Tag: colombia national natural parks

Farallones de Cali Natural National Park, the Land of the Tororoi Bailador

Posted on by Frank59872

In west of the city of Cali you will find páramos, waterfalls, trails, mountains and rivers hidden in the  youngest rock formations of the Western Cordillera of the Andes: Farallones de Cali Natural National Park.

This protected area, distinguished by its majestic blue peaks that rise above a plain that separates the basins of the Pacific and the Cauca River, is recognized for its great natural wealth and therefore becomes a must-see destination when it comes to nature tourism in this region of the country.

Below you will get the information you need to enjoy and fall in love with the largest natural reserve in Valle del Cauca.

Discovering Farallones de Cali Natural National Park

Farallones de Cali National Park is located in southwestern Colombia, in the department of Valle del Cauca, between the municipalities of Cali, Jamundí, Dagua and Buenaventura, covering an area of 1,500 km².

The “farallones” are rock formations of about 20 million years ago, being the youngest of the Western Cordillera of the Andes, formed by the folding of the South American and Nazca tectonic plates.

The protected area is the largest in Valle del Cauca and allows the conservation of more than 540 bird species and more than 30 rivers that originate there. The rivers and streams that originate in this area are divided into two basins: the Cauca and Pacific basins, and supply the southwestern part of Colombia.

Pance Peak, Farallones de Cali National Park, CC Parques Nacionales Archives

The elevation gradient is between 200 and 4,100 meters above sea level, where the following ecosystems are present:

  • Tropical Rainforest (200 and 1,200 meters above sea level);
  • Humid Sub-Andean Forest (1,200 and 2,000 meters above sea level);
  • Humid High Andean Forest (2,000 and 3,500 meters above sea level) and
  • Páramo (above 3,500 meters above sea level).

Farallones de Cali NNP has the only paramo ecosystem in Colombia that does not have frailejones. However, the park is considered one of the richest in flora and fauna Colombia.

How to get to Farallones de Cali Natural National Park

Bogotá-Palmira-Pance

Take a 145- minutes flight from El Dorado Bogotá (BOG) to Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO) at Palmira city. Once at the airport, take an approximately 45- minutes ride to Pance at Centro de Educación Ambiental El Topacio.

What to do in Farallones de Cali NNP

Colombia’s National Natural Parks announced that as a contribution to the country’s economic reactivation and as a continuation of the reopening of protected areas with an ecotourism vocation, the Farallones de Cali National Natural Park reopened its doors so that visitors can enjoy its natural and cultural values.

Authorized sectors for entry

The organization, in charge of administering and managing the Natural Parks System and coordinating the National System of Protected Areas of Colombia, announced the following points that will be authorized for visitors:

  • Puesto de atención a visitantes el Topacio, located in Vereda el Topacio Corregimiento de Pance, Distrito de Cali, access to the attractive Pico de Loro.
  • Quebradahonda Visitor Service Station, located in the Quebradahonda Village, Corregimiento de los Andes, District of Cali, access to the Peñas Blancas attraction.
  • Km 81 Visitor Service Station, located in La Cascada, municipality of Dagua, access to the Cañón del Anchicayá attraction.

Schedules and measures to take into account

National Parks informed that visitors will be able to enjoy the protected area “in day trip mode” and it is important to follow the instructions of the park rangers, the National Police and members of the communities that provide ecotourism support.

The entrance hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and the departure time should be no later than 5:00 p.m.

Biosecurity protocols

At the same time, the entity highlighted the recommendations and biosecurity protocols, which have been developed given the pandemic situation and among which are: maintaining social distance, permanent use of masks and glycerin alcohol, as well as avoiding crowds.

Additionally, the tourist load capacity of each of the trails has been reduced to 30% for this reopening stage, and also police accompaniment is provided.

What to enjoy in Los Farallones?

In this protected area you can spot species such as the spectacled bear and the anteater, along with guans, chachalacas, parrots and eagles.

Los Farallones de Cali National Natural Park, located in the Western Cordillera of Colombia, allows visitors to enjoy relaxing landscapes, which are also home to marsupials and monkeys, as well as camping and hiking activities.

Hiking

Hiking is an exciting activity in Farallones de Cali National Park. You can hike on 4 trails: Pico de Loro Trail; Burbujas Trail; Peñas Blancas Trail and Anchicayá Canyon.

  • Pico de Loro Trail: Starting point 1718 masl to 2860 masl arrival point. Difficulty level: Medium – High and maximum capacity of 50 people per day. (3 hours)
  • Burbujas Trail: Starting point 1676 masl to 1735 masl arrival point. Degree of difficulty: Low and maximum capacity of 267 people per day.
  • Peñas Blancas Trail: Starting point 1987 masl to 2886 masl arrival point. Degree of difficulty: Medium – High and maximum capacity of 50 people per day.
  • Anchicayá Canyon: It is a natural well with a depth of approximately 80 cm to 6 meters. Degree of difficulty: Low-Medium and maximum capacity of 200 people per day.

Birdwatching

Tororoi Bailador. CC Diego Calderón (Colombia Birding)

The most representative birds of the park are the:

  • Long-wattled umbrellabird (Cephalopterus penduliger);
  • Multicolored Tanager (Chlorochrysa nitidissima);
  • Yellow-green tanager (Chlorospingus flavovirens);
  • Cauca guan (Penelope perspicax);
  • Andean Cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola peruviana);
  • Banded ground cuckoo (Neomorphus radiolosus); and,
  • Baudó guan (Penelope ortoni).

Land of the Tororoi Bailador, or the Dancing Grallaria

Species number 562 was named Tororoi Bailador, which was discovered in the Dagma conservation area, immersed in the Farallones de Cali National Natural Park.

Thus, the Tororoi Bailador is an endemic bird recorded in the park, and it is known to be present in five rural territories near the park.

Wildlife Tours

In Farallones de Cali NNP you can observe small bats up to pumas, in addition to panthers, ocelots, foxes and spectacled bears.

The amphibian community includes the Lehman’s poison dart frog, Oophaga lehmanni. Check our dart frogs tour here.

Orchids tours are also a very well developed activity to do in the park. Know more about orchids of Colombia in our entry The Richest Country in Orchids in the World: Colombia.

Where to stay in Farallones de Cali NNP

Thanks to the proximity of Farallones de Cali NNP with the city of Cali it is not necessary to stay overnight in the park.

We recommend you to stay in Cali, where there are plenty of nice hotels you can stay. Our recommendations for you are:

  • Hotel Casa del Hidalgo
  • Hotel Dann Carton Cali
  • Cali Marriot Hotel

Best time to visit Farallones de Cali NNP

We recommend that you visit the park during the 2 dry seasons, between the months of January and March, and between July and August.

Keep in mind that Farallones de Cali NNP has an average temperature of 25º C (77º F) in most of the marked trails but in the summits it has a temperature of 5º C (41º F).

Farallones de Cali NNP Entrance fees

Farallones de Cali NNP does not currently charge admission to visitors.

What to consider before visiting Farallones de Cali NNP

  • The park currently has regulated access, so you must request access to the following email farallones@parquesnacionales.gov.co.
  • The hours of entry and permanence of the trails allowed in the park are:
    • Pico de Loro Trail: Entrance from 6 am to 8 am; departure 4 pm maximum;
    • Burbujas – Pance: Entrance from 6 am to 5 pm;
    • Peñas Blancas Trail: Entrance from 6 am to 8 am; departure 4 pm maximum;
    • Anchicayá Canyon: stay from 7 am to 5 pm.
    • The Pico Pance trail is currently restricted because it is in an intangible zone.
  • The entry of pets or domestic animals is prohibited.
  • The use of flash when taking photographs is prohibited.
  • Use of binoculars to watch animals’ behavior is recommended.
  • Bring along valid identification documents and health insurance.
  • It is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you a personal first aid kit.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, throwing cigarette butts, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

References
  • Parques Nacionales
  • Colombia.travel
  • Colparques
About the authors

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

Discover the Uniqueness of Tinigua Natural National Park in Colombia

Posted on by Frank59872

Tinigua National Natural Park is a stunning protected area of Colombia where the Andean, Orinoco and Amazonian ecosystems converge in this territory, which gives it a high biological diversity, and wonderful place for ecotourism.

Today, this place can be visited together or as an alternative destination for Caño Cristales, the famous rainbow river. In the park you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes and a huge variety of flora and fauna.

