X

Get FREE Email Updates

Sign Up

Dave's Travel Corner

Seeing the World One Step at a Time

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Guides
  • Journals
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Links
  • Interviews
  • About

above the clouds

International Travel and Lifestyle Blog


Looking for Gold in Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia

December 1, 2022 by Dave3 Comments

My first introduction to gold mining in Colombia was through stories told years ago by a friend of the family. His father had been mining in the country sometime in the 1920s and hit it rich. He brought the gold back with him to the states by ship. But partway into his journey he began to suffer from yellow fever and probably malaria which left him delirious. His findings were stolen from him on the ship, leaving only a few nuggets in his possession. Two of those nuggets ended up as presents to my father from our friend. We still have those in our collection.

I have been in Santa Fe de Antioquia for a month. Earlier, I had driven by this landscape once before, on the way to Puente Colgante de Occidente (a historical bridge which date from the 1880s). I remember thinking to myself; this looks like gold bearing country. And sure enough, my two guides brought me back here; we exited our Tuk Tuk on the side of the road next to a small stream. My guides were a father/daughter team. The father learned gold mining from his father and in turn passed the knowledge on to his daughter Alba who runs, Ruta Turistica Barequeando Andando, a small tour company in Santa Fe de Antioquia. Whatsapp number: +57 304 365 6485

Our tools were a shovel, several wooden gold pans, a machete, a hollowed out bowl from a non edible tree fruit and knowledge. This was the first time I had ever used a wooden pan (normally I use metal or plastic pans). This particular pan conveniently came with a handle but was very shallow so one had to be extra careful when panning not to lose the gold over the side. We moved down the creek slowly, stopping to take samples every once in a while. We finally hit a rich area in the middle of the creek. This section based on the water flow was filled with burlap and other old plastic sacks. These had created a catch area for lots of sediment and as it turns out, also gold flakes. We spent most of our morning here panning, cutting the bags open with a machete and sliding the small pieces of gold into a hollowed out bowl.

We continued down the creek – walking in the gravel and sometimes sinking quite deep into the mud. Eventually we could not walk any further; the creek ended at Rio Cauca, a massive fast moving brown colored river. Locals cross with canoes, which they also use for fishing. But we would definitely not be attempting to cross this river today.

We sat down and began to separate the pieces of gold from the black sand concentrate. The old man used a traditional method which I have never seen before. He grabbed some leaves from a certain tree, crushed them up in his hands and dipped them into water contained in one of the gold pans. The water immediately turned green. Within moments the gold was in one part of the pan and the black sand in another. Voila!



Related posts:

New Zealand, South Island – Gold Mining Boxtick America goes Gold Mining Gold Country, CA – Jamestown Gold Country, CA – Coulterville Gold Country, CA – Murphys

Filed Under: South America · Tagged: Art, Bridges, Colombia, Fishing, Gold Mining, Journey, Sand, Tuk Tuk, Walking tour

Comments

  1. JB Ecotex says

    December 1, 2022 at 1:44 pm

    Excellent article.

  2. Chin Liang Teh says

    December 8, 2022 at 8:50 am

    I remember the nuggets of gold your dad showed me! Gold mining seems to run in your family!

  3. Dave says

    December 8, 2022 at 1:00 pm

    Teh. Yep! Once one has gold fever it’s hard to give up prospecting :))

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want an avatar to show with your comments? Get a free Gravatar

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow @DaveDTC

Get FREE Email Updates  I

Categories

Member, Professional Organizations

International Travel Writers Alliance
Travel Massive

Recent Comments

  • Barry Burbidge on Colima, Mexico – Festivals
  • Robert L. Evans on The Taste At Koi Garden Cafe
  • Camille Winslow on San Luis Obispo, CA – More Info
  • Ayon on How to find escorts in London
  • Dave on Reaching Paradise, EMBRACE Resort Staniel Cay Bahamas

Latest Posts

  • Tel Aviv – The City That Boasts the Best of …
  • Best Places to Visit in Bangladesh
  • Dig Into Comstock Caviar at Virginia City’s 32nd A…
  • Helsinki’s growing reputation as a world-class foo…
  • Reviewing International Travel Statistics of 2022

Explore

  • Above the Clouds
  • Guides
  • Highlight of the Month
  • Interviews
  • Journals
  • Press Releases
  • Videos

Prepare

  • Book Reviews
  • Pack List
  • Quiz: Geography
  • Quiz: Travel
  • Tour Booking
  • Travel Insurance
  • Travel Products

Share

  • Contribute
  • Forums
  • Links
  • Photos

About

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Contributors
  • Email Dave
  • Media Coverage
  • Media Kit
Hi I'm Dave. After a life changing trip in 1996, I began this site as a creative outlet to educate, inspire and share travel experiences. Read more...
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo
  • YouTube

Return to top of page
Copyright © 1996–2023 Dave's Travel Corner · All Rights Reserved · Log in

7ads6x98y