Los Colorados Flora and Fauna Sanctuary is the largest and most conserved area of dry tropical forest in the department of Bolivar, in the region of Montes de María, or Serranía de San Jacinto.
The sanctuary’s name alludes to the presence of the Colombian Red Howler Monkey (Alouatta seniculus), which live along with tamarin monkeys, deer, ocelots, sloths, and other mammals.
This is not a very well known destination among tourists, but it has all the necessary natural attractions to be a very good natural destination, and only 90 km from Cartagena!
Discovering Los Colorados Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
Los Colorados FFS is located in the Colombian Caribbean, in the department of Bolivar, in the municipality of San Juan Nepomuceno. The sanctuary has an area of 10 km².
It contains a representative area of the largest tropical dry forest of the Montes de María or Serranía de San Jacinto, a geological formation isolated between the coastal plain of Bolívar and the savannas of Corozal and Sincelejo.
You will find a small mountain system, with several peaks such as La Cañada, El Escondido, San José, El Yayal, La Gervedera and Tamarindo de Mico.
The sanctuary is also an important provider of water to the region, and there are several mini reservoir built in the surroundings. Los Cacaos and Salvador are two small rivers which flow around the park, there are are also countless creeks that flow into these streams.
A Sanctuary for the Conservation of Tropical Dry Forest and Monkeys
It contains one of the best preserved relicts of dry forest in the region and is an important refuge for the organisms of this habitat, such as some primate and mammal populations.
Los Colorados FFS as an Important Bird Area
The Galeras FFS is an Important Bird Area (IBA/AICA) recognized by BirdLife International, since Globally threatened species and Restricted-range species are present in the area. It is also a feeding station for migratory birds and it has more than 280 reported bird species, 46 of which are migratory.
Archeological Importance
Within the sanctuary’s facilities you can visit places of great cultural importance such as ceremonial sites of local indigenous communities.
The Malibú Mokaná or Malibú Serraneros ethnic group inhabited this area in the past XVI century. You can see some archaeological vestiges found in the area of influence of the Sanctuary, such as ocarinas and petroglyphs, and also the well-known “centellas” stones.
The inhabitants of the region have established an important relationship with Los Colorados hill, impregnated with beliefs and cultural practices evident, for example, in the treatment given to medicinal plants.
How to get to Los Colorados Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
Bogotá – Cartagena – San Juan Nepomuceno
Take a 45- minutes flight from El Dorado Bogotá (BOG) to Rafael Nuñez International Airport (CTG) at Cartagena city.
From Cartagena take the road to Sincelejo passing through the towns of Turbaco, Arjona, Sincerin, El Viso, Malagana, San Cayetano and Carreto until you reach the municipality of San Juan Nepomuceno, 90 kilometers from Cartagena.
From there you can access the entrance road to the eastern side of the Sanctuary by motorcycle or vehicle (5 minutes) or walking (20 minutes) to the operational headquarters.
What to do in Los Colorados Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
The Sanctuary and surrounding area is an ideal destination for photography, bird watching, and enjoying the natural beauty and culture of the region.
Hiking
As a visitor you can tour the mountain from east to west, through trails such as ‘El Yayal’ or ‘Planeta Bosque’, along the banks of Los Cacaos stream, paths to bring out the wild soul and become environmentally conscious.
You can visit the following tourist attractions within the sanctuary: Los Chivos waterfall, El Mirador, Los Cacaos stream, Escondido gully, Tigre’s cave, Piedra del Toro and Tinamú.
Sara Colmenares holds a Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Ecology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and a Master’s degree in Botany from the same institution. Her doctoral research focused on palm ecology in the Atlantic Forest, supported by the Rufford Foundation conservation grant.
A published researcher in the Brazilian Journal of Plant Physiology and a member of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC), Sara has presented her work at international conferences across Latin America and beyond. She was awarded the COLCIENCIAS “Virginia Gutiérrez de Pineda” fellowship, one of Colombia’s most competitive academic distinctions for young researchers.
Sara founded the Sula nature tourism brand in 2018, applying her scientific expertise to develop birding and wildlife experiences across Colombia’s six natural regions. Her fieldwork took her from the cloud forests of the Andes to the Amazon basin, the Pacific coast, and the plains of the Orinoquía. She combined deep ecological knowledge with firsthand experience to create content that is both scientifically accurate and practically useful for nature travelers.
She holds a B.Sc. in Biology from the National University of Colombia, where she also taught plant ecophysiology. She speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and English.