The following information will be useful during your visit to Tinigua NNP.

Discovering Tinigua National Natural Park

The Tinigua NNP is located in the department of Meta, in the jurisdiction of the municipalities of La Uribe and La Macarena, between the Duda and Guayabero rivers and has an area of 2018.75 km².

The rainforest constitutes 86% of the area of Tinigua NNP, extending over an area of 184,983 ha. Flooded forest makes up 14% of Tinigua NP’s area, covering 30,184 ha along the Perdido, Duda, Guayabero and La Reserva rivers that comprise the protected area.

Furthermore, the topography of Tinigua NNP is undulating and smooth, with altitudes ranging between 200 and 500 meters above sea level. It is characterized by forests of very tall trees, with a canopy between 30 and 40 m.

The Biological Corridor of the Area

Tinigua is part of a biogeographic corridor that goes from the top of the eastern Andean mountain range to the Amazon basal zone. In other words, it is an altitudinal gradient that begins in the Andean paramo ecosystem, at more than 3500 meters above sea level, to the Amazon and Orinoco plains.

Guayabero River at Tinigua Natural National Park. Picture by Giovany Pulido

Thus, its important geographical position and connectivity made it part within the territorial planning figure of special environmental importance in the department of Meta, La Macarena Special Management Area (AMEM), which includes four (4) National Natural Parks: Sumapaz, Cordillera de los Picachos, Sierra de La Macarena and Tinigua, and three Integrated Management Districts. Additionally, it is part of the Duda River corridor in the valley of the Eastern Cordillera near the Serrania de la Macarena.

Such a corridor allows the flow of living beings and the provision of ecosystem services.

Hydric Importance

Tinigua National Natural Park is important for water because it conserves four (4) hydrographic basins: Guayabero River, Guaduas River, Perdido River and Duda River that allow the formation of the Guaviare River and the Orinoco macro basin.

Cultural Importance

Downstream along the Guayabero River is the Raudal Angostura I, a Historic-Cultural Zone, in which there are giant rocks of great scenic beauty, and other attractions such as petroglyphs of zoomorphic and anthromorphic figures, which are vestiges of the cultural legacy of indigenous inhabitants from the Tinigua and Guayabero ethnic groups in this territory.

According to studies, only one member of the Tinigua indigenous culture remains, named Sixto Muñoz Mauricio, who speaks the Tinigua language, preserves some of the customs and lives deep in the jungle of the Sierra de La Macarena.

How to get Tinigua National Natural Park

Bogotá-La Macarena

Take a 1-hour flight from El Dorado International Airport (BOG) Bogotá to La Macarena Airport (LMC) at La Macarena city with Satena airline.

From La Macarena you have to take a road trip of approximately 7 hours to Delicias- Centro Poblado San Juan del Losada- Centro Poblado el Rubí- Cabaña Aires del Perdido

Bogotá – San Vicente del Caguán –  Tinigua NNP Sector Losada – Perdido

Take a 1-hours flight from El Dorado International Airport (BOG) Bogotá to

Eduardo Falla Solano Airport (SVI) at San Vicente del Caguan city with satena airline. Once at the airport, take an approximately 4,5-hours ride to La Macarena.

From La Macarena you have to take a road trip of approximately 7 hours to Delicias- Centro Poblado San Juan del Losada- Centro Poblado el Rubí- Cabaña Aires del Perdido

Please note that  Satena airline only operates two flights a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

What to do in Tinigua National Natural Park

Main activity at the park is hiking, but there are other complementary activities such as wildlife and flora observation, birdwatching and primate watching, geological observation, panoramic views, landscape contemplation, photography and filming.

Hiking  

Tinigua NNP has only authorized sector for hiking which is the Raudal Angosturas I. This tour can be done all year round, but you must keep in mind that during the winter season the Guayabero River may have restrictions due to weather conditions.

In this sector you can enjoy the Petroglyph Trail Angosturas I – La Macarena; located between the border of the National Natural Parks Sierra de la Macarena and Tinigua.

As well as it has a Low-Medium degree of difficulty, there you can observe cave paintings and petroglyphs, as well as observation of flora and wildlife. Please note that you must have authorization to enter this trail.

The scarlet macaw (Ara macao)

Birdwatching and Wildlife Tours

Tinigua NNP has a record of 441 bird species including 18 migratory birds and five southern migratory birds. Of the most representative birds that you can get to observe are:

  • Crax alector
  • Mitu salvini
  • Crax tomentosa
  • Ara macao
  • Ara ararauna
  • Ara militaris
  • Ara severa
  • Touit stictoptera
  • Neochen jubata
  • Coturnicops notata
  • Falco deiroleucus
  • Aburria aburri
  • Xiphocolaptes promeropirhynchus macarenae
  • Chlorospingus ophthalmicus macarenae
  • Tinamus tao
  • Pteroglossus castanotis
  • Ramphastos culminatus
  • Pionites melanocephala

Tinigua NNP has recorded 32 species of mammals, among which carnivores are the most representative specie with 9,  followed by primates with 7 species. So you can enjoy your stay in Tinigua NNP discovering species such as:

  • Lontra longicaudis
  • Panthera onca
  • Puma concolor
  • Lagothrix lagotricha
  • Ateles belzebuth
  • Tayassu pecari
  • Tayassu tajacu
  • Bradypus variegatus
  • Tapirus terrestris
  • Alouatta seniculus
  • Saimiri sciureus

Regarding the presence of amphibians, it has been established that there are 14 species and 63 species of reptiles; where we highlight the Caiman (Crocodylus intermedius), Morrocoy (Geochelone denticulata), Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), among others.

Where to stay in Tinigua National Natural Park

Tinigua National Natural Park does not currently offer accommodation for travelers, nonetheless you are able to stay in La Macarena. Our recommendation of hotels for you:

  • Tinigua Finca Recreacional y Ecoturistica.
  • Hotel la Fuente JN
  • Casa Hotel Real
  • La Manigua Lodge.

Best time to visit Tinigua National Natural Park

It is recommended to visit the park during the 2 dry seasons, between the months of December and March, and between August and September. Keep in mind that Tinigua National Natural Park has an average temperature of 25º C (77º F).

Tinigua National Natural Park Entrance fees

Currently, Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia does not charge entrance fees for visitors to Tinigua National Park, Raudal Angosturas I Sector in the Municipality of La Macarena.

What to consider before visiting Tinigua National Natural Park

  • You must carry plastic bags for the disposal of NON BIODEGRADABLE waste (bottles, batteries, cans, etc.).
  • It is recommended that you bring: backpack, light cotton clothing, sunscreen and hat, biodegradable soap, rubber boots.
  • Domestic animals are prohibited.
  • Don’t use of flash when taking photographs.
  • Use binoculars to watch animals’ behavior.
  • Bring along valid identification documents and health insurance.
  • It is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you a personal first aid kit.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, throwing cigarette butts, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

References
  • Parques Nacionales
  • Colparques
About the authors

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

The Wonders of Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary in Southwest Colombia

Posted on by Frank59872

At the foot of the Galeras Volcano is the Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary, its cliffs are excellent for the practice of extreme sports, mountaineering, paragliding and mountain biking.

Part of the sanctuary is located in a High Volcanic Threat Zone (Zona de Amenaza Volcánica Alta – ZAVA), as it is part of a volcanic complex.

The richness of the Galeras Sanctuary is reflected in the great variety of flora and fauna species in the páramo, high Andean forest, and Andean forest ecosystems. It also has lagoons and different water sources that supply the local aqueducts.

Have you ever dreamt to come close to the most active crater volcano in South America? in Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary you can do it and discover much more!

Discovering Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary

This sanctuary is located in southwestern part of Colombia, in the department of Nariño, and covers an area of 76.15 km².

The Sanctuary’s Role as a Water Supplier

In the Galeras Volcano Fauna and Flora Sanctuary, there is a hydrographic star that gives rise to about 125 streams, several rivers and four lagoons: Negra, Verde, Telpis and Mejía, and numerous ponds such as La Blanca, Sumatambo and La Trucha, which benefit the community of the seven municipalities that surround the park.

The 40 villages surrounding the sanctuary, local communities carry out different productive activities and depend on the water provided by the sanctuary. For this reason, they are committed to the sanctuary’s conservation and work together with National Parks to maintain it.

