Riohacha

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District and city in La Guajira department, Colombia

title: "Riohacha" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["capitals-of-colombian-departments", "1535-establishments-in-the-spanish-empire", "municipalities-of-la-guajira-department", "populated-places-established-in-1535", "port-cities-and-towns-in-the-caribbean"] description: "District and city in La Guajira department, Colombia" topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riohacha" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary District and city in La Guajira department, Colombia ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
official_nameRiohacha
typeDistrict and city
image_skyline{{Photomontage
photo1aRiohachacity.jpg
photo2aRiohacha-Parque de los cañones.jpg
photo2bCatedral Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Riohacha Colombia-20240901.jpg
photo3aCENTRO COMERCIAL SUCHIMMA (RIOHACHA) - panoramio.jpg
spacing1
positioncenter
color_borderwhite
colorwhite
size270
imagesize250px
image_captionFrom top to bottom: View of Riohacha beachfront, Canyon Park, Cathedral, Süchiimma Mall
image_flagFlag of Riohacha.svg
image_sealEscudo_de_Riohacha.svg
image_mapColombia - La Guajira - Riohacha.svg
map_captionLocation of Riohacha in the Department of La Guajira. Municipality (red), city (black dot).
pushpin_mapColombia
pushpin_label_positionleft
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_type1Region
subdivision_type2Department
subdivision_nameColombia
subdivision_name1Caribbean
subdivision_name2La Guajira
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameRafael Ceballos Sierra (L)
established_titleFoundation
established_date1545
founderNikolaus Federmann
area_total_km23120
area_urban_km225.53
population_as_of2023 Census
population_total222541
population_footnotes
population_urban126103
population_density_km2auto
population_density_urban_km2auto
timezoneEastern Time Zone
utc_offset-05
coordinates
elevation_m5
postal_code_typePostal code
postal_code440001
area_code57 + 5
blank_nameClimate
blank_infoBSh
websiteOfficial website
footnotes*Riohacha metropolitan area is yet to be determined.
::

| official_name = Riohacha | type = District and city | nickname = | motto = | image_skyline = {{Photomontage | photo1a = Riohachacity.jpg | photo2a = Riohacha-Parque de los cañones.jpg | photo2b = Catedral Nuestra Señora de los Remedios Riohacha Colombia-20240901.jpg | photo3a = CENTRO COMERCIAL SUCHIMMA (RIOHACHA) - panoramio.jpg | spacing = 1 | position = center | color_border = white | color = white | size = 270 | footmontage = | imagesize = 250px | image_caption = From top to bottom: View of Riohacha beachfront, Canyon Park, Cathedral, Süchiimma Mall | image_flag = Flag of Riohacha.svg | image_seal = Escudo_de_Riohacha.svg | image_map = Colombia - La Guajira - Riohacha.svg | map_caption = Location of Riohacha in the Department of La Guajira. Municipality (red), city (black dot). | pushpin_map = Colombia | pushpin_label_position = left | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_type1 = Region | subdivision_type2 = Department | subdivision_name = Colombia | subdivision_name1 = Caribbean | subdivision_name2 = La Guajira | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Rafael Ceballos Sierra (L) | established_title = Foundation | established_date = 1545 | founder = Nikolaus Federmann | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 3120 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_urban_sq_mi = | area_urban_km2 = 25.53 | area_metro_sq_mi = | area_metro_km2 = | population_as_of = 2023 Census | population_note = | population_total = 222541 | population_footnotes = | population_metro = | population_urban = 126103 | population_density_km2 = auto | population_density_urban_km2 = auto | timezone = Eastern Time Zone | utc_offset = -05 | timezone_DST = | utc_offset_DST = | coordinates = | elevation_m = 5 | postal_code_type = Postal code | postal_code = 440001 | area_code = 57 + 5 | blank_name = Climate | blank_info = BSh | website = Official website | footnotes = *Riohacha metropolitan area is yet to be determined.

