El Totumo Mud Volcano ( es, Volcán de Lodo El Totumo) is an active

mud volcano A mud volcano or mud dome is a landform created by the eruption of mud or slurries, water and gases. Several geological processes may cause the formation of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are not true igneous volcanoes as they do not produce lava ...

located near sea level in northern

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

of Santa Catalina. A local tourist destination, popular for its alleged healing mud bath, it receives most of its visitors from nearby Cartagena. Along with this, it is the smallest volcano in the country. The mound has a prominence of about 15 m (49 ft) and it is accessible via a staircase that leads to the crater, which can accommodate about 10 to 15 people at a time; there, tourists bathe in the dense, warm mud and have the option of receiving personal massages from the attendants. The experience is then followed by a bath in a nearby lagoon to remove the mud. According to local lore, the volcano used to spew fire, lava, and ashes, but it was turned into mud by a local priest who believed it was the work of the Devil, and endeavored to banish him by sprinkling

holy water Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from ...

into it.

Medicinal properties of the Mud Volcano

The healing properties of the mud of the Totumo volcano are attributed to the chemical composition of the place (Water, Silica, Aluminum, Magnesium, Sodium Chloride, Calcium, Sulfur, and Iron), which according to many therapists are gifts of nature that are used to treat rheumatic problems, detoxify the body, clean the skin and treat joint inflammations. Therefore, although some are only going to enjoy nature and forget about stress, many others go in search of medicine for the ailments and masks to beautify the skin.

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* {{Volcanoes of Colombia, state=expanded Volcanoes of Colombia Mud volcanoes Tourist attractions in Colombia Geography of Bolívar Department Tourist attractions in Bolívar Department