Moreover, because the sanctuary is located between Nariño’s two main watersheds: the Guáitara and Juanambú, protecting the páramo is vital for sanctuary officials.

Natural Attractions

Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary is located at an altitude of 3,000 meters above sea level. The main ecosystems of the Sanctuary are cloud forest and paramo. The variety of topography and the diverse climatic conditions have allowed the development of a great diversity of flora.

The High Andean forest is located between 3,000 and 3,200 meters above sea, it is covered by endemic species such as the Encenillo (Weinmannia tomentosa). Then, the sub-paramo is found between 3,200 and 3,500 meters above sea level, where shrub and bush vegetation predominates, giving rise to mixed and colorful vegetation.

Finally, the paramo is found between 3,500 (3,600) and 4,100 meters above sea level, with a predominance of frailejones, and among them the endemic one Espeletia pycnophylla.

Galeras 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.

The conservation actions carried out in the area correspond to those carried out by the Special Administrative Unit of the National Natural Parks System – UAESPNN.

Conservation responses – actions for key biodiversity include the environmental guide service and the ECOANDINO project, in which 800 families from the park’s surrounding villages participate.

The Galeras Volcano

Galeras Volcano. Picture by Ingeominas

With a height of 4276 meters above sea level, this majestic active volcano is 9 kilometers far from the city of San Juan de Pasto, and has allowed the city to develop at its feet for more than four hundred years.

It is considered one of the most active volcanoes in Colombia, and has more than three active craters in its internal cone, being one of the most important volcanoes in southern Colombia.

The native Quillacingas indigenous people called it Urcunina, which means “Mountain of Fire”, but its current name was given by the colonizers, who found its shape similar to large ships called galleys.

Pasto and Galeras Volcano 1869

This volcano is part of the Andes Mountain Range, located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, and its famous eruptions have thrilled locals and strangers alike. Its base is 20 kilometers in diameter and at the top there is a crater about 80 meters deep.

How to get to Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary

Flight Bogotá – Pasto

Take a 1,5-hours flight from Bogotá to Antonio Nariño Airport (PSO) at Pasto city. Once at the airport, take an approximately 1,5-hours ride to San Felipe Sector. Once in San Felipe you must hike for 2 hours at medium-high intensity to the Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary entrance.

Land routes

From Pasto, there is a surrounding road that connects the seven municipalities that have jurisdiction in the protected area linking Pasto with the towns of Nariño, La Florida, Sandoná, Consacá and Yacuanquer.

Telpis Sector

This is the only sector enabled for ecotourism; you leave from Pasto to the municipality of Yacuanquer (25 kilometers to the south), from here you can access through the San José, El Rosario and San Felipe trails (for about 5 kilometers) to the site where the hike begins to access the hut in the Telpis sector, with an approximate duration of 2.5 hours on foot.

Urcunina sector

This sector is closed to the public due to volcanic activity.

What to do in Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary

Hiking

Galeras Volcano

In this attraction you can enjoy the natural beauty that covers the Galeras Volcano, and from its small summits, a fabulous panoramic view of the so-called surprise city San Juan de Pasto.

Access routes: From the road of the ring road, which takes us to the repeater tower, and from there it takes approximately two hours on foot. Its access routes are from the road of the ring road, approximately 23 kilometers.

Telpis Trail

With 1.3 km, 2½ hours one way, and medium difficulty, the trail shows the importance of the high Andean forest and paramo. During the hike you will be able to observe wildlife typical of these ecosystems.

The main attraction is the excellent panoramic view of the high mountains, at 3600 meters above sea level, and volcanoes such as Chiles, Cumbal and Cotopaxi, the latter in the Republic of Ecuador. There are also wetlands and the beautiful lagoon of Telpis.

Lagoons at Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. Pictures by Parques Nacionales

Laguna Negra Trail

There is also a trail to Laguna Negra, located south of Galeras Volcano between the municipalities of Pasto and Tangua, at an altitude of approximately 3,450 meters above seal level.

To reach this place, take a 30-minute hike from Pasto through Filadelfia, until you reach the crossing to enter the lagoon, at approximately 9 km away from Pasto city’s exit.

Foso del Duende Waterfall

Also, in the San Felipe trail where the route to the sanctuary’s cabin begins, it is possible to make a small detour from the main road to visit the Foso del Duende, which is a small waterfall.

It is a small waterfall where legend has it that a goblin appears before nightfall and dances until he gets tired and goes into the well to swim, but ends up turning into a giant trout and getting lost in the waters of the Telpis River.

Birdwatching an Wildlife Tours

Constant monitoring has led to the conclusion that there are 166 species of birds, 36 families and 117 genera. Thraupidae is the family with the highest number of species (30), including Tangara heinei, Urothraupis stolzmanni, Butraupis montana; followed by the Trochilidae family (hummingbirds) with 22 species, including Eriocnemis mosquera, Eriocnemis derbyi, Chalcostigma herrani, Ensifera ensifera, Rhamphomicron microrhychum; and the Tyrannidae family with 15 species such as Mecocerculus leucophrys, Mecocerculus minor, Ochtoeca frontalis; and the Emberizidae family with 13 species such as Atlapetes pallidinucha, Phrygilus unicolor, among others.

Regarding to other animal grouos, The Galeras FFS is a perfect place to observe the Galeras rain frog and the Harlequin toad of Nariño, especially in the Telpis Lagoon.

You can also observe the typical fauna of paramos and high Andean forest such as deer, wolves, squirrels, rabbits, porcupines, some rodents, among others. The wolf (Lycalopex culpeus) is currently threatened, so it is important to protect the sanctuary and avoid illegal hunting.

As you walk through the sanctuary’s trails, you can see a large number of butterflies. There are 88 recorded species.

Scientific Tourism and Environmental Education

The exuberant nature of the protected area and its conservation status make it a suitable place for scientific research. In addition, as in all parks open to ecotourism, environmental education activities are carried out here by educational institutions or officials who introduce visitors to the park, its conservation objectives, services, and ecotourism activities.

Landscaping

The scenic beauties of the Sanctuary are the perfect place for this activity, although if the photos or videos have commercial or publication purposes, a permit must be requested from the National Natural Parks.

Where to stay in Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary

Currently , the sanctuary does not offer lodging for travelers, the registration shelter only offers information service.

At Telpis sector, it is possible to find lodging in rural houses that offer lodging services. In any case, one day is more than enough to cover the complete protected area so travelers can start their journey from Pasto city.

Best time to visit Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary

The sanctuary can be visited all year round, but since it is a cold climate it can rain almost every month. July to September are the months with the least amount of rain and a temperature is around 15º C (59 ºF).

Galeras Flora and Fauna Sanctuary Entrance fees

  • The entrance fee varies depending on the nationality and age of the visitors. These are the entrance fees for 2021:
  • Colombians, foreigners holding valid residence permits and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (ages 5 to 25): COP 5,500
  • Colombians, foreigners holding valid residence permits and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (over 25 years old): COP 5,500
  • Non-resident foreigners (over 5 years old): COP 10,500
  • Children under 5 years old and Colombians over 65 years old have free entrance presenting their IDs.

Bear in Mind…

  • The Telpis sector is the only one enabled for ecotourism, the rest of the sanctuary is inaccessible because it is under high volcanic threat.
  • Guided assistance is mandatory.
  • The Telpis sector is only open from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 m.
  • The entry of pets or domestic animals is prohibited.
  • The use of flash when taking photographs is prohibited.
  • Use of binoculars to watch animals’ behavior is recommended.
  • Bring along valid identification documents and health insurance.
  • It is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you a personal first aid kit.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, throwing cigarette butts, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

If you want to know more about natural destination in Colombia, contact us in our Plan Your Trip page!

References
  • Colparques
  • Parques nacionales
  • BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Santuario de Fauna y Flora Galeras. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 06/07/2021.
  • Portal Servicio Geológico Colombiano
  • Kahuari Travel
About the authors

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

 

How Your Visit to Sierra de la Macarena in Colombia Helps for its Conservation?

Posted on by Frank59872

La Macarena is a municipality located in the department of Meta, Colombia, with natural reserves such as the Sierra de la Macarena Natural National Park which has become internationally known for the seven colors river, Caño Cristales.

