Why should you Visit Guaviare in Colombia? Remnants of a Remote Past

Guaviare is one of the least populated departments of Colombia, and one of the most pristine nature destinations in the country.  

Additionally, this department is located in the Colombian Amazon region, although part of its territory is also in the Orinoquia. Its capital is San José del Guaviare. 

Brief history of Guaviare

In the past, the colonization of Guaviare was mainly due to the enormous natural riches of its soil and the exploitation derived from these.

People came there to cultivate balata and rubber. Moreover, trade of wild animal skins, native plants and ornamental fish was also common.

Finally, the illicit cultivation of coca attracted many people, bringing also war and chaos to the region.

Today, tourism is opening as a new possibility for the economic development of the region, and it works as a good strategy for the protection and conservation of natural and archaeological areas.

Weather and Landscape

The dry season happens from December to February, and the rainy season during the rest of the year (especially April-July and October-November). Annual rainfall ranges from 2,000 to 3,500 mm. The temperature during the day reaches 25° to 30 °C, dropping at night to 12 °C between July and August.

Its soils are bathed by numerous rivers and a network of streams, divided mainly into two basins: Orinoco River Basin and Amazon River Basin.

Tourism in Guaviare 

Tourism is making its way in this destination dedicated to adventure and sustainability. It is an opportunity for sustainable development in he region. The natural environments for swimming, the sunsets, and its ecosystems make it a unique destination.

Archaeological places, and the fauna and flora that make up an abundant biodiversity, are the greatest attraction of Guaviare.

The Most Featured Destinations in Guaviare 

Serrania de La Lindosa and Cerro Azul

Serranía de la Lindosa @Parques Naturales
Serranía de la Lindosa @Parques Naturales

This place is one of the eight archaeological zones declared as a protected area by the Ministry of Culture of Colombia.

Here you will find the famous cave paintings, among others those of the Guayabero River and the Caño Dorado, with vivid colors. In the Cerro Azul in the Serranía La Lindosa, you can observe paintings that are twelve thousand years old.

The summit of Cerro Azul can be reached by a medium level hike of approximately 40 minutes. In Cerro Azul, there are a series of cave paintings painted with reddish pigment by indigenous people who inhabited the La Lindosa mountain range 7,250 years ago.

It is a two-hundred-meter-high peak to explore and walk. During the walk you can find giant trees and native species of flora and fauna. From the top you can see numerous streams of crystalline water and the jungle.

Raudal of the Guayabero

Raudal del Guayabero @ Juan Pablo Rozo – Wikiloc

This spectacular spot is one hour by river, and one hour and thirty minutes by land, from San José del Guaviare.

The Guayabero River, before its encounter with the Ariari, is framed in a canyon formed by walls of rocks of Pre-Cambrian origin.

From there, a current is unleashed that reaches half a kilometer in length. Although it is navigable throughout the year, the summer season is the best time to cross it.

Throughout the tour you can see the gray freshwater dolphin or Tonina (Sotalia fluviatilis), as it is called by the inhabitants of the region.

Natural Bridges

Rocky Bridges Pic. by Parques Nacionales

These natural bridges are high and have been shaped and polished by water over time. They stand on a ravine to which it is possible to descend with certified guides.

The City of Stone

Serranía de la Lindosa ©Parques Naturales

The Stone City of San Jose, is an enigmatic place that consists of ancestral rocks distributed with an impressive and mysterious symmetry.

In the company of guides, you can tour this site that has labyrinths, caves, and monoliths with very old petroglyphs. A special place for hiking and caving.

Natural Baths of Agua Bonita, Villa Luz and Tranquilandia.

Tranquilandia Bath

They are located only five miles from the city, in Caño Sabana. The ancient rock formations form pools of crystalline waters of different colors. The rich plant and mineral environment is the one that colors these waters, so it is very similar to the rainbow river in La Macarena. You can go there and enjoy a good swim and landscape.