Riohacha (; Wayuu: Süchiimma) is a city in the Riohacha Municipality in the northern Caribbean Region of Colombia by the mouth of the Ranchería River and the Caribbean Sea. It is the capital city of the La Guajira Department. It has a sandy beach waterfront.

Founded by conquistador Nikolaus Federmann in 1535, Riohacha was named after a local legend, "The legend of the Axe". Because of the powerful rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the area is mostly desertic. It is inhabited primarily by Amerindians, predominantly the Wayuu ethnic group. During colonial times, Riohacha was a very important port, as divers could retrieve vast numbers of pearls from the harbor.

In the second half of the 20th century, the city developed as one of Colombia's medium important, maritime commercial ports. It is also a multicultural center for La Guajira Department. The city is mentioned several times in novels written by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his important works are One Hundred Years of Solitude, Love in the Time of Cholera, and Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

Place Name

The place name Riohacha has existed since the same period of the Spanish land conquest and colonization in La Guajira (1526-1536). There are three different hypotheses about its origin, all of them related to the exploration of the area of the mouth of a river in the middle part of the La Guajira Peninsula. The first hypothesis recounts the rescue that a young indigenous man makes of a lost and thirsty Spanish battalion, guiding them towards the encounter with the river; as a reward, the captain gives the native an axe and baptizes the place as El Río de La Hacha. The second hypothesis speaks of the same Spanish battalion whose Captain loses his emblematic axe when crossing said river; as a consolation he baptizes it Río de La Hacha. The third hypothesis documents the discovery of a beautiful axe buried on the river bank by a battalion of European explorers, who until now believed they were the first to arrive at that place. In this way, they called it Río de la Hacha.

The word Süchiimma means, in the Wayuunaiki language, Land of the River: Süchii (river) and Mma (land). The city is also known as Portal de Perlas (alluding to its pearl origin), the Capital of the Magical Arreboles (the most beautiful sunsets in the Colombian Caribbean) and the Mestiza del Nordeste (for its rich multiculturalism and the Trade Winds of the Northeast).

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Catedral_de_Riohacha.png" caption="Cathedral of Riohacha"] ::

The Riohacha area was long inhabited by American Indians of the Wayuu culture, part of the larger Arawak group. The first European to visit the area was the Spanish sailor Alonso de Ojeda in 1498, though he never landed. A short time later, Juan de la Cosa, another Spanish explorer, landed on what is today called Cabo de la Vela (Cape of the Sail, so called because of its shape). In 1535, the German explorer Nikolaus Federmann founded a city with the name Nuestra Señora Santa Maria de los Remedios del Cabo de la Vela (Our Lady Saint Mary of the Remedies of the Cape of the Sail) at the place where de la Cosa had landed.

The Spanish discovered a vast amount of pearls in the city's area. This treasure frequently attracted raids by pirates. After the city was destroyed by a pirate raid, the city government relocated the city to the mouth of the Ranchería River, in order to confuse the pirates, and to give the city time to rebuild before the next attack. The new city, named Nuestra Señora de los Remedios del Río de la Hacha (Our Lady of the Remedies), expanded peacefully for a short time in its new location. Pirate attacks soon resumed. By 1564 British pirates led by John Hawkins forced the Rio Hacha settlers to buy his cargo of African slaves and goods despite the trade was prohibited. He carried out a fake threat of force with the local governor's collusion as part of the Triangular trade. 1566: John Lovell attacked Rio Hacha. In 1568 John Hawkins and his second cousin Francis Drake attacked Rio Hacha again, forcing residents to buy his cargo.This included some of the 400 Africans he had captured and enslaved in West Africa. The next major attack, led by the English privateer Francis Drake, took place in 1596, when Drake pillaged the city searching for gold and pearls.