The sierra also has petroglyphs of ancient cultures in the Angosturas I and II sectors, in the Guayabero River. There are also enormous waterfalls, such as the Caño Canoas Waterfall, the Yarumales Waterfall, the Mico Waterfall, Soplaculos among others, which are difficult to reach due to the steep terrain.

This region of Colombia has been hard hit by the armed conflict, the planting of illicit crops, extensive cattle ranching and large-scale deforestation. Even after the signing of the peace agreement, it is a territory that continues to undergo a slow process of re-organization of the territory and the role of the people who inhabit it.

Ecotourism and community-based tourism is one of the lines that the local community is developing, taking advantage of the impressive natural wealth of the territory. Plans include the creation of ecological trails where visitors can also participate in the restoration process by planting a tree.

They also want to promote other destinations that activate tourist visits at times other than Caño Cristales, and thus have an income derived from tourism activity throughout the year.

Sierra de la Macarena is a Territory of Great Value for Humanity

The Sierra de La Macarena National Natural Park is located in the department of Meta, in a strategic location where the Andes, the Orinoco Savannah, the Guyanese Shield and the Amazonian plain converge, giving it a hyper mega biodiversity character, a true biological heritage for humanity.

The protected area also connects with the Tinigua and Picachos National Parks.

Sierra de la Macarena

The Sierra de la Macarena is an isolated mountain range that due to its nature, location and type of soil is home to endemic species of flora and fauna, that is to say that only exist in that place. An example of these is the aquatic plant Macarenia clavijera, which gives the reddish, pink and greenish colors to Caño Cristales, the region’s tourist destination par excellence.

Eighty-three percent of the Macarena mountain range is made up of humid forest (tropical humid zone) with an area of 5030 km², in addition to the herbaceous vegetation of the Amazon plain. La Macarena is considered worldwide as one of the most important wildlife refuges on the planet.

Thus, this natural treasure has extraordinary landscapes that are world icons such as the above mentioned Caño Cristales, as well as unique species such as the cumin tree (Aniba perutilis), the jaguar (Panthera onca) and the tapir (Tapirus bairdii).

Sierra de la Macarena National Park, Colombia Picture by Parque Nacionales

Effects of the Armed Conflict and the Peace Process in La Macarena

During the 1970s, the Macarena sector experienced an increase in population due to the fur trade and foreign tourism, but unfortunately, in the 1980s, the logging boom began. Besides that, for more than 40 years La Macarena and surrounding municipalities were occupied by blocks of the former FARC-EP guerrilla and other armed groups in constant conflict.

Guerrilla occupation generated many displacements and a difficult task for the conservation processes of the National Park System and non-profit organizations such as WWF. In fact, no inhabitant could move freely without a mobility permit issued by the FARC.

At the same time, this territory has been the scene of territorial and socio-environmental conflicts related to land ownership, extensive cattle ranching, deforestation, illicit crops, and the presence of armed actors. Despite the efforts and hope brought about by the Peace Agreement, disputes and conflicts in this region were reconfigured and exacerbated after its signing in 2016, increasing the challenges for the conservation of these strategic ecosystems and for peace building in the communities.

Community Actions for Conservation

In the midst of this complex context, some small farmer families living in the Sierra de La Macarena have decided to make a commitment to conservation and are now participating in ecological restoration processes with the production and planting of native tree species, and with ecotourism entrepreneurship.

Tourism appeared as a saving option. Today, in fact, it is for 350 families who live directly from the income generated by this activity. People who work in simple but clean hotels, cooking for tourists, as guides, canoeists, and drivers. Even translators, although so far they only have three who speak English.

Thus, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MinCit) o Colombia has generated strategies to promote sustainable tourism and support the communities of La Macarena.

Sierra de la Macarena National Natural park

Sierra de la Macarena NNP is in the department of Meta, in the Andean foothills of the Amazon rainforest. In this part of the country, the Andean, Amazonian and Orinoco ecosystems converge, and it has a territorial extension of 10,000 km².

This protected area was created by Decree 1989 of September 1, 1989 and covers an area of 605,793 hectares distributed in 5 municipalities in the southern part of the department of Meta.

The park’s Environmental Management Plan incorporates an ecotourism management plan, which indicates the possible scenarios for this activity. Currently, there are only two characterized scenarios with defined carrying capacity and regulations: Caño Cristales and Raudal Angosturas 1.

Other scenarios have been identified but are not yet regulated for visits, including the La Paz Ecological Trail, the Santo Domingo and Cafetales waterfalls in Mesetas and San Juan de Arama, as well as Raudal II near Puerto Concordia. Thus, these areas cannot be visited because they are still in the process of being organized.

Tourist attractions of Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park

Today it is possible to visit Caño Cristales with its new trails and the Raudal Angosturas I, thanks to the articulated work that has been carried out since 2014 with the creation of the Mesa Ruta Sierra de la Macarena and the need to expand the supply of ecotourism trails in the Caño Cristales sector, as well as to carry out sufficient technical procedures to implement new ecotourism scenarios that will involve a larger population in the community benefits of tourism in the municipality of La Macarena.

Caño Cristales, the Rainbow River

Cano Cristales, La Macarena, Meta, Colombia.

The Macarena’s most recognized attraction in the area is Caño Cristales, better known as “the river of the five colors”, “the most beautiful river in the world” or “the river that escaped from paradise”; one poet even called it “the rainbow that melted”.

Macarenia clavigera, an aquatic plant endemic to the Macarena, is what allows the river’s crystalline and shallow waters to offer a variety of colors that visitors can appreciate. The extension of the river does not exceed 100 kilometers and has a width of no more than 20 meters, which flows into the Guayabero River. The trails established to learn more about this beautiful place are five circuits of stone and plants, ranging from 3 to 15 kilometers in length.

For more information about Cano Cristales visit our entry Travel Guide to the Rainbow River – Caño Cristales – in Colombia.

Raudal de Angostura I and Ciudad de Piedra

Raudal de Angosturas, La Macarena, Meta, Colombia.

The Raudal Angosturas I destination opened in 2017, as a new ecotourism scenario for the enjoyment of tourists from Colombia and the world. It is a project where you can appreciate the pre-Columbian petroglyphs carved in rocks in low relief that tell the story of the ancestors of the Tinigua tribe when they lived in this area. In turn, Ciudad de Piedra is a trail composed of huge gray rock formations carved over centuries by the force of water.

Many local and national organizations worked together to create this tourist destination, among them, National Natural Parks of Colombia, Cormacarena, the Governor’s Office of Meta, the Mayor’s Office of La Macarena and other members that are part of the Technical Tourism Board: Sierra de la Macarena Route.

Raudal Angosturas I is located between the border of the Sierra de la Macarena and Tinigua National Parks and in the Recovery Zone for Southern Preservation in the municipality of La Macarena, Meta.

This natural wonder contains engraved in its petroglyphs the history of the Tinigua Indians and also the footprint of the armed conflict in Colombia.

The Military Forces of the region support this process of ecotourism management, since it will ensure the safety of those who will enjoy nature tourism in the Macarena Special Management Area.

If you wish to visit the other tourist attractions, you must have a guide specialized in the area, but you must inform the park facilities in the municipality of Granada, Meta.

How to get to Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park

The following alternatives are the most time efficient, as it is possible to arrive by land but the time will be longer, and probably not safe.

Via Bogotá – La Macarena

Take a 1-hour flight from El Dorado International Airport (BOG) Bogotá to La Macarena Airport (LMC) at La Macarena city with Satena airline. There are also private charter flights that take you there.

Via Cali – Villavicencio – La Macarena

Take a 1-hour flight from Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Palmira to Vanguardia Airport (VVC) at La Villavicencio city. Once at the airport, take an approximately 1- hour ride to La Macarena.

What to do in Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park

Hiking in La Macarena

There are 6 ecotourism trails allowed, which can be done walking or with the help of a horse, and are distributed as follows:

Caño Cristales Ecotourism Scenario, Colors subarea:

  • Salto del Aguila: the number of people allowed daily is 75.
  • Los Pianos: the number of people allowed per day is 62.
  • Caño Escondido: the number of people allowed per day is 37.
  • Intermedio: the number of people allowed per day is 42.

In this scenario you can appreciate the landscape, characteristic vegetation, geological formation, waterfalls, natural pools, aquatic plants (Macarenia clavijera) red, fuchsia and pink; in addition to bird watching.

Scenario Raudal de Angosturas I

  • Ciudad de Piedra: the number of people allowed daily is 37.