Puerta de Orión

Puerta de Orión Pic. by Parques Nacionales

Orion’s Gate is a rock formation emblematic of the city, found 9 kilometers from San José del Guaviare. It is twelve meters high and 20 meters wide. It has two natural holes, one on top of the other.

To get to Puerta de Orión you must pass through cavities and cornices that make it an enigmatic scenery.

The particularity of this natural wonder is that in the summer solstice you can observe Orion’s Belt through the upper window, creating a unique spectacle.

Sport fishing and Kayaking at Laguna Negra 

Sunsent at Laguna Negra ©El Tiempo

Laguna Negra is located 11 kilometers from San José del Guaviare. The black color that the water projects is because at the bottom there are decomposed leaves from the surrounding forests.

Its name is due to the dark tone of its waters seen from the air. Once on land, you can see a scenario of crystalline water, according to experts, because of the thick vegetation that surrounds it.

This natural reserve, 11 km from San José del Guaviare, constitutes the ideal scenario for the practice of artisan fishing and snorkel. You can find “cachazas” and “payaras”.

Kayaking and sailing, among other practices, are part of the new offer.

Chiribiquete National Park

Jaguar Petroglyph Chirbiquete ©Parques Nacionales Naturales

Because it is a complete planetary treasure, in 2018 it has been declared a mixed heritage of humanity.

It is located in the departments of Caquetá and Guaviare, and preserves the largest sample of rock art in the world.

In Chiribiquete there are approximately 70,000 paintings and 50 panels of an average height of 7 meters.

These have served to distinguish a cultural tradition of roots, apparently very old, of the Paleo-Indian. Therefore, they have been associated with groups of hunter-gatherers of the Tropical Rainforest and semi-dry enclaves of the Guianas and the Amazon.

Other Attractions

Guayabero Pic. by Juan Pablo Rozo – Wikiloc
  • Rural and community tourism: Finca Chontaduro, Finca Diamante, replacement of coca for fruit.
  • The “Flor del Guaviare” (Paepalanthus formosus Moldenke) is one of the emblems of the department.
Guaviare Flower, ©Gabriel Arroyo – iNaturalist
  • Thermal waters, unique in the Orinoco and Amazon;
  • The Inírida River;
  • The natural National Parks of Chiribiquete and Nukak; and
  • An endless number of lakes and lagoons where pink dolphins and fishing abound.
Nukak ©Nathaly Londoño – Parques Nacionales

How to get to Guaviare

The trip Bogotá – Guaviare by plane takes about 1.20 hour. The tourist sites are easily accessible by 4X4 vehicles. The capital, San José del Guaviare, has become a center of operation with a wide range of lodging facilities: three stars hotels, hostels, and camping.

Where to stay in San José del Guaviare

We recomend you the following hotels in San José del Guaviare:

  • Hotel Quinto Nivel
  • Hotel Aeropuerto

If you want to know more about the most incredible natural destinations in Colombia, plan your trip with us!


References

About the author

Sara Colmenares

Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.

The Unique Wax Palm Forests Landscape Destinations in Colombia

Come to Colombia to meet the outstanding Wax Palm! As we mentioned in a past entry, the Wax Palm, Ceroxylon quindiuense (Karsten) Wendl, is an endangered endemic species of Colombia. It is also the national tree and the star of one of the most beautiful and emblematic landscapes of the Colombian Andes.

Tourism is one of the most promising conservation strategies for this species. On the other hand, rural communities prefer it over agriculture, livestock, and mining.

Today there are all-terrain trucks that travel through areas such as Toche. There are even bicycle tours that take you to remote farms so you can enjoy the spectacular landscapes of the cloud forest with wax palms while descending to Toche or Salento.

Where to see Wax Palm Forests in Colombia

Salento and Valle de Cocora

The municipality of Salento is the cradle of the national tree, the Wax Palm, and has a great variety of tourist attractions. Salento is the oldest municipality of Quindío and the oldest among the three main departments that make part of the Coffee Triangle (Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío). It is a beautiful town, interesting for its typical crafts and its streets full of color and history.

