Barrancabermeja is first and foremost an oil town – a detail that will not be lost on the visitor. A massive refinery looms large over this sweltering settlement on the Magdalena River. Temperatures rarely dip below 30 degrees and are more often edging the 40s. Barrancabermeja was the first city in Colombia with an international airport since its refinery drew in prospectors from all over the world.
Until the early 2000s Barrancabermeja was plagued by urban violence resulting from the conflict in Colombia. To this day the citizens or Barramejos as they are known, talk of there being three actual Barrancabermejas. The first being the refinery which is pretty much its own self contained city, the second being leafy and pleasant middle class neighborhoods such as Las Colinas and the third Barrancabermeja are the poor barrios on the other side of the railway tracks that were up until recently held by the guerrillas.
Despite having a great deal to draw the visitor, Barrancabermeja is a great place to mix it up with Colombians. Friendly and accommodating the visitor will found themselves invited on day trips to nearby cienagas where one can swim in the cooling waters, enjoy water sports and lunch on freshwater fish caught earlier that day.
(Altitude: 126m, Population: 300,000, City Code: 7)