In this trail you can do bird watching tour geological formation and rocky outcrop, in addition to the Caño with red plants.

Scenario Mirador Cristalitos

  • Mirador-cristalitos: the number of people allowed daily is 87.

This trail has pictograms, a panoramic view of the convergence of the three ecosystems along its route.

Bear in mind that the trails mentioned above are only authorized by the environmental authorities o the park and may have variations in the routes, which visitors will be informed of when registering. You cannot choose the trail to visit, it is assigned by the authorities and given in order of registration.

Birdwatching at Sierra de la Macarena

There are more than 450 bird species registered in the la Macarena, represented in 65 families, which means that 27% of the Colombian avifauna is present in the park. Dominant bird species are from the Guianas, Amazon and, to a lesser extent, the Andean region.

The following bird species have been recorded from the Amazon: Paroaria gularis gularis, Piaya melanogaster, Electron platyrhynchum pyrrholaemum; from the Andes: Asio flammeus, Trogon personatus personatus, Campephilus pollens, Cistothorus platensis tamae; migratory birds from North America: Anas discors, Pandion haliaetus carolinensis, Actitis macularia, and Coccyzus americanus americanus.

Where to stay in Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park

Sierra de la Macarena Natural National Park does not currently offer accommodation for travelers, it is possible to stay in La Macarena. Our recommendation of hotels are is La Manigua Lodge, a beautiful ecolodge recently installed in the area. Know more about ecolodges in Colombia in our entry Complete Guide to the Best Eco lodges in Colombia.

Best time to visit Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park

The main attraction of La Macarena, Caño Cristales, only receives visitors during the winter season, that is, between June and December; for the summer season the community allows the aquatic plants to recover. However, Raudal de Angosturas I is open all year round.

Dry season on the eastern side of La Macarena starts at the beginning of December until late of February at a temperature of 24º C (75 ºF). On the western side the rainfall regime is bimodal, it also has 2 dry periods separated by rainy seasons.

Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park Entrance fees

The entrance fee varies depending on the nationality and age of the visitors. These are the entrance fees for 2021:

  • Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (ages 5 to 25): COP 19,500
  • Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (over 25 years old): COP 35,500
  • Non-resident foreigners (over 5 years old): COP 53,500
  • Children under 5 years old and Colombians over 65 years old have free entrance presenting their IDs.

What to consider before visiting Sierra de la Macarena National Natural Park

  • To take any of the tours inside the park you must hire an authorized and certified guide.
  • Consider wearing personal protective items (sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent, and hat).
  • The use of flash when taking photographs is prohibited.
  • Use of binoculars to watch animals’ behavior is recommended.
  • Bring along valid identification documents and health insurance.
  • It is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you a personal first aid kit.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, throwing cigarette butts, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

References
About the authors

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

Discovering Amacayacu National Natural Park in the Colombian Amazon

Posted on by Frank59872

Welcome to the land of river dolphins, manatees, anacondas, and the smallest primate in the world: the Amacayacu National Natural Park. The protected forest is home to more than 5,000 species of plants, as well as being the region with the greatest diversity of primates on the planet.

It is the habitat of the Pygmy marmoset (Callithrix pygmaea) the smallest primate in the new world, the largest water lily in the world (Victoria amazonica), the giant silvery-blue butterfly Menelaus blue morpho (Morpho menelaus), and hundreds of more species.

Discovering Amacayacu National Natural Park

Amacayacu National Natural Park protects a strip of jungle in southeastern Colombia in the Amazonas department. This protected area represents 40% of the Amazonian Trapezoid and has a funnel shape, with a total area of 2,935 km².

Amacayacu National Natural Park currently belongs to the municipalities of Leticia, Puerto Nariño, and Tarapacá, in the Amazonas department. The park aims to preserve the most representative samples of tropical rainforest landscapes, flora, and fauna species present in the Amazonian Trapezoid.

Additionally, within the depths of this natural Park located southeast of Puerto Nariño, there are indigenous settlements from the Tikuna ethnicity.

Through the jungle, you will explore swamps, marshes, madre-viejas, and river systems representative of the Amazon rainforest. You will also learn about the Tikuna culture with the help of the guides in the park.

Sunset at the Amazon River

A Little bit of the Tikuna’s History

Between 1630-40, the Cristian missionaries Cristobal de Acuña and Laureano de la Cruz recorded the first registers about the Tikuna natives. The Tikunas were described by them as semi-nomadic people, they avoid contact with foreigners by moving their settlement to inter-fluvial areas within the Amazon jungle.

In the middle of the XVIII century, Tikuna natives were forced to labor during the incursions of the Portuguese colonists who came from Brazil.

At the end of the 19th century, the Tikunas have their own exclusive territory until now. It extends from the Atacuari River up to the current city of Fonte Boa, extending between the bordering countries (Peru and Brazil).

The Role of Community-based Tourism in Amacayacu Park

Most of the human groups present in the park’s area and its zone of influence belong to the Tikuna ethnic group, which is present in Brazil and Colombia. There are also Yagua and Cocama ethnicities, although in smaller numbers, and nowadays, mestizo families.

Indigenous traditions, including the Tikuna, have been strongly affected by the destructive intensity of the gold, rubber, fur, timber, drug trafficking, and mining fevers. All this brought disease, violence, and slavery, among many other situations, detrimental to the local ecosystems and the local people.

Today, indigenous communities look for a balance between traditional and modern life. For this reason, the main subsistence activities for the Tikunas are fishing, agriculture, hunting, ecotourism, handicrafts, research, and monitoring of their natural resources.

Amacayacu Park works together with the local Tikuna community to make community-based ecotourism the best strategy towards sustainability and to counteract the natural resource extraction activities.

How to get to Amacayacu National Natural Park

Firstly you must flight to Leticia, the capital of the Amazonas department in Colombia. The most popular route is from Bogota with Avianca, LATAM, and Satena airlines.

The flight takes a 1,5-hours flight from Bogotá to General Alfredo Vásquez Cobo International Airport (LET) at Leticia city.

Once at the airport, you have to go to Leticia Fluvial Port, an approximately 30- minutes ride. Once at the Port you should take an extra 1,5 hours boat ride to Puerto Nariño.

The schedule offered by the 3 companies providing services begins at 8:00 am, 10:00 am, and 1:30 pm. For the return, the schedule starts at 7:30 am, 11:00 am, and 3:30 pm.

It is possible to book your own schedule by hiring private operators, but costs may increase with respect to the already established schedules.

What to do in Amacayacu National Natural Park

The park is currently closed to the public due to the Pandemic situation. The indigenous people of Mocagua and San Martin offer the following activities:

Hiking

There are four different trails: Las Chagras, Selva, Acuaticos and Miquiando.

  • Chagras Trail: On the trail, you can appreciate the crops used by locals and production techniques.
  • Selva (Jungle) Trail: A tour through the Amazon jungle to appreciate the most diverse number of Amazon’s plants and animals, such as primates, mammals, and a great variety of birds.
  • Aquatic (Aquatic) Trail: Diurnal or nocturals tours that cross the Amacayacu River and the Matamata Creek. In these tours, you can appreciate the different aquatic mammals such as the so-called pink dolphins or Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis) and the Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis).
  • Miquiando (Monkey) Trail: In the Mocagua indigenous reserve, the Maikuchiga Foundation offers a tour where you can learn about the 9 species of primates present in this part of the Amazonian trapeze. In the foundation, there are specimens that have been rescued from illegal trafficking.

Birdwatching

More than 468 birds have been registered in the Amacayacu park, representing almost a third of the country’s bird population. Among the most outstanding birds are the Hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin), Wattled curassow (Crax globulosa), Razor-billed curassow (Mitu tuberosum), and Grey-winged Trumpeter (Psophia crepitans capensis).

Wildlife tours

Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis), also known as the boto, bufeo or pink river dolphin

More than 150 different kinds of mammals have been recorded to inhabit this area. Three of the four species of freshwater aquatic mammals existing in Colombia can be found in the park:

Other interesting animals include:

  • Pygmy marmoset (Callithrix pygmaea)
  • Brown woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha)
  • Anaconda (Eunectes murinus)
  • Matamata turtle (Chelus fimbriata)

Where to stay in Amacayacu National Natural Park

Currently, the Amacayacu Natural National Park does not offer accommodation for travelers due to its closure. You can stay in Leticia or in Puerto Nariño. We recommend you to stay in La Ceiba and Decameron Decalodge Ticuna in Leticia, Cabañas Maikü Selva in Puerto Nariño.