Bolívar Square – Salento, Quindío

Walking around the town will help you get to know the architecture typical of the Antioquian colonization, in which mud and adobe houses predominate, with colorful gates made of wood, and windows and balconies full of flowers.

The best days to visit Salento are during the week, since there are fewer visitors. You will find a varied offer of accommodation among luxury hotels, hostels, camping areas, and glamping.

What to do in Salento

Among its most important attractions are:

  • The Cocora Valley
  • The National Natural Park Los Nevados
  • The Traditional Architecture of the Colonization
  • The Bolivar Square
  • The Royal Street
  • The Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen
  • The Ecoparque El Mirador and Alto de la Cruz
  • The Artisan’s Village
  • The Bridge of the Explanation “El Amparo”
  • A Coffee Tour
  • The Agro-ecological Park “The Promised Land”

COVID-19 update: most of the restaurants, stores, and tourist sites in Salento have already opened their doors again. However, the increase in cases of coronavirus has caused the Mayor’s Office to consider regulating the entry of visitors.

Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley)

The Cocora Valley is located within the Coffee Cultural Landscape, a territory declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011.

The Cocora Valley – Quindío

Thousands of tourists travel every year to the Cocora Valley, in the coffee region of Colombia, to admire its impressive palms.

What to do in Cocora Valley

Here you can enjoy the sighting of one of the most beautiful landscapes of Colombia while having a delicious cup of coffee at the Mirador Aires de Cocora. In this place, you can enjoy not only coffee but also delicacies such as passion fruit, cakes, desserts, and sweets to brighten up the afternoon in the company of your family or friends.

Besides drinking coffee, you can go on a guided horseback ride through the valley and take pictures of the monumental landscapes. Quindío and the Cocora Valley are unique places in the world that deserve to be known, preserved, and admired by all.

Guided horseback ride through the Cocora Valley

But even in this region, the wax palms are scarce. The fact that much of the surrounding forest has been cut down to make way for cattle grazing is part of the reason for their scarcity and, in turn, their threat.

So, if you want to know a real wax palm forest and see the landscape that amazed both explorers, travelers and naturalists, as Mutis and Humboldt, from the eighteenth century to today, I recommend the following destinations below.

Where to stay in Salento

Toche: A Post-Conflict Destination

86% of the wax palm forests are found in Toche, being the largest wax palm forest in Colombia and the world, with around 600.000 individuals!

86% of the wax palm forests are found in Toche, Tolima

Toche is a small village hidden between mountains and fog. It is no longer one of the areas of Tolima most affected by the armed conflict. The armed conflict took this region out of the hands of deforestation, and that is why there are very well-preserved high Andean forests.

Today it is a beautiful example of the community’s effort to position this place as a tourist destination of choice.

How to Arrive to Toche

Toche can be reached from Salento, Quindío, by an open road that crosses a moorland area, and gives you the most spectacular views of the cloud forest with wax palms that you can’t even imagine.

You can also arrive from Tolima, from the municipality of Cajamarca. From there you will have to go up to Toche on a very difficult road. It is only possible to go by off-road transport, to make sure you don’t get stuck on the way. This road is also very difficult due to the constant landslides on the mountain slopes.

Cerro Machín Volcano. In the background the urban area of the municipality of Cajamarca. ©Colombian Geological Service

What to do in Toche

In Toche you have to visit the Cerro Machín Volcano. This is an active volcano, one of the most dangerous in the world. You can walk to its top, while you find hot springs and clouds of gases released to the surface through mini-craters. You can also walk over the main crater of the volcano, which looks like a swampy area, where you can also observe birds and a forest with wax palms around it.

In Toche, you can also take ecological walks, visit and enjoy hot springs, and do bird watching, especially the yellow-eared parrot.

Where to stay in Toche

Another Wax Palm Destinations

There are other regions in Colombia where you can find wax palm forests. These are mainly in Caldas, Quindío, Tolima, and Valle del Cauca. However, here I will tell you the most appropriate ones to visit.

