Wayuu Culture Festival 2019 What is this festival about in La Guajira and how to get to Uribia?

Colombia is a mega diverse and pluricultural country that likes to celebrate diversity in all its expressions and, above all, to make show and honor all that abundant cultural wealth that is found in the country, bearing in mind that this is what has made Colombia the country that it is today. The Wayuu Culture Festival is one of these examples.

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The Wayuu Culture Festival is one of the fairs and festivals in Colombia that aims to rescue, maintain and make visible the ethnic cultural elements of the Wayuu community. The 2019 Wayuu Culture Festival will be held from May 31 to June 2 in Uribia , the indigenous capital of Colombia located in the Department of La Guajira . Keep reading and you will find information about the activities that will take place at the Wayuu Culture Festival , as well as how to get to Uribia to live this beautiful festival.

What will be in the Wayuu Culture Festival?

The Wayuu indigenous population is the largest indigenous community in the country, so this festival becomes a great party that takes the streets and places of Uribia , among others to exhibit and perform the events and activities scheduled in the Festival of the Wayuu Culture , among which is

Craft samples

All Colombians know that Wayuu art is characterized for making beautiful woven pieces of geometric designs with their multiple bright colors, which represent their way of expressing themselves and above all to maintain and transfer to the following generations their heritage and history. Each of these pieces, among which the backpacks are very famous, is made during many months of dedication using an ancient art known as Kanas. During the Wayuu Culture Festival, women exhibit their works through parades and different exhibitions. Undoubtedly, this space is the ideal to take with you a beautiful gift from Colombia.

Gastronomic exhibition

Wayuu food is also the protagonist during the festival. The typical dishes of the Wayuu culture is based on goat meat that is cooked and served in different ways. Some of the most famous dishes and that you have to try at least in the festival is the Friche and the Yajaushi.

Dance and theater

These are some of the most striking and popular activities of the Wayuu Culture Festival because during these spaces the indigenous people of the different clans dress in beautiful costumes and through plays and dances they represent the different myths, legends and ancestral dances for indigenous people of the Wayuu ethnic group. Attending these activities is not only to see people dancing and acting but to understand the meaning and to know in depth all the traditions and beliefs of the Wayuu culture.

Contests

During the Wayuu Culture Festival there are also several contests that represent an other of the most important activities of the festival. One of them is the contest of typical instruments and unpublished stories where participants of all ages participate to see who is the one who best plays the different typical instruments of culture, and  the stories have to go in relation to the theme of the festival.

There is another curious contest within the Wayuu Culture Festival that is the Olympics of strength, where men of all ages fight in hand-to-hand battles to prove who is the strongest of all.

And finally, the contest is also held to select the Majayut de Oro or Miss Wayuu which becomes the ambassador of the Wayuu culture nationally and internationally, but to win this title the contestants have to demonstrate that they have a deep knowledge of all aspects of their culture, and know how to do the traditional dance that is known as Yonna.

How to get to Uribia?

The Wayuu Culture Festival is celebrated in the municipality of Uribia , known as the indigenous capital of Colombia. To get to Uribia you must be or arrive first to Riohacha, the capital of the department of La Guajira.

To get to Riohacha you can go by car following the GPS route, or by bus from some city on the coast, for example, you can take a direct bus from Santa Marta to Riohacha for  30,000 COP.

Once in Riohacha, you must take a car to Uribia that leave from different points of the city or if you are staying in the city, in the hotels or hostels, theycan call you a car that costs 16,000 COP per passenger per person that can take you to Uribia.

Visiting La Guajira? Take advantage and know these unique destinations in the department such as Palomino , the S antuary of Fauna and Flora Los Flamencos , the Salinas de Manaure , Maicao , Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas.