San Martín can be explored through different facets of its culture and townscape: the Cuadrillas, the history of Coleo, its squares and viewpoints, and traditional drinks. If you are looking for a focus for your trip, you can choose among these topics based on your interests. The Cuadrillas combine a clearly structured tradition with the name of a patron saint; the viewpoint, Plaza Mayor and Parque San Martín offer other perspectives.
Cuadrillas and Coleo: different historical milestones
The Cuadrillas de San Martín consist of ten equestrian games or acts in honor of the patron saint, San Martín de Tours. They are structured into two ceremonial games, four peace games and four war games. This classification is key to understanding the tradition: it specifies both the total number and the different groups of games. Visitors interested in local culture will find a clearly defined topic here, distinct from the other descriptions of the town.
The Plaza de Cuadrillas Gabino de Balboa is also a named place in San Martín and is associated with the Cuadrillas de San Martín tournament. The topic therefore appears both in the structured form of the equestrian games and in the name of a place associated with the tournament. Plaza Mayor offers a different view of the historic townscape: it is surrounded by old colonial buildings.
The Coleo tradition offers another historical perspective. It began in 1967 on the town’s unpaved streets. The Club Deportivo de Coleadores de San Martín was founded in 1979, after Hernando Rodríguez Solano donated the property. The two dates describe different milestones: 1967 marks the origin of the tradition, while 1979 marks the founding of the club. They should therefore not be understood as a single event. Together, Cuadrillas and Coleo offer two distinct ways to explore local traditions.
Views and public spaces
The Mirador Turístico del Embrujo Llanero is a viewpoint in San Martín offering a 360-degree view of the town. From this single vantage point, you can take in San Martín as a whole. Plaza Mayor offers a different perspective: the old colonial buildings surrounding the square shape the description of the town. These two details help distinguish different aspects of the townscape without combining them into a single historical theme.
Parque San Martín has children’s play equipment and a stage for events. These serve two different purposes: play and event space. The park complements the historical themes and views with another public space. These distinctions can help you decide what to focus on during a trip: the Cuadrillas and Coleo point to tradition, the squares to the townscape, the Mirador to views over San Martín, and the park to play and events.
Traditional drinks
Drinks are also among the local traditions passed down over time. Traditional drinks in San Martín include rice masato, café cerrero, café guarulo and preparada. Lemon, water and panela are listed as ingredients for preparada. The list brings together different names and a specifically described preparation: the ingredients of preparada can be named directly, while rice masato, café cerrero and café guarulo are other traditional drinks. For travelers interested in local food culture as well as the town’s culture and townscape, these names offer another way to experience San Martín.
The topics complement one another, though none has to be the main focus for every visitor. Those interested in historical traditions can explore the Cuadrillas and the history of Coleo; those who want to understand the townscape can look to Plaza Mayor and the Mirador’s 360-degree view. The park and traditional drinks offer further points of interest. This makes it possible to choose and plan a visit to San Martín around specific cultural, urban and culinary details.
Discover more destinations: Servita, La Variante, La Fallita, La Uribe, La Porfia, Acacias, Castilla La Nueva, Cuarteles
For the overview of the wider region: Meta.