Best time to visit Amacayacu National Natural Park

Amacayacu can be visited all year round, there is no dry season but July is the month with the least amount of rainfall and a temperature of 26º C (97 ºF).

Amacayacu National Natural Park Entrance fees

The park is currently closed, so there is no entrance fee. Possible costs vary depending on the services provided in Mocagua and San Martin.

What to Consider Before Visiting Amacayacu National Natural Park

  • To take any of the tours inside the park you must hire an authorized and certified guide.
  • Consider wearing personal protective items (sunscreen, sunglasses, towel, insect repellent, and hat).
  • Use binoculars to watch animals’ behavior.
  • Bring along valid identification documents and health insurance.
  • Be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you in a personal first aid kit.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering, or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, throwing cigarette butts, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

References
  • Colparques
  • SINAP
  • Colombia travel
About the authors

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

Why You Should Visit Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park in Colombia?

Posted on by Frank59872

The answer is simple! If you like nature and also like to support community-based tourism activities, Uramba Bahía Málaga is a destination for you: It is a worldwide recognized biodiversity hotspot, you can see humpback whales there, and you will be helping an Afro-descendant community that bet on ecotourism as a new way for the development of its territory.

Uramba Bahía Málaga is the 56th National Natural Park declared in Colombia and is located in one of the most biodiverse places on the planet: the Biogeographic Choco, in the Pacific Region.

This wonderful and highly pristine place is considered a hot spot for nature conservation worldwide. The calm waters of Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park are the preferred place for the birth and breeding of humpback whales, making this place even more special.

You can’t miss the chance to visit Bahia Malaga in Colombia. This 100% marine area contributes to increasing the representativeness of marine ecosystems in the National System of Protected Areas – SINAP- and also strengthens the socio-cultural dynamics of the afro communities living in the area through community-based ecotourism.

Discovering Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

This protected area is located in the Pacific Coastal Region in the southwest of Colombia. The park has an extension of approximately 479.94 km² of the marine surface.

The marine waters near Bahia Malaga are considered the migratory route of humpback whales, or yubartas, (Megaptera novaeangliae). This place of calm and deep waters is annually visited by more than 500 yubarta whales from Antarctica, that come to mate and raise their calves between the months of July to October.

The Socio-Cultural Importance in the Uramba Bahía Málaga Territory

Uramba Bahia Malaga is a name of African origin, which means Minga, or group. This name arose due to the particular way in which this protected area was created.

This National Natural Park born as a joint effort between the local communities that live there and the government, the latter through the National Park System. Additionally, the park is under the surveillance of the Colombian Navy.

The afro-community councils present in Bahia Malaga are:

  • Juanchaco,
  • Ladrilleros,
  • La Barra,
  • La Plata – Bahía Málaga, and
  • Puerto España – Miramar.

This important conservation unit seeks to conserve the marine and coastal ecosystems of Bahia Malaga and to strengthen the cultural dynamics and social organization for the management of the territory based on the knowledge and ancestral wisdom of the black communities that live there.

La Barra Beach, Ladrilleros, Colombia

Commercial Port or Natural Park?

But, despite the enormous natural and cultural wealth of the region, there was also the intention to turn this bay into a huge multifunctional commercial port.

Fortunately, the local community was convinced to apply alternative economic development options such as nature and cultural tourism; as well as their own conscious and responsible relationship with the territory, as their cultural practices have contributed substantially to the conservation of the area.

Thus, this reserve is the first in Colombia where community-based tourism plays a central role, and it is administered by the Afro-descendant community councils that exist in the region and the national park system. It is the first joint administration proposal in Colombia.

Thus, after much debate and argumentation from both sides, in August 2010, this area was officially declared as protected.

According to WWF:

The communities settled in Bahía Málaga affirm that the area is not only important for its biodiversity but also for its cultural richness. Black communities and indigenous peoples present in the area have achieved an important degree of social organization in their ancestral relationship with the territory, and their cultural practices have contributed substantially to the conservation of their ecosystems. In this sense, declaring Malaga a protected area serves a dual environmental and sociocultural purpose.

Uramba Bahía Málaga Biodiversity

The Uramba Bahia Malaga Park is home to an immense diversity of continental and marine flora and fauna species and has been identified as one of the priority conservation sites in the Colombian Pacific.

The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae)

The marine and coastal ecosystems of Bahía Málaga represent the Colombian Pacific and are a fundamental scenario for the reproduction and breeding of the Humpback Whale and the perpetuation of wild species of seabirds and shorebirds, sea turtles, estuarine and marine fish, and crustaceans.

The annual arrival of humpback whales is its main attraction. However, the beauty and diversity of the landscapes of Bahía Málaga and its area of influence are also ideal to enjoy nature.

The park has diverse ecosystems such as very humid tropical forests, beaches, cliffs, islands, estuaries, and bodies of water with soft and rocky seabeds.

How to get to Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park is in the middle portion of the Colombian Pacific coast, in the District of Buenaventura, in the department of Valle del Cauca. There are two options to access the Park from Bogota:

Bogota – Buenaventura

First you make a Bogota-Buenaventura trip by air, with 1h 15m duration. There are 2 flights per week with Satena airlines. Then you must make the transfer Buenaventura-Juanchaco by sea, which takes 1 hour and is done in a speedboat.

Bogota – Cali

Travel from Bogota to Cali by air or land. Once in Cali, you have to travel to Buenaventura by land. Finally, take the maritime route from Buenaventura to Juanchaco, which takes 1 hour and is done by speedboat.

What to do in Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

We recommend you plan your visit to stay for at least 3 days and 4 nights. Especially because of the long trip by road and then by boat. This is not a one-day stay destination.

Unfortunately, the visit to the Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park has been suspended due to the health emergency that the country is facing because of covid-19.

Hiking, Canoeing, and Kayaking

Enjoying the beautiful Pacific landscape by doing hiking is a great experience. In the park’s area of influence, there are hiking and canoeing activities through the mangroves.

Although there are no defined aquatic trails in the bay area, it is suggested to follow the internal circuits to visit the route of the piangua, ostional, the waterfall of La Sierpe and Tres Marías in the sector of La Plata, Playa Chucheros, Juán de Dios, the beaches of La Barra sector, Juanchaco and Ladrilleros cliffs and their natural pools.

Kayaking through mangroves is highly recommended, also canoeing to Isla Plata, which is not the most exciting but still worth the try.

Birdwatching

Bird watching is a potential ecotourism activity in the park, but it is not well-developed. The park has a record of 107 species of birds, being an important point in the reproduction of marine birds.

Wildlife

Despite the huge marine and terrestrial diversity in the park, the main attraction is humpback whale watching. Thus, activities such as diving or snorkeling are not offered.

Humpback whale watching is an activity addressed by young natives from the local communities, who act as environmental interpreters.

During the whale season, the highest density of whales is between the months of September and October.

If you visit the Uramba Bahia Malaga park for a whale watching tour you should keep in mind that:

  • You will receive a 10-minute induction on the importance of the area and the significance of the role it plays in ecological processes such as reproduction, calving, breeding, nursing, socialization.
  • You must take a boat that carries a flag or a sighting authorization badge. The first trips leave at 8 am.
  • All boats must be accompanied by a community environmental interpreter.
  • The defined whale watching period is between July 15 and October 15.
  • Whale watching time for each group should be in the range of 15 to 30 minutes.
  • The approach to the whales should be slow, parallel, and always from behind.
  • The boat should maintain 200 meters from the individuals, so do not ask to get too close.
  • Avoid following the females with their calves.
  • You must be patient as only up to 5 small boats are allowed per group of whales. Also, you cannot be in a hurry, as the motors will always be neutral.

Where to stay in Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

The park does not offer accommodation, therefore our recommended options for you to stay are:

Lodging at La Barra Beach

Coco House Hotel; Casa Majagua and Vista al Mar Hotel.

Lodging at Ladrilleros Beach

Hotel Zully, Hotel Villa Cindy, and Hotel Reserva Agua Marina.

Best time to visit Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

The park can be visited all year round. The dry season starts at the beginning of June until late September and from the beginning of December until late February. In addition, whale season starts from July to October.

Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park Entrance fees

Currently, no fees apply.

