Volcan Totumo

Can you recognize those muddy people?!

A busload of tourists + a volcano filled with mud = a rather interesting and surprisingly fun experience!

Even before arriving in Colombia we had heard lots about this “mud volcano”, and decided that it was worth a visit.

Friday morning, we boarded a bus with other foreigners and locals alike, all excited for the experience that lay ahead.

After an hour drive, we arrived at El Totumo.

No, this volcano is not spewing with hot lava or seeping smoke, but rather, it is a 50 foot mound filled in the core with yep, you guessed it – mud!

Legend has it that Totumo used to spew fire and lava, but a priest who believed it was the work of the devil sprinkled it with holy water, turning it into the muddy attraction that it is today.

We climbed to the top and looked down into the muddy pit, crawling with giggling mud-covered people I can only describe as “creatures”. One man in our group compared the scene to watching catfish flop around in a watering hole. A pretty good description, I’d say.

Once it was our turn, we climbed down the ladder into the crowded, gooey, muddy pit and discovered what all the laughter was about.

My last clean moment

We were immediately greeted by a local man who slid us across – yes, we skidded across the mud on our backs – to other men who proceeded to give us “massages”. I thought it was rather relaxing, but Ben felt a bit uncomfortable as the man rubbed his stomach and upper thighs. All this time, another man above the mud pit snapped a dozen pictures of the awkward massages with our camera.

Ben is enjoying his "massage"

After our massages, we were passed to the other side of the pit where we could play and laugh with the others.

Though the people in the pit were of all ages, speaking several different languages, from different walks of life – we were the same once we were immersed in the pit. Giggling, splashing, floating, and covered in mud!

Our guide told us that the mud supposedly has “healing and therapeutic properties”, but I’m not convinced. My skin didn't really feel rejuvenated after immersing in the mud, but the weightless feeling of floating on top of the dense mud was unlike anything I've ever experienced.

After splashing and floating to our hearts’ desire, we climbed out of the pit on a slippery ladder and made our way to a lagoon where local women were waiting to wash us. Now this was also quite the experience.

The woman who approached us took a bucket of water and threw it over my head, and repeated this for some time – digging her fingers in my ears and nose to clear out the mud. Next, she… well, I’m not going to describe it in detail, but let’s just say my swimsuit was nearly removed and she scrubbed enough to get me clean. I couldn't help but laugh as I watched her do the same to Ben.

We were informed before reaching the volcano that the people who provided services – such as photo-taking, massage-giving, and mud-cleaning – were from an impoverished town nearby, so it was customary to tip for their “services”.

After tipping to locals, the group headed to a beautiful restaurant on the beach. We swam in the ocean while our food was being prepared, then enjoyed the traditional Colombian meal of rice, salad, plátanos (smashed, fried plantains), and chicken or fish.

Eating an amazingly fresh and delicious meal while watching the waves roll in was the perfect way to conclude our mud volcano experience.