, and watch life go by. At Portal de Mamatoco, neighbors greet each other through the building's chat and go down to the parking lot without looking at each other. The old neighborhood was noisy, communal, with the smell of firewood and earth. The new neighborhood is silent, individualistic, with the smell of fresh paint and gasoline.
What to Do in Mamatoco (If You Care About Memory)
Mamatoco is not a tourist destination. There are no trendy restaurants, no cocktail bars, no art galleries. What it has is more valuable: layers of history you can touch with your hands.
Visit Doña Matilde's Store
This is ground zero. Arrive between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday. Buy a coffee (2,000 COP) or a soda (3,000 COP) and ask Doña Matilde to show you the photo of her grandmother. If you're lucky, she'll tell you what Mamatoco was like when there were no cars, when the river ran crystal clear, and when houses were built by hand.
Walk Along Railroad Street
This road, which was once the train line connecting Santa Marta with Fundación, is now a paved street full of mechanical workshops and warehouses. But if you look closely, you can still see the wooden sleepers embedded in the asphalt. It is a reminder that Mamatoco was a transport hub before becoming a bedroom community.
Search for Bahareque Remnants
Besides the store, there are two or three houses that still preserve fragments of bahareque on their rear facades. They are on Calle 11 between Carreras 3 and 4. They are not easy to see because the owners have covered them with zinc sheets or cardboard, but if you ask the older neighbors, they will point them out. It is an exercise in urban archaeology.
Go to the San José de Mamatoco Church
This church, built in 1920, is in a neo-Gothic style with Caribbean influence. Its facade is exposed brick, but the interior preserves a carved wooden altar and stained glass windows depicting the patron saints of the ancient Tairona settlements. Sunday mass is at 10:00 am, and afterwards, parishioners gather in the small square to buy cheese arepas and corozo juice.
Where to Eat or Drink in Mamatoco
The gastronomic offering in Mamatoco is modest but authentic. There are no restaurants with tablecloths or menus in English. What there is, is street food and home cooking.
Popular Eateries
On Carrera 4 with Calle 10, in front of Doña Matilde's Store, there is an eatery run by Doña Yolanda. She serves lunch from Monday to Friday, from 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm, for 12,000 COP. It includes soup, a main dish (rice, meat or fish, salad, patacón), and fresh juice. The menu changes depending on what is available at the market. Thursdays typically feature fish sancocho with yucca.
Street Fritanga
On Calle 11 with Carrera 5, there is a fritanga cart that opens from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. They sell arepas de huevo (4,000 COP), meat empanadas (2,500 COP), and patacones with hogao (5,000 COP). The oil is palm oil, the flavor is intense, and the service is fast. There are no tables, so you eat standing on the sidewalk.
Fresh Juices
In the church square, there is a woman who sells corozo, soursop, and tamarind juice in plastic bags, for 2,000 COP each. They are sweet, cold, and perfect for the heat. Ask for the "juguera," as the locals call her.
How to Get There and Transportation
Mamatoco is a 15-minute bus ride from downtown Santa Marta. The most common route is the "Mamatoco - Centro" bus, which runs along Avenida del Ferrocarril and Carrera 1. The fare is 2,500 COP (reference price as of July 2026). You can also take a mototaxi from the Public Market, which charges between 5,000 and 8,000 COP depending on the exact destination.
If you go by private car, from downtown take Avenida del Ferrocarril south, cross the Manzanares River bridge, and continue straight to Calle 11. The nearest parking lot is a lot on Carrera 3 with Calle 12, which charges 5,000 COP per hour. There is no attended parking, so don't leave valuables in sight.
For those coming from El Rodadero or Taganga, the fastest option is to take a bus to downtown and then transfer to the Mamatoco route. The total trip can take 45 minutes during rush hour.
Local Tips
- Bring cash. At Doña Matilde's Store and the popular eateries, they do not accept cards or Nequi. The nearest ATMs are at the Buenavista shopping center, a 10-minute mototaxi ride away.
- Don't go during lunch hour. Between 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm, the streets fill with construction workers and motorcycle traffic is unbearable. It's better to visit in the morning (8:00 am - 10:00 am) or late afternoon (4:00 pm - 6:00 pm).
- Ask for the "neighborhood elders." The men who sit on the benches in the church square are an oral source of history. If you offer them a coffee, they will tell you what Mamatoco was like before the paving. Don Eusebio, 82 years old, is the most talkative.
- Respect the store's hours. Doña Matilde closes on Sundays and holidays. If you arrive on a Sunday, don't insist. She rests and goes to mass. You can take the opportunity to explore the church and the square.
- Don't take photos without permission. Especially inside the store. Doña Matilde is friendly, but she doesn't like having her picture taken without asking. Ask her first, and she herself will show you which corners you can photograph.
- Buy something at the store. Even if it's just a pack of cookies. Doña Matilde lives off sales, and every purchase is a vote for the preservation of the bahareque. Plus, you'll earn her sympathy and she'll tell you more stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is It Called Mamatoco?
The name comes from the Tairona cacique Mamatoco, who ruled this area before the arrival of the Spanish. According to chroniclers, Mamatoco led a resistance against the conquerors in 1526, and his name became associated with the settlement. Today, the neighborhood bears his name as a tribute to this indigenous heritage.
Is Doña Matilde's Store at Risk of Demolition?
Yes, although there is no specific date. Real estate pressure is high, and the house has no official heritage protection. Doña Matilde refuses to sell, but her children, who live in Bogotá, have received purchase offers. If she passes away or becomes ill, the store could disappear within months. That's why it's important to visit it now.
Is There an Organized Tour to Explore Mamatoco?
There is no formal tour, but some local guides in Santa Marta offer walking tours of historic neighborhoods. Ask at the downtown tourism office (Calle 14 # 2-49) if they have a guide who knows Mamatoco. You can also contact the Fundación Memoria Samaria, which organizes sporadic walks. The best option, however, is to go on your own and talk to the neighbors.
Historical or Contextual Introduction
Mamatoco is a neighborhood with a rich history dating back to pre-Columbian times, initially inhabited by the Tayrona indigenous community. This place has transformed over the years, but it still preserves vestiges of its past, especially in its architecture and local traditions. The mud store you mention is a symbol of cultural resistance and the artisanal legacy that has been maintained through generations.
Carrera 5ta, where this store is located, is a witness to the daily hustle and bustle of Mamatoco's inhabitants. Here, the atmosphere blends with the sound of mototaxis and the aroma of fritanga, offering a unique sensory experience. This corner may seem detached from modernity, but in reality, it is a space where stories, flavors, and the authenticity of daily life intertwine.
Visiting Mamatoco is not only a journey back in time but also an opportunity to connect with local artisans and learn about their techniques and traditions firsthand. It is a place where cultural heritage remains alive, despite the changes brought by urban development.