What to consider before visiting Uramba Bahía Málaga National Natural Park

  • To take any of the tours inside the park you must hire an authorized and certified guide.
  • Consider wearing personal protective items (sunscreen, sunglasses, towel, insect repellent, and hat).
  • We recommend the use of binoculars to admire animals’ behavior and beauty in their natural habitat.
  • Carry valid identity documents and health insurance.
  • Be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you in a personal first aid kit.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering, or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, littering, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

References
  • Colparques
  • National Parks Systems
  • bahiamalaga.org
About the authors

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

Unique destination in the Colombian Caribbean: Old Providence McBean Lagoon Park

Posted on by Frank59872

Old Providence McBean Lagoon Park is the only National Natural Park, of the 59 in Colombia, located in the insular Caribbean and is part of the Seaflower Man and Biosphere Reserve, established by UNESCO in 2000. Know more about the biosphere reserves of Colombia in our entry Next Travel Ideas? Visit the Biosphere Reserves of Colombia.

In this blog I offer you a brief review about everything you need to know before visiting Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park in the Colombian Caribbean.

Discovering Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park

This protected area in unique and is the only one in the insular oceanic Caribbean of Colombia. It is located northwest of the island of Providencia archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina. The park has an extension of about 9,95 km² of land area of which 9,05km² are marine area.

The small part of its land area is known as Iron Wood Hill, which has the second largest barrier reef in the Caribbean, after Belize, protecting the coasts of the island of Providencia. Thanks to the large coral reef in this area, its waters turn from a dark blue to a translucent turquoise blue; that is why it is known as “the Sea of 7 colors“.

Ecosystems at Old Providence McBean Lagoon

The park has 4 ecosystems of the archipelago that can be appreciated during the traveler’s visit: mangrove forests, coral formations, seagrass meadows and a small extension of dry forest.

Dry forest

This is a typical tropical dry forest distributed between 0-100 meters above sea level, the extent of this ecosystem in the park is 4.96 km².

Mangrove

Mangroves are coastal tree formations with adaptations to filter saltwater flow. In the lower part of the McBean micro-cave it is possible to appreciate the mangroves with an extension of 4.07 km².

SeaGrass Beds

These are formations of phanerogams capable of carrying out their life cycle submerged in saline waters. In the Iron Wood Hill and McBean Mangrove sectors there is an area of 5 km² of these seagrasses.

Coral Reefs

These are communities made up of stony or hard corals, algae, octocorals and sponges. The park has coral formations in the reef lagoon and lagoon terrace occupying an area of 13.43 km² or 90.4% of the total protected area. The protection of the coral reefs were the main reason to declare the park as a protected area.

Thus, the park has been part of the Special Management Area of the Archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina since 1996, the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve since 2000 and the Seaflower Marine Protected Area of the Archipelago since 2004.

How to get to Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park

Bogotá-San Andres Island

Take a 1,2- hour flight from Bogotá to Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport (ADZ) at San Andres Island. Once at the airport, tienes dos opciones para llegar al parque:

1. Take an extra 4-hour katamaran to Old Providence Mc Bean Lagoon.
2. Take a 30- minutes flight to El Embrujo Airport (PVA)

What to do in Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park

It has a 32-kilometer coral barrier reef and a small hill known as Iron Wood Hill. In this protected area, where there is a 48-hectare dry forest, you can go hiking, diving, snorkeling and bird watching, among other activities. The islanders limit construction and are owners of the entire hotel offer, to reduce the environmental impacts of tourism, a task they do hand in hand with travelers who know this natural wonder.

Diving and snorkeling

The park has 2 authorized dive sites with a maximum depth of 12 meter: Crab Cay and White Shoal (Hippie’s Place). There is a variety of reef species of wonderful colors and shapes for these activities. The transparency of its waters will leave you speechless, and the range of colors that you will be able to appreciate goes from deep blue to translucent sea water.

Among the species that can be observed are: Groupers, Chermas, anemones, mollusks, echinoderms and fish. The most important feature is the barrier reef, one of the largest in the world!

This not only gives it a permanent ecological importance, but also gives its waters an amazing aspect, making you able to see species with the naked eye without special equipment.

Corals of Peace, Diving with Purpose

Corales de Paz is a local foundation devoted to the conservation and research around the coral reefs in San Andres And Providencia. In 2020, it won with its initiative Seaflower Meaningful Diving (SMD) one of the most important awards recently offered for the reactivation of nature tourism in Colombia (Know more about in our entry The Top Post-Covid-19 Destinations for Conservation Lovers in Colombia).

Seaflower Meaningful Diving – Natural Wealth Award

“Seaflower Meaningful Diving, Diving with Purpose”, is focused on promoting collaboration between islanders, fishermen and tourists to fund projects for education, conservation, restoration and management of coral reefs in the Archipelago of San Andres, Providencia and Santa Catalina, through e-learning courses, complemented with gamification, allowing people to start their diving experience and preparation from home.

In the destination, travelers will be able to dive with Green Fins certified operators (as responsible and environmentally friendly dive operators), and receive the Reef Check EcoDivers (participatory coral monitoring) and/or the Reef Repair Divers (participatory coral reef restoration) certificates.

The first results of this project will be seen in 2022, so get ready!

Seaflower Meaningful Diving is the result of a strategic alliance between three organizations: the Corales de Paz Foundation, the local tour operator specialized in diving Paradis de Colors and the engineering and technological innovation company DeepCo.

Land and Maritime Hiking

Hiking is an exciting activity in Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park. You can hike only 1 trail: Iron Wood Hill. The round trip is about 3 km and medium degree of difficulty. During the tour it is possible to appreciate the mangrove and dry forest ecosystems along with the park’s terrestrial fauna.

Kayaking is also available at the park’s permitted sites: Crab Cay, White Shoal, Okay Point Land Trail dock at Iron Wood Hill and McBean Mangrove Land Trail overlook dock.

Birdwatching

According to the PROAVES and McNish registry, the park has 179 bird species, of which more than 156 are migratory. There are 22 locally registered marine species and 21 shorebirds; during the winter season, the number of birds in the park is reduced.

The archipelago has an endemic bird, the San Andrés Vireo (Vireo caribaeus) locally called Chincherry.

According to Proaves, San Andres is an important step area for migratory birds, and as part of the Biosphere Reserve “Seaflower”, in it was declared as an Important Bird Area -IBA by Birdlife in 2005.

Wildlife Observation

On the island it is possible to identify more than 2 species of bats, one of the most representative is the Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis). There are 2 species of snakes Boa or Bowla (Boa constrictor), and the Black Blind Snake (Leptotyphlops goudotii spp. magnamaculata).

Only one type of amphibian, the Bolivian toad-frog (Leptodactylus bolivianus, synonym L. insularis), has been recorded around the park.

Black crabs or zombie crabs (Gecarcinus ruricola), which inhabit scattered stones throughout the park, are appreciated by visitors and are also part of the island’s economy, both for local consumption and for export to San Andres Island.

Where to stay in Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park

The park does not have lodging but you can stay on the islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina.

Providence Island offers a wide variety of accommodations. Our recommended options for you to stay in are:

  • Crab Cay Boutique Lodge
  • Cabañas Agua Dulce.

Best time to visit Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park

The park can be visited all year round, the dry months are from January to late June.

Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park Entrance fees

The entrance fee varies depending on the nationality and age of the visitors. These are the entrance fees for 2021:

  • Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (ages 5 to 25): COP 5,500
  • Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (over 25 years old): COP 11,500
  • Non-resident foreigners (over 5 years old): COP 19,000
  • Children under 5 years old and Colombians over 65 years old have free entrance presenting their IDs.

What to consider before visiting Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park

  • Try to collaborate with the conservation objectives of the area and be careful with the environment.
  • When snorkeling or scuba diving, stay away from coral reefs, avoid touching or breaking them, corals are very fragile and take a long time to grow.
  • Avoid buying handicrafts made with shells, corals, and/or animal, vegetable or mineral elements.To take any of the tours inside the park you must hire an authorized and certified guide.
  • Consider wearing personal protective items (sunscreen, sunglasses, towel, insect repellent, and hat).
  • Recommended the use of binoculars to admire animals’ behavior and beauty in their natural habitat.
  • Carry valid identity documents and health insurance. It is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, throwing cigarette butts, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

References
  • Colparques
  • Colombia travel
  • EcuRed
  • Corales de Paz
About the authors

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

From a Cursed Island to a Paradise: Gorgona Island National Natural Park

Posted on by Frank59872

In the early to mid last century, prison islands were all the rage. One of the most famous was Alcatraz, in San Francisco (United States) of which many books and movies were written, such as the famous Escape from Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood. There were many in the Atlantic, but all of them were inhabited. In Colombia, the uninhabited Gorgona Island, in the Pacific, was the perfect place to create a prison where more than 4,000 prisoners served their sentences.

