When you think of mummies, you surely think about Egypt, and its famous mummified pharaohs buried in their imposing pyramids. Yes, Egypt is known for its magical history and its gigantic cultural contribution, with their special techniques to mummify their bodies. But did you know that you can find naturally mummified bodies in the museum of mummies of Colombia?
In a hidden village, approximately 99 km from Bogota, there is San Bernardo, a cozy village with very friendly locals. In the cemetery of San Bernardo, many of the dead become mummies for unknown reasons. It happens so often that the Church decided to build a mausoleum to keep them in glass urns, when the families allow it.
It is known for being the only town in Colombia where the dead buried there have a layer of skin between white and brown tones that gives them a very peculiar appearance.
In San Bernardo, death acquires a fantastic and mystical touch, since there is no scientific explanation for this process.
The following is the information you need to make the most of your visit to San Bernardo, the town of mummies in Colombia.
Exploring San Bernardo
The municipality of San Bernardo is the agricultural pantry of Sumapaz region, charming, magical and quiet land. Its gastronomy is recognized regionally and its agro-ecological fairs are the best in Sumapaz.
Its landscapes offer a great variety of climates and agricultural products; a natural paradise rich in natural niches such as the Sumapaz National Natural Park, its people are friendly and welcoming and always welcome you with open arms.
San Bernardo is the only place in Colombia where there is a natural mummification process that has not been explained.
Why are they mummified?
It all started in the 1950’s, when the new cemetery was inaugurated. The old one was on the banks of a river in the lower part of the municipality, but the current swept away some of the dead when the waters rose.
When they began to remove bodies for exhumations, mummified bodies began to appear.
Environmental Context for Mummification
The context in each case may be different, but in principle an extreme environment is needed: very hot, very dry or very cold.
After death, our cells begin to break down and release all sorts of substances – including enzymes – that create an ideal environment for bacteria and fungi, which enter this mixture and begin to break down the body.
In most cases, enzymes need an aqueous environment to work. But if the temperature is too high, the body dehydrates before the enzymes can take action, and this results in mummification.
When the temperature is too low this can also happen because the cold inhibits bacterial activity. Especially if the body remains covered with ice or snow.
Swamps (wet by nature) are another natural environment that favors mummification. This is because they are generally cold, acidic and anaerobic environments.
Another influencing factor is the composition of the soil, e.g. the presence of heavy metals in the soil can retard the action of enzymes. The material of the coffin, as well as the textiles that cover the body and absorb the liquids, can also have an impact on the process.
Finally, it also depends on the body characteristics of each individual.
What can be happening in San Bernardo?
San Bernardo lies on the hills of Sumapaz, in the south of Cundinamarca, and the cemetery was built on the side of a mountain where it smells of pine trees and flowers. This cemetery is placed in the highest part of the village, near to the Paramo.
The gravedigger tells that the dead are exhumed every five years, and it always happens that they are intact… when they are cut they still have blood, they have flesh and they have everything. Even the eyes!
But there is a particular detail, according to the gravedigger, when the bodies come out “exact”, there is a thin layer of ice that covers the whole body. His testimony may suggest the very cold environment cause for mummification.
However, there are no studies to support the hypothesis of freezing, in spite of the testimonies.
Funerary and Cultural Heritage
Recently, the mummies of San Bernardo, and all the natural process is proposed to be declared as Funerary and Cultural Heritage.
The aim is to promote the Mummies of San Bernardo as Funerary and Cultural Heritage given the characteristics of the phenomenon that occurs naturally and the manifestations and identities that derive from it.
It is Funerary Heritage because it generates alternative visions of the meaning of death and the transcendence of the body after death. It is Cultural Heritage because through popular and daily orality emerge all kinds of myths connected with others transmitted by generations about the reason for the phenomenon. The mummies are the living memory and identity of a region that resists oblivion.
How to get to San Bernardo
The town is located in the south-east of the Department of Cundinamarca in the Sumapaz Province. San Bernardo has an average temperature of 21°C (69º F), making it a pleasant climate for tourists.
To get to San Bernardo you must take a 3-hour road trip from the south of the city of Bogotá for 99 km. On your way you will pass through towns like Fusagasuga and Arbelaez. When you passing Arbelaez you must take an unpaved road that will take you to the center of town.
Where to stay in San Bernardo
Being a very small town we tell you to dedicate a whole day to walk the streets and points of interest. In the afternoon you can stay in the town of Fusagasuga which is to 36 km away. In Fusagasuga we recommend you to stay in the following hotels:
Attractions and activities in San Bernardo
San Bernardo has two attractions that you will have the opportunity to visit. So we recommend some other nearby activities and attractions that you will love.
Mausoleum José Arquímedes Castro, or the Museum of Mummies
This is a museum that exhibits the mummies. Their bodies did not decompose but were calcified, keeping the skin and some parts of the body intact.
Currently, there are 14 mummies exhibited, since their number was reduced for health reasons, but at some point there were about 180.
The inhabitants of the village believe that the origin of the mummification is based on the diet of the Sanbernardinos, based on the consumption of Guatila and Balú. Both foods are part of the food tradition and grow wild and naturally, without chemicals that alter them.
However, all the surrounding municipalities consume the same food, and do not present mummified dead, thus refuting this local hypothesis.
The Mausoleum is open every day except Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The entrance fee is 5000 pesos for adults and 4000 pesos for children. It is recommended to visit early in the morning so that you can make your visit at your leisure.
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.