After riding for about 40 minutes through swampy lowlands, our bus driver turned down a gravel road and a mile or so in sat a tall, gray mound. A few run-down wooden huts were located off to the side, along a slight, rocky and muddy incline that lead to a large lake.
This is the volcano?
As we piled out of the van, we were told to leave our bags behind, strip down to our swimsuits and hand our shoes to the young local woman standing at the foot of a rickety, wooden staircase that leads to the mouth of the volcano.
Up we gingerly climbed.
Sure enough, at the top was a crater full of dark, gray goo that indeed did resemble a mud mask that you can buy to cleanse your face. The view from the top was a beautiful expanse of lakes, lagoons and greenery.
We handed our cameras to a local villager, who took our pictures with them as we lowered ourselves into the muck.
The mud in the volcano was SO THICK that we could not stop ourselves from floating in it! We actually had to push eachother down so that we could stand in the mud (which did not have a bottom, apparently the mud is 15 meters deep!).
We got massages in the mud, floated around for awhile, and then walked down to the lake looking like creatures, where local women carrying large plastic tubs pounced upon us. Before realizing what was happening, our swimsuits were removed underwater and scrubbed clean while they purged the mud from our hair, ears, under our nails, everywhere.
We stopped by a small, seaside fishing village for lunch, which was included in the $15 price for the tour, and returned to Cartagena mid-afternoon, relaxed and refreshed.
We've had our fair share of wonderful luxury spa treatments for much more money—but the unique and authentic mud bath at El Totumo, which in total cost a mere $25 (with tips), remains one of the most memorable experiences.
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