In the 18th century, Riohacha was incorporated to the Viceroyalty of New Granada as part of the province of Santa Marta. During the battles for independence from Spain, the port of Riohacha served many vessels fighting for Colombian and Venezuelan independence. Many Riohachans also served in the revolutionary navy, most notably Admiral José Prudencio Padilla, who would come to be considered a hero in the revolutions of Colombia and Venezuela.

In 1954, Riohacha City acquired municipality status, and in 1964 was declared capital of the new La Guajira Department.

Image:Plaza Almirante Padilla.JPG|The Almirante Padilla Plaza in downtown Riohacha. Image:Riohacha.JPG|Riohacha Beach.

Culture

Transportation

Riohacha has one airport, the Almirante Padilla Airport. It serves airlines covering the route to and from the Colombian capital city Bogotá, the near cities of Valledupar and Santa Marta, and the Caribbean resort island of Aruba. In September 2016 the low-cost carrier Easy Fly initiated service between Riohacha and Barranquilla.

Climate

Riohacha, owing to the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, has a semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh), being too dry to be considered as a tropical savanna climate or a humid subtropical climate which owing to the extremely torrid temperatures is not that far above an arid climate despite receiving as much as 746 mm of rainfall per year. In stark contrast to temperate climates with even less rainfall that maintain lush environments, the hot temperatures cause a steppe-like environment. The rain falls almost exclusively in May and between August and November, and for the rest of the year there are a mere thirteen wet days out of 212 in an average year. Despite the lack of rainfall, humidity is high year round and adds to the uncomfortable heat.

|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Riohacha (Almirante Padilla Airport), elevation 4 m, (1981–2010) |Jan record high C = 39.2 |Feb record high C = 36.7 |Mar record high C = 39.8 |Apr record high C = 38.4 |May record high C = 38.0 |Jun record high C = 38.6 |Jul record high C = 38.1 |Aug record high C = 38.8 |Sep record high C = 39.4 |Oct record high C = 36.6 |Nov record high C = 35.8 |Dec record high C = 38.6 |year record high C = 39.4 |Jan record low C = 17.2 |Feb record low C = 17.0 |Mar record low C = 17.0 |Apr record low C = 17.2 |May record low C = 20.8 |Jun record low C = 20.0 |Jul record low C = 17.2 |Aug record low C = 19.8 |Sep record low C = 19.2 |Oct record low C = 20.0 |Nov record low C = 18.8 |Dec record low C = 16.8 |year record low C = 16.8 |Jan high C = 32.5 |Feb high C = 32.6 |Mar high C = 32.8 |Apr high C = 33 |May high C = 33.5 |Jun high C = 34.5 |Jul high C = 35.2 |Aug high C = 35.1 |Sep high C = 33.7 |Oct high C = 32.8 |Nov high C = 32.2 |Dec high C = 32.4 | year high C = 33.4 |Jan mean C = 27.1 |Feb mean C = 27.2 |Mar mean C = 27.4 |Apr mean C = 28.0 |May mean C = 28.8 |Jun mean C = 29.7 |Jul mean C = 29.9 |Aug mean C = 29.5 |Sep mean C = 28.5 |Oct mean C = 28.0 |Nov mean C = 27.7 |Dec mean C = 27.3 | year mean C = 28.3 |Jan low C = 22.3 |Feb low C = 22.7 |Mar low C = 23.5 |Apr low C = 24.5 |May low C = 25.2 |Jun low C = 25.6 |Jul low C = 25.6 |Aug low C = 25.3 |Sep low C = 24.5 |Oct low C = 24.0 |Nov low C = 23.6 |Dec low C = 23.0 | year low C = 24.2 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 3.7 |Feb precipitation mm = 1.6 |Mar precipitation mm = 5.5 |Apr precipitation mm = 31.3 |May precipitation mm = 75.9 |Jun precipitation mm = 51.2 |Jul precipitation mm = 36.8 |Aug precipitation mm = 80.0 |Sep precipitation mm = 142.6 |Oct precipitation mm = 148.8 |Nov precipitation mm = 75.6 |Dec precipitation mm = 31.0 |year precipitation mm = 704.1 | Jan precipitation days = 1 | Feb precipitation days = 1 | Mar precipitation days = 1 | Apr precipitation days = 4 | May precipitation days = 8 | Jun precipitation days = 4 | Jul precipitation days = 3 | Aug precipitation days = 6 | Sep precipitation days = 10 | Oct precipitation days = 11 | Nov precipitation days = 7 | Dec precipitation days = 3 | year precipitation days = 57 | Jan humidity = 72 | Feb humidity = 70 | Mar humidity = 72 | Apr humidity = 74 | May humidity = 74 | Jun humidity = 69 | Jul humidity = 66 | Aug humidity = 72 | Sep humidity = 78 | Oct humidity = 80 | Nov humidity = 80 | Dec humidity = 75 | year humidity = 73 |Jan sun = 263.5 |Feb sun = 228.7 |Mar sun = 232.5 |Apr sun = 201.0 |May sun = 195.3 |Jun sun = 234.0 |Jul sun = 260.4 |Aug sun = 251.1 |Sep sun = 207.0 |Oct sun = 207.7 |Nov sun = 216.0 |Dec sun = 241.8 |year sun = |Jand sun = 8.5 |Febd sun = 8.1 |Mard sun = 7.5 |Aprd sun = 6.7 |Mayd sun = 6.3 |Jund sun = 7.8 |Juld sun = 8.4 |Augd sun = 8.1 |Sepd sun = 6.9 |Octd sun = 6.7 |Novd sun = 7.2 |Decd sun = 7.8 |yeard sun = |source 1 = Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales{{cite web |url=http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios+Climatol%C3%B3gicos++1981+-+2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815025712/http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios%2BClimatol%C3%B3gicos%2B%2B1981%2B-%2B2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128 |archive-date=15 August 2016 |title=Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010 |publisher=Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales |language=es |access-date= 17 June 2024 |url-status=dead}} |date = November 2011}}

