The swampy or silty- covered site is called a swamp. The swampy refers to the abundance of puddles and mud, while the silt is the mud of soft consistency that can be found in the beds of lagoons and rivers or in places with a high level of humidity.
The concept of swamp, therefore, can refer to a swamp. In this case, the swamp is a body of stagnant water that is formed by a shallow depression in the ground. Plants grow in the water that can develop a dense coating.
These bogs can have either salt water or fresh water. Considering the swamp as an ecosystem, it can be said that it constitutes the habitat of insects, amphibians, small mammals and seabirds.
Sometimes the idea of swamp is oriented to a wetland: a land that has shallow ground or surface water. These lands are usually flat and can be flooded constantly or intermittently.
Several places, in different parts of the world, are called Ciénaga. In Colombia, for example, Ciénaga is the name of a municipality in the department of Boyacá (with almost 5,000 residents) and another municipality in the department of Magdalena (where more than 100,000 people live).
In the same department to the north of Colombia there is a lagoon known as La Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta. It is the largest lagoon complex in the country and one of the most relevant for the development of life on Earth. Its approximate surface area is close to 280 square kilometers, and consists of a plain with a series of lagoons that are connected between them by means of pipes.
One of its plains located in a western direction has part of its surface interspersed with the overflow of the Magdalena River and to the southeast it merges with the Fundación, Aracataca and Tucurinca rivers. In recent times, there have been many attempts to dry some of its portions to use them illegally for clear profit.
However, there is an absolutely legal activity that attracts thousands of people: thermal baths. It is not news that these treatments naturally help rejuvenate our skin, and in this area of Colombia the properties of water are especially beneficial.
The area for the thermal baths is located a short distance from the Santa Marta district, and the multitudes of people from all over the world who visit it each year ensure that the sediment present there gives them exceptional results, whether they seek to exfoliate the skin, relax the muscles to get rid of the stresses of modern life or improve the tone of the body.
There are those who say that mud baths are a gift that the planet has given us, since their healing and relaxing properties are considerable, and we only need to get into the water to enjoy them. Ciénaga tour guides do not hesitate to announce the possibility of this activity to their clients, knowing that it usually has a very high level of acceptance, especially since it is not something common in the city. Without a doubt, the sulfur waters of this municipality have an unequaled effect, which is perfectly complemented by excursions.
In Argentina, on the other hand, there are the towns of La Cienaga (province of Salta), Cienaga de Paicone (province of Jujuy) and Cienaga de Coro (province of Cordoba).
Finally, “La Ciénaga” is the title of a film directed and written by Argentine Lucrecia Martel that premiered in 2001 and was awarded at various international festivals.