You can even find wax palms in cities like Bogota, or Armenia, at the Quindío Botanical Garden. To know more read our entry The Wax Palm and Why it is a Must to See When Visiting Colombia.

San Félix – Caldas

In San Felix is the Samaria Forest, a forest of wax palms. San Felix is a village located at 2,823 meters above sea level in the north of the department of Caldas, 25 km from its municipal capital Salamina and 96.3 km from the capital of Caldas Manizales. Its climate is cold, with an average temperature of 14°C and the temperatures in the early summer go up to 0°C.

La Samaria Forest at San Félix, Salamina, Caldas. ©La Patria Newspaper

It is called “The Paradise of the North”, a name that is due to its landscapes of unparalleled beauty. It has a natural forest of wax palms to which you will arrive by jeep. There you will be received by the peasant community, hard-working, humble, simple, and committed to the region. You will enjoy typical dishes and a guided walk-through path surrounded by wax palms.

The jeep is the car par excellence to move around the Colombian coffee axis.

Tourism is very important as an economic alternative for the cultivation of Hass avocados in this region. This crop is devastating hectares of forest and destroying the habitat of the wax palm in this region.

Where to stay in San Félix

Jardín – Antioquia

The Yellow-Eared Parrot Reserve was established by Proaves Foundation in order to guarantee the survival and promote conservation actions aimed at the populations of Yellow-Eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) and Wax Palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), in the areas of Jardín (Antioquia) and Riosucio (Caldas) in Colombia.

Jardín, Antioquia

The Reserve is located in the village of Ventanas, one hour from the town of Jardin (Antioquia), on the road that connects this municipality with Riosucio, Caldas. It has an extension of 188 hectares and presents altitudes ranging from 1,900 to 2,600 meters above sea level. It is classified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as an AZE site.

Yellow-eared Parrot

This place is the only wax palm sanctuary established in Colombia, but its main goal is to protect the endangered Yellow-eared parrot, a species that nests in the trunks of the wax palm.

According to María José Sanín, a botanist at the CES University in Medellín, the problem is that the palms must be dead since that population of palms is old and is dying massively, which is good for parrots and birders, but terrible for the palms.

What to do in the Reserve

In the Reserve, you can go hiking and bird watching. There are also hummingbird watering places, where the Inca Collared comes.

Where to stay in Jardín

You can find another landscape destination in our entry Top 18 Natural Breathtaking Landscapes in Colombia.

If you want to schedule your visit to know the national tree of Colombia, do not hesitate to contact us, and plan your trip with us!


References


About the author

Sara Colmenares

Current director of Sula. Doctor in Biological Sciences. Her main interests are to explore and understand the organism – environment interactions, taking advantage of emerging knowledge for the management and conservation of species and ecosystem services. She is currently working as a consultant in functional ecology, ecosystem services and conservation projects in Colombia related to ecotourism and birdwatching.

Top 18 Natural Breathtaking Landscapes in Colombia

What do we take into account for choosing our next holiday destination? Usually landscapes. According to the sight and the look of a place, we consider it among our travel destinations, or not. In Colombia, you can find it all. It has thousands of different breathtaking landscapes you would never expect to find there and this is due to its geographic conditions.

The Reason of Colombia’s Landscape Diversity

Colombia stands out for having variety of landforms and consequently several altitudinal ranges with a characteristic weather and ecosystem, called thermal floors. Thermal floors are the underlying cause of the country’s megadiversity and each one boasts unique landscapes and sights that you cannot miss when visiting Colombia. There are 5 thermal floors: hot, warm, cold, páramo and perpetual snow and they depend on the altitude of the territory above the sea level. Each 1,000 increase in elevation has a huge impact on the life conditions of the region.

 

Now that you know the variety of environments in Colombia, read on to discover some of the most breathtaking landscapes in this wonderful country.

