Costeños y Cartageneros
View of Cartagena from el Cerro de La Popa
Each region of Colombia features unique and distinct culture, and the Caribbean Coast is no different. Costeños, those who live on the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, have a culture, a way of speaking, and even live in a climate that is more similar to those found in the Caribbean Islands (like Cuba, Puerto Rico, or La Republica Dominicana) than those in the interior of the country. Costeños are warm, kind, expressive, and are some of the most genuine people I have ever met. I lived in Cartagena, so I know about cartageneros more than anything else, but costeño also describes people from Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Valledupar, Sincelejo, Montería and the many pueblos outside these cities like San Basilio de Palenque, San Juan, and Santa Rosa to name a few. There are cultural differences between each of the cities and pueblos but costeño culture unites the people who live there and makes this region distinct. So, you might be wondering, what are costeños like? What are cartageneros like? Let me share with you what I’ve observed…
Costeños speak a dialect of Spanish found along the Caribbean Coast called Costeñol. Some general characteristics of Costeñol include speaking very quickly, not pronouncing the letter “s”, and cartageneros specifically are known for not really pronouncing the letter “r” either, and for pronouncing words with a lot of force, or hablando golpeado. Costeñol also includes the use of specific words, slang, expressions, sounds, gestures, and body language. These elements and the extent to which they are used varies from city to city, from barrio to barrio and from person to person.
Cartageneros are generally super talkative and friendly. People are always chatting, greeting and catching up with their friends, or getting acquainted with new ones. Going to the neighborhood tienda rarely ever just takes a few minutes and you’ll never take an inDriver or taxi in silence because conversation is always a part of the equation. Among friends and family, talking over one another when excited is also very cartagenero!
Along with being talkative, cartageneros are also super expressive. They let you know what they think and how they feel. I’ve noticed that this is a culture where people are very open and are not afraid to be vulnerable nor share about their life and past experiences with you.
Living in the moment is super costeño. Cartageneros are very present with the people they’re spending time with, rather than worrying about the past nor the future, and they take their time rather than rushing. In tandem with being present and taking one’s time, it's very costeño to be late. Everyone seems to agree that it's always better to show up an hour or two (or three) later than planned for everything, and I definitely picked up this habit as well!
Closeness is very costeño. You’ll be asked ¿cómo estás? at the start of every conversation and people genuinely want to know about how you’re doing, how all your family is doing, and how things in your life have been since the last time you spoke, whether you’re catching up with a friend, chatting with an acquaintance, or having a meeting with your boss and co-workers. Cartageneros are also always gathering, whether it's to compartir en familia, to listen to music and drink beers with neighbors after work, or to echar chisme (gossip- which is also very costeño!). This closeness is a literal thing too, as personal space is almost non-existent in Cartagena.
Christmas decorations in el pueblo de Isla Barú- “The greatest gift you can have is family”
Cartageneros are very united, and they support and uplift one another. People are close to their family, friends, and community members and won’t think twice about helping one another in times of need, with things big or small.
It's also very costeño to use terms of endearment with loved ones and strangers alike. You’ll hear people address each other as mi amor, mi vida, mi reina, mi rey, nena, corazón and so on rather than just using tu or the more formal usted. The way people speak to each other is very informal and I rarely ever heard the word usted in Cartagena.
Cartageneros consistently take the time to acknowledge and greet everyone upon entering or exiting a room. This is something that I think is really beautiful, like a way of honoring everyone's presence every single time you share space with them. Many people say “buenas”, both to people they know and to strangers in passing, and additionally give cheek-to-cheek kisses to people they know well.
Being a music lover (or at least a music tolerator) is super costeño because there is music playing everywhere, all the time. Listening to champeta, vallenato, salsa, merengue at maximum volume while cooking, while cleaning, while relaxing at home and definitely during fiestas is very costeño.
A couple other things that are super costeño are resourcefulness, creativity, and entrepreneurship. I was amazed to learn about how many young people run their own businesses, whether it be selling baked goods, sweets, clothes, accessories, or running dance studios or sports groups. Taking motostaxis, complaining about the heat, avoiding the sun, and waking up early are very costeño things. Joy is very costeño. People are always smiling, and people laugh a lot, not because everything is perfect all the time, but because people know how to cógela suave, to relax, how to look on the bright side and to take advantage of each day.
One of the beautiful sunsets in playa El Laguito
DISCLAIMER: This site (octaviachristopher.com) is not an official Fulbright Program site. The views expressed on this site are entirely those of its author and do not represent the views of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations.