The Río Magdalena is a point of reference in Honda for museums, fishing, and crafts. The Museo del Río Magdalena provides an overview of navigation on the river and its economic, social, and cultural development. This subject goes beyond navigation: the river is also considered in the context of social and economic changes. Honda’s traditional fishing practices include making cast nets and woodworking along the Río Magdalena. These activities complement the museum’s broad perspective with local craft traditions and highlight two distinct cultural approaches: the river’s development in a wider context and the work associated with it.
Festivals with Different Themes
At the end of February, Honda celebrates the Carnaval Cultural y Reinado Popular de la Subienda in honor of the fishers who navigate the Río Magdalena and the Subienda tradition. The exact dates vary. On the last Sunday in June, the Día del Sentimiento y Orgullo Hondano takes place in Honda’s Plaza de Mercado; the specific date varies from year to year. This festival celebrates the community’s cuisine, traditions, and cultural identity. The events have different focuses: in February, fishing and the Subienda take center stage; in June, cuisine, traditions, and the community’s sense of identity. If one of the festivals is a deciding factor for your trip, check the specific event date.
This means there is a clear distinction when planning your travel dates: both festivals have dates that vary, while architecture and museum themes offer other cultural points of interest. If you want to make a festival the focus of your trip, plan around its specific date. If you are mainly interested in architectural and river history, these themes are more likely to determine the focus of your visit than a particular event day.
Architectural Heritage and Heritage Status
Honda has an urban cultural heritage in the colonial and republican styles and belongs to the Red de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia network. The Casa Museo Alfonso López Pumarejo is a single-story building from the 17th century and an example of Andalusian colonial architecture. Honda’s former railway station is also single-story and dates from the first half of the 20th century. The two buildings therefore stand side by side, with a similar basic form but markedly different dates. The Casa Museo links its construction period to a specific stylistic classification; the railway station provides a later point of reference. This makes it possible to consider individual buildings alongside Honda’s broader classification in colonial and republican styles.
Puente Navarro is located in the Pueblo Nuevo neighborhood, east of and 200 meters from Honda’s colonial zone. It was declared a Monumento Nacional in 1994; today it is a Bien de Interés Cultural. The date 1994 refers to its declaration as a Monumento Nacional, while Bien de Interés Cultural describes the bridge’s current status. Its position relative to the colonial zone provides another point of reference alongside this timeline.
Discover more destinations: La Enea, Los Geranios, Tomogo, Purificacion, Saldana, Viviendas Hidroprado, Guadalajara, Calubaima.
For the regional travel overview: Tolima.