Seven Colors Sea in San Andrés Islands

San Andrés & Providencia

The second largest coral reef in the Caribbean is located in Providencia island, which belongs to the San Andrés Archipelago in the Colombian territory in the Caribbean Sea.

The array of colors from turquoise to aquamarine in the sea around these islands is the reason it is called the seven color sea.

It is a landscape worth seeing. Actually, the marine territory of the Archipelago, called Seaflower, was declared a Biosphere Reserve in 2000 by the UNESCO and shelters strategic ecosystems with high endemism.

Seaflower belongs to the Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot and hosts over 2,300 marine species.

The Most Beautiful River in the World

Caño Cristales, the Rainbow river, La Macarena, Colombia

Caño Cristales is a place that is being visited not only by backpackers but but tourists in general for its stunning landscape.

It has several nicknames, including the 5 color river and the most beautiful river in the world, and this is because it reflects red, green, yellow, blue and black hues due to aquatic plants, sand and rocky formations.

The red hues are caused by Macarenia clavigera plants, which are endemic. Before travelling to this awesome destination in Meta, you should know that the river is not open to the public all year round.

The appropriate season to visit Caño Cristales is from early June to December; during the other 6 months, the aquatic plants have their reproductive period and, although you can still visit the Serranía de La Macarena (where the river originates), entrance to the river is not allowed.

Cabo de la Vela – La Guajira

Sunset at Cabo de la Vela

In the northern tip of Colombia, La Guajira department, Cabo de la Vela is an unrivaled geographical feature with several tourist attractions. This region has the lowest level of rainfall in the country, which causes it to have desert conditions.

At 47 meters above sea level, you can enjoy gorgeous beaches such as Playa Dorada and Ojo de Agua, which have the perfect conditions for kite surfing. Pilón de Azúcar is a hill which you can climb in 15 minutes and appreciate the Caribbean landscape from the top.

The full experience of visiting La Guajira implies staying in a Wayuu farm or ranchería, in colorful hammocks woven by these indigenous.

From Cabo de la Vela, it is possible to get to Punta Gallinas, a magical place with golden dunes and rocky cliffs. Sights in La Guajira definitely will leave you speechless.

Tatacoa Desert

Night at the Tatacoa Desert ©Bernardo Solano

To the north of the capital Neiva, many tourists get to this tropical dry forest for hiking, camping and doing astronomical observation, but specially for enjoying an unparalleled Mars-like sight. There are three distinctive landscapes.

One with reddish/ochre natural sculptures caused by soil erosion in the sector called Cuzco, which keeps vestiges of ancient fossil deposits. Another one is Hoyos, a zone of differently-shaped mounds of gray tones that also has a pool of mineralized water built by locals.

Finally, El Cardón sector offers nice landscapes of sub xerophytic vegetation, including cactus, and possibilities for wildlife and bird observation.

Other attraction of Tatacoa is the uber-clear night sky with thousands of stars that light up the way.

The Coffee Cultural Landscape

Tinamu Birding Nature Reserve, notice it is a refuge in the middle of a highly fragmented landscape.

In the central and western foothills of the Andes, 563,000 families from 18 municipalities in Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío and Valle del Cauca form a sustainable coffee farming model that is declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

The Arabic coffee grain grown in Colombia is known as one of the best in the world. It encompasses 6 farming landscape that preserve the tradition of coffee growing in the challenging high mountain forests.

If you visit the coffee growing axis, or Eje cafetero, you will witness incredible sights such as coffee plantations in steep slopes of over 55 degrees and colorful towns with colonial architecture.

The Lost City

Lost City – Tayrona Park, Santa Marta

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta boasts wonderful landscapes everywhere you look. The world’s highest coastal mountain is a biodiversity hotspot and a fascinating place to be at.

One of the best sights you can enjoy is the Lost City (or Teyuna) in the national natural park Tayrona. This city is the archaeological record of  an ancient indigenous civilization built around 650 AD that is currently considered the greatest archaeological finding in Colombia.

