Montería: Montería

Montería city

Montería is the capital of the Department of Córdoba. It is also considered the most important cattle city in Colombia. Montería was founded on May 1^st, 1777 by Antonio de la Torre y Miranda who moved the city from the place called Monterías to the place where the city is located today. The first name of the city was San Jerónimo de Buenavista. Some years later the city is named San Jerónimo de Montería to remember the first place where the city was founded (Monterías means place where hunters meet to hunt.)
But, the city has changed a lot from that time. Today natives and visitors can see a city that is developing so fast. People from Montería have to be so proud of the city they were born in.[1]

Montería Popular Festivals

The most important festival in Montería is the Cattle Festival which is celebrated in June every year. There are two beauty pageants in the Festival. The National Cattle Beauty Pageant, and The International Cattle Beauty Pageant.
It is an important festival for the region economy. People buy and sell agricultural and cattle products in this time and have a lot of fun because there are music concerts everywhere.
The National Cattle Beauty Pageant Corporation is an organization with Head office in Montería. It organizes and carries out this contest every year in June. This event started in 1961. It was organized by a group of cattle - dealer in that time. This event integrates the country through women’s beauty and gives honor or tribute to the principal Economy Product of Córdoba.

First Avenue

There are several places in the city where tourists can have fun. Such as the first avenue or Ronda de Sinú Park, Los Planchones, Simon Bolivar Park, and The Sun Passage or Paseje del Sol.

The First Avenue is so beautiful especially at Christmas time. The First Avenue is considered one of the most beautiful and biggest parks in South America. People from Monteria love this place because they can have a good time, learning and enjoying art at the Museo Zenú, eating an ice cream, doing exercises or just resting in a bench. It is located along the Sinú River. So, it has a great view. In this park you can enjoy nature, know, feed or play with intersting animals such as: squirrel, sloth, iguana, swallow, monkeys

When you visit Montería you should relax at the First Avenue and cross the Sinú River by Planchón: a Planchón is a city transportation to cross the Sinú River, people describe them as an extension of each street, but they are also a way to control pollution because they do not have motors so they do not produce Co2. That’s why it is an ideal transportation system to prevent pollution in the city and one of the greatest tourist's attraction in Montería.

Another important place in the city is Simón Bolívar Park which is located in front of San Jerónimo Cathedral between 27th and 28th street. On special occations people dance fandangos and make concerts there. This is a place to rest and meet friends and in Easter you can try all kind of typical food there.

The Sun Passage or Paseje del Sol is the party center in my home town. There are a lot of pubs, ice -cream shops, cafés and restaurants. When the nights come a lot of people go there to have fun.