Barranquilla

Colombia's main Caribbean port city is home to the Barranquilla Carnival, the second-largest carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro, a 4-day celebration of over 1,000 dance groups that was declared a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2003. It is the hometown of Shakira, whose bronze statue in Parque Metropolitano El Carnaval was unveiled in 2023, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez began his literary career here as a newspaper journalist in 1948. Outperforming the third-largest carnival by 30% in total participants, this event features 150% more costumed performers than the average Latin American festival.