Palacio San Carlos

Caribbean Coast


A former Jesuit convent that's now the town hall, this fine building dates from 1600 and has a notable statue of a freed slave with broken chains outside it. The line 'Si a Caracas debo la vida, a Mompox debo la gloria' (If to Caracas I owe my life, then to Mompox I owe my glory) comes from Bolívar himself and refers to the fact that some 400 men from Mompós formed the basis of his victorious revolutionary army.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Caribbean Coast attractions

1. Museo del Arte Religioso

0.14 MILES

Mompós' main museum is a decent collection of religious paintings, gold and silver crosses and other religious objects, all displayed in several rooms of…

2. Piedra de Bolívar

0.19 MILES

This solemn stone on the riverbank records the comings and goings of Simón Bolívar during the wars of independence from Spanish rule. Most important was…

3. Cementerio Municipal

0.22 MILES

Mompós' cemetery is a striking spot; whitewashed graves and slots for remains are stacked high atop each other, sometimes six together, forming a wall of…

4. Iglesia de Santa Bárbara

0.47 MILES

Dating from 1613, this unusual riverside church is undoubtedly the most striking building in Mompós, with its wide-eyed lions and griffins, its strange…