What remained of the stone roads and buildings is now claimed as a sacred territory of the Kogui, Arhuaco, Wiwa and Kankuamo indigenous communities and also is an archaeological park.

In the park there is no mobile phone signal nor communication devices, but who needs technology when one witnesses such natural and historical beauty?

Toche – Tolima

Machín Volcano, Toche, Tolima, COlombia

A village formerly under control of guerrilla groups and quite inaccessible and abandoned by the government has become a tourist destination for nature lovers.

Usually, travelers who come from Salento and want to know the Cerro Machín volcano pass by this little town that is developing tourist infrastructure. However, few people know that Toche boasts the largest wax palm forest in the world.

Between this village and Cajamarca, you can find agglomerations of at least 1,000 palms that add up to 600,000 individuals and many other new plants that take 50 years to get to their maximum growth level.

This is an awesome sight of the beaten path that is strengthened by waterfalls, ancient tunnels, hot springs and a wealthy avifauna.

You can find 3 species of toucans, including the emerald toucanet and the rainbow-billed toucan, 5 species of parrots, including the yellow-eared and the blue-headed parrots, and the rufous-fronted parakeet, also you can spot eagles from there.

Chicamocha Canyon

Chicamocha Canyon

With 227 km long and a maximum depth of 2,000 m, the Chicamocha Canyon, located in Santander, is the largest in Colombia.

The Chicamocha river carved this current tourist attraction that never stops impressing its witnesses. Chicamocha is so marvelous that it was nominated as one of the 7 natural wonders in 2009.

In the heart of the canyon, the Chicamocha National Park allows visitors to enjoy the incredible landscape in several fun ways: you can either go paragliding over it, take one of the 3 cable cars or do canoeing along the river.

Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area

Alejandra_Garcia los Estoraques PNN

In Norte de Santander, to the western Cordillera, a green grass plain with white stone roads leads you to a incredible sight: Los Estoraques.

Rain and wind produced severe erosion, forming huge columns, pedestals and caves of different shapes and color that garnish the dry forest. Gullies, hills and valleys with refreshing ponds can also be found here.

These formations resemble the ruins of medieval buildings! Although Estoraques offers a sight one of its kind, its ecosystem has been damaged by human activities such as agriculture, hunting and logging.

Nariño Lagoons

Laguna de la cocha, picture by Sebastian David Martinez Canchala

Nariño department, southwest of Colombia, boasts several natural wonders. Its lagoons are famous among nature lovers.

Laguna de la Cocha is a beautiful lagoon full of legends that give it spiritual value. In the middle of the water, the Corota island is a biodiversity reserve considered a sacred place for indigenous descendants.

In addition, Laguna Verde (or Green Lagoon) is a must-visit water body in the region. On the top of the Azufral volcano, at almost 4,000 MASL, tourists’ jaws drop when seeing this emerald green lagoon with warm water due to  sulfur concentrations and steam that make it one of the prettiest in the world.

Ocetá Páramo

Páramo de Ocetá

One of the prettiest moorlands of Colombia is still unknown territory for many locals and tourists. In the municipality of Mongui, Boyacá, the Ocetá páramo dazzles with its wealth of silver, yellow and white frailejones, yellow senecios, violet lupins and tons of liquens and moss.

Luckily you will find rabbits, frogs, eagles, white-tailed deer and the national bird, the Andean condor. However, what makes Ocetá stand out from the other moorlands is its Stone City, a rocky zone with alleys enclosed by 15-meter high stone walls!

The peaks also exhibit well-defined rock strata and from there, you can see its water sources and the Pisba páramo to the north. This place makes you want to pay a second visit.

Salt Cathedral – Zipaquirá

Colombia’s First Wonder since 2007 is on the outskirts of Bogotá, in Zipaquirá. This great work of art was built within the region’s salt mines, and the miners had to extract 250 thousand tons of rock salt 180 meters underground.