|metric first=y |single line=y |collapsed = Y |location = Riohacha (Matitas), elevation 20 m, (1981–2010) |Jan high C = 32.9 |Feb high C = 32.9 |Mar high C = 33.5 |Apr high C = 33.9 |May high C = 34.0 |Jun high C = 34.6 |Jul high C = 35.2 |Aug high C = 35.3 |Sep high C = 34.4 |Oct high C = 33.1 |Nov high C = 32.5 |Dec high C = 32.3 | year high C = 33.8 |Jan mean C = 26.6 |Feb mean C = 26.8 |Mar mean C = 27.3 |Apr mean C = 27.6 |May mean C = 27.7 |Jun mean C = 28.4 |Jul mean C = 28.9 |Aug mean C = 28.5 |Sep mean C = 27.7 |Oct mean C = 27.1 |Nov mean C = 27.1 |Dec mean C = 26.7 | year mean C = 27.5 |Jan low C = 21.2 |Feb low C = 21.5 |Mar low C = 21.4 |Apr low C = 22.3 |May low C = 23.1 |Jun low C = 23.9 |Jul low C = 24.0 |Aug low C = 23.7 |Sep low C = 23.1 |Oct low C = 23.0 |Nov low C = 22.8 |Dec low C = 21.8 | year low C = 22.6 |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 14.5 |Feb precipitation mm = 5.8 |Mar precipitation mm = 16.7 |Apr precipitation mm = 92.8 |May precipitation mm = 155.4 |Jun precipitation mm = 81.3 |Jul precipitation mm = 46.7 |Aug precipitation mm = 127.3 |Sep precipitation mm = 200.2 |Oct precipitation mm = 232.1 |Nov precipitation mm = 171.5 |Dec precipitation mm = 41.9 |year precipitation mm = 1186.2 | Jan precipitation days = 2 | Feb precipitation days = 1 | Mar precipitation days = 2 | Apr precipitation days = 7 | May precipitation days = 10 | Jun precipitation days = 6 | Jul precipitation days = 4 | Aug precipitation days = 8 | Sep precipitation days = 12 | Oct precipitation days = 13 | Nov precipitation days = 10 | Dec precipitation days = 4 | year precipitation days = 73 | Jan humidity = 77 | Feb humidity = 76 | Mar humidity = 76 | Apr humidity = 78 | May humidity = 82 | Jun humidity = 78 | Jul humidity = 75 | Aug humidity = 78 | Sep humidity = 83 | Oct humidity = 84 | Nov humidity = 83 | Dec humidity = 81 | year humidity = 79 |Jan sun = 235.6 |Feb sun = 194.8 |Mar sun = 179.8 |Apr sun = 147.0 |May sun = 164.3 |Jun sun = 207.0 |Jul sun = 232.5 |Aug sun = 223.2 |Sep sun = 183.0 |Oct sun = 182.9 |Nov sun = 195.0 |Dec sun = 220.1 |year sun = |Jand sun = 7.6 |Febd sun = 6.9 |Mard sun = 5.8 |Aprd sun = 4.9 |Mayd sun = 5.3 |Jund sun = 6.9 |Juld sun = 7.5 |Augd sun = 7.2 |Sepd sun = 6.1 |Octd sun = 5.9 |Novd sun = 6.5 |Decd sun = 7.1 |yeard sun = |source 1 = Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales{{cite web |url=http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios+Climatol%C3%B3gicos++1981+-+2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815025712/http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios%2BClimatol%C3%B3gicos%2B%2B1981%2B-%2B2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128 |archive-date=15 August 2016 |title=Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010 |publisher=Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales |language=es |access-date= 17 June 2024 |url-status=dead}}

