It was founded by escaped slaves mainly from Cartagena de Indias in the 16th century and freed by Benkos Biohó.
The word "palenque" refers to the palisades erected by fugitive African slaves, during colonial times, to take refuge from their persecutors. That of San Basilio, is a palenque founded in the 17th century by a group of maroons who, under the command of Domingo Biohó (the same Benkos Biohó mentioned above but with his own Spanish name) fled to regain their freedom. Come and meet San Basilio de Palenque !!