This Catholic cathedral has three naves representing different stages of Jesus’ life, each one with an altar and great salt sculptures carved by miners and artists.

Religious visitors can follow the Stations of the Cross and get to the dome where a huge cross stands out thanks to the blue and purplish lightning that completes the design of the building.

This place is a must even for non-religious tourists, the underground landscape marvels anyone who visits.

Chingaza National Natural Park

Lakes of Chingaza National Natural Park

If you visit Bogotá, you should probably come know the place that provides 80% of its drinking water. Chingaza páramo is on the Eastern range of the Andes, between the departments of Cundinamarca and Meta, and is protected as a national natural park.

A cloudy horizon that hides the blue sky, which reflects on the lakes with mythological value surrounded by frailejones. This is the breathtaking sight you can experience here. Hiking in this place to have an overview of this amazing natural reserve is highly recommended.

Wildlife in Chingaza includes the spectacled bear, deer, pumas, páramo tapirs, Andean condors and the Andean Cock-of-the-rock Besides frailejones, different species of swamp moss absorb up to 40 times their weight in water! They keep the land humid and alive.

Cocuy National Natural Park

EL Cocuy

Sierra Nevada of Guicán, El Cocuy and Chita is the largest glacier mass in Colombia: within two mountain ranges it has over 25 snow peaks from 4,800 to 5,330 MASL.

The area within the National park is sacred to the Uwa indigenous community, so it should be treated with respect. Plus, if you go there and contemplate the landscape around you, you will not want to harm it.

Waterfalls, lagoons, páramo vegetation and fauna embelish the calm environment of the park located between the departments of Arauca and Boyacá. Similarly to Chingaza, here you can see spectacled bears, tapirs, deer, Andean condors and eagles, as well as frailejones.

The white peaks of El Cocuy are on the list of challenges of professional mountain climbers from all over the world, but getting at least to its slopes and admiring the view is a dream for every adventurous nature lover.

El Tuparro National Natural Park

El Tuparro

This park located in the east of Colombia is simply amazing. A vast savanna crossed by rivers with powerful streams, crystalline water, golden beaches and huge rock formations shaped like rounded hills is what you can contemplate in Tuparro.

One of its attractions, the Maypures stream was named “the eight wonder of the world” by Alexander von Humboldt. Now you can imagine why you should visit this place.

Mavecure Hills

Mavecure Hills – Picture courtesy by Andrés Rodríguez, local indigenous guide.

These majestic rock hills that are part of the Guiana Shield are not a common landscape for most tourists. El Mono, El Pajaro and Mavecure are in the Amazon region of Colombia and were believed to be the home of deities for indigenous communities.

Out of the three majestic black rounded hills that rise in the middle of a jungle, you can only climb Mavecure. The speedboat trip from Puerto Inirida will allow you enjoy unforgettable sights.

Bahía Solano

Bahía Solano, Chocó

Humpback whales arriving to the Colombian beaches of the Pacific Ocean in front of you and an unspoiled biodiverse rainforest behind you is what you will face in Bahia Solano, Choco. Simply unforgettable.

Do not miss your chance to live this and travel with us look here! This natural show can be experienced from July to October each year, but if you travel there at a different time, its jungle is a wonderful ecosystem to explore.

Nevado del Tolima

Nevado del Tolima from the Ukuku Lodge.

This ancient volcano at over 5,000  MASL boasts a green-coated land and a glacier of 2.8 square kilometers.

Enjoy a challenging trekking trail with the possibility of bathing in hot springs and contemplating the nice scenery of Tolima department. You can start the trip from Ibagué until El Silencio, from there, you can take several paths to climb.

Check our tour to this awesome snowy mountain here!

Are you now feeling like traveling to Colombia? You can discover many of these marvelous landscapes and more with us. Check our sample tours here!

References
About the author

Ana María Parra

Modern Languages professional with emphasis on business translation. Interested in cultural adaptation of written and audiovisual content.  Passionate about knowing new cultures and languages, tourism and sustainable living.