Notable people

Gallery

File:Estatua almirante Padilla Riohacha-20240901.jpg|José Prudencio Padilla square File:Colombia-riohacha001.JPG|Malecon Beach File:Colombie-riohacha003.jpg|Typical building File:Colombie-riohacha004.jpg|Colombian Wayuu crafts on Avenida Primera (1st Ave.) File:Colombie-riohacha005.jpg|Riohacha's Touristic Dock File:Riohacha.jpg|Riohacha's sunrise from a rooftop File:Ranchería River Mouth in Riohacha.jpg|Ranchería River emptying into Riohacha File:Convento de los padres capuchinos, Riohacha Colombia.png|Former capuchin convent File:Riohacha Carrera 6.jpg|One of the streets of the historic city center File:Riohacha artesania.JPG|Identidad Monument, erected in 2010 File:Centro Cultural Riohacha (Visto desde la playa) - panoramio.jpg|Departmental Cultural Center, seen from the beach File:Antigua Aduana y Actual Secretaría de Cultura de Riohacha.jpg|Late 19th-century structure File:Casa Márquez Iguarán en Riohacha.jpg|House where Gabriel García Márquez was conceived, according to his autobiography Living to Tell the Tale (2002) File:Interior de la Universidad de La Guajira.jpg|La Guajira University, located in Riohacha File:Alijuna y Wayú.jpg|Fishing between Alijuna and Wayú Caribbean coast, Riohacha

Explanatory notes

References

References

  1. {{in lang. es
  2. "Información capital".
  3. Telefónicas, Telencuestas-Encuestas. "Cuántos habitantes tenía Riohacha, La Guajira en 2023".
  4. "National System for Cultural Information: National Festival of the Dividivi".
  5. (20 September 2016). "Easy Fly inicia nueva ruta Barranquilla a Riohacha".
  6. "Clima: Climatografía de la principales ciudades".

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capitals-of-colombian-departments1535-establishments-in-the-spanish-empiremunicipalities-of-la-guajira-departmentpopulated-places-established-in-1535port-cities-and-towns-in-the-caribbean