Around the decade of the 80’s, 70% of the Gorgona island was deforested, as 10 tons of firewood were used weekly to cook for more than a thousand people. Fortunately, the ecological wave that rising everywhere, saved this unique and magical place from being completely wiped out.

Today it is known as the Gorgona National Natural Park, a spectacular place to visit, which, according to biologist Mateo Lopez, it serves as a barrier against climate change. It rains so much that the water production is immense, forming 75 streams in winter. Besides this, in Gorgona there are unique species such as the spectacular blue anole (Anolis gorgonae). This is a small Galapagos, but in Colombia!

Discovering Gorgona National Natural Park

Gorgona National Natural Park, made up of three islets,  is on the Pacific Ocean in the western part Colombia, between the island of Malpelo and the port of Buenaventura. This small paradise has an extension of about 26 km² of land  and 616.88 km² of marine area.

Gorgona has one of the most beautiful and complex ecosystems on the planet. It is possible to appreciate a tropical rainforest, beautiful coral formations and Indo-Pacific coral reefs. During the months of June and October it is possible to appreciate the migration of humpback whales, which come to this point to give birth to their calves, named ballenatos in Spanish.

A little bit of Gorgona’s History

The Sindagua native (precolonial aborigins) inhabited Gorgona around 1500 a.c. By 1526 the island was discovered by the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro who gave the island its modern name “Gorgona” thanks to the large number of snakes on the island, recalling the Greek mythology, where the gorgons instead of wearing hair carried snakes.

In 1959 the president of Colombia Alberto Lleras Camargo ordered the construction of a maximum-security prison, which opened in 1960. The main house of the Payan family, who lived on the island, was modified to be the prison administration.

In 1984 President Belisario Betancur closed the prison and authorized the house to be turned into a museum. The island was then declared a protected area designated for scientific research.  Entry since then was restricted, but nowadays is open for ecotourism.

Pirates in Gorgona Island

It is estimated that in the centuries XVII and XVIII Gorgona was the refuge of pirates, because it was considered a privileged point to set full sail to attack the galleons returning to Europe from the colonies with large amounts of gold. After the attacks they sailed up the seas to Panama.

La Virgen, old prison reminders in Gorgona, Colombia CC Licence

Gorgona Prison Escape Stories

Daniel Camargo Barbosa, known as the “Monster of the Mangones” was sentenced to 16 years in prison for the kidnapping, rape and murder of a nine years old girl in Barranquilla. After his capture it was learned that in his home he had a record (photographs and underwear) of 170 girls and women from Colombia and Ecuador whom he raped and murdered.

On November 23, 1984 it was confirmed that “Camargo”, as he was known, did not return to the patio number 2 where he was confined and no more information was obtained from him after the weekly bath that the prisoners had on the beach.

3 days later they found a boat destroyed at the shore and thought that sharks had killed the Camargo.  An order  to suspend the “search mission” was issued and the version that the “fugitive had died in his escape attempt” was officially released.

The prison had so far 21 records of escape attempts but none of these men were found alive. The traces of the bodies were found in the remains of the boats in the middle of the ocean.

The only escape that was confirmed much later was that of Pedro Ariza and his nephew Alberto Lopez,  together with their dog Jacqueline. They all managed to survive because they were rescued by a crew of tourists who took them to the port of Buenaventura.

Gorgona Island as a Protected Area

Gorgona Island currently belongs administratively to the municipality of Guapi, Cauca. The protected area consists of the islands Gorgona and Gorgonita, and the islets El Viudo and El horno.

The island is the largest in the world in terms of freshwater production, with 25 freshwater streams and 120 transient streams. The island also has 2 lagoons Tunapurí and Ayantuna, located on the southeastern side of the island, and are home to babillas (small size alligator type reptiles).

The highest point of the island is La Trinidad with a height of 338 meters above sea level. There are additionally  3 other small hills of lower altitude: Los Micos, La Esperanza and El Mirador.

Blue anole – Anolis gorgonae by Diego Gomez

Importance for Conservation and Local Communities

Gorgona Island is an important coastal marine conservation enclave in the Colombian Pacific. Due to its environmental characteristics, the biological diversity on Gorgona Island is considerable. As of 2004, 715 plant species and 1398 animal species had been reported, without considering terrestrial invertebrates and zooplankton species (UAESPNN, 2004). Among these, six endemic species stand out:

  • Nhotria gorgonensis (marine worm),
  • Maldane gorgonensis (marine worm),
  • Hypobolosera gorgonensis (lung crab),
  • Dyrmaeus gorgoniensis (land snail),
  • Parides gorgoniensis (butterfly),
  • Anolis gorgononae (blue anole),

And six endemic subspecies:

  • Thamnophilus punctatus gorgonae (Black-crowned Antshrike),
  • Coereba flaveola gorgonae (bananaquit),
  • Cyanerpes cyaneus gigas (Red-legged honeycreeper),
  • Cebus capucinus curtus (Colombian white-faced capuchin),
  • Bradypus variegatus gorgonae (Brown-throated sloth), and
  • Proechimys semispinosus gorgonae (Tome’s spiny rat).

Additionally, of the total number of flora and fauna species that have been reported for Gorgona Island, at least six plant species and 40 animal species are classified with some degree of threat according to the IUCN categories.

In addition to the high diversity of species and ecosystems, Gorgona Island fulfills a strategic function for the coastal human communities near its area of influence, since it was traditionally used as an artisanal fishing area.

How to get to Gorgona National Natural Park

Bogotá-Palmira-Buenaventura

Take a 45- minutes flight from Bogotá to Palmira city. Once at the airport, take an approximately 3- hours ride to Buenaventura. Once at Buenaventura port  you should take an extra 12-hour boat ride to Gorgona.

Bogotá-Palmira-Guapi

Take a 45- minutes flight from Bogotá to Palmira city. Once at the airport, take a flight to Guapi with Satena airline. Finally, from Guapi you should take an extra 1,5-hour boat ride to Gorgona.

What to do in Gorgona National Natural Park

Diving and snorkeling

Gorgona Island is a wonderful place for diving and snorkeling thanks to the great variety of marine fauna and flora species, including whitetip sharks, turtles of different species, groupers, octopus, large schools of snappers, jacks, among others, along with the beautiful and colorful coral reefs found on the island.

The park has 12 authorized dive sites with a maximum depth of 40 meters; the most recognized are: El planchón; La tiburonera; El remanso; La parguera; La plaza de toros; El horno and Las montañitas.

These areas have the optimal conditions for a unique experience. Bear in mind that in order to dive in this waters you need to have certified experience.

Hiking and Trekking

Hiking is the most exciting activity in Gorgona National Natural Park. You can hike along 4 trails: Antiguo Penal, Playa Palmeras, Yundigua y Higueron. This activity allows you to admire majestic landscapes among a paradisiacal tropical jungle while admiring the place that was once a prison.

Gorgona & Gorgonilla by Hector Chirimia Gonzalez

Birdwatching

In Gorgona the most representative birds are the frigate bird, the pelican and the sulas. Other species of birds from Malpelo island that can be seen during the traveler’s stay are: the Red-billed tropicbird (Phaethon aethereus) nesting in Malpelo, Galapagos and California; the Pomarine and Long-tailed jaegers (Stercorarius pomarinus and S. longicaudus); the Audubon’s Shearwater (Puffinus iherninieri), the sooty shearwater (P. griseus), and the black storm petrel (Oceanodroma melania).

Wildlife Observation

The coral formations of the island are divided into sectors: La Ventana is the one with the largest coral extension (73.2%), followed by Playa Blanca (66.4%) and finally La Camaronera and La Azufrada (44.15%). Corals present in Gorgona belong to 18 different species of a group of 6 reef families.

The park has a record of 381 species of marine fish, 11 species of whales and dolphins, and 4 sea lions. In the second half of the year it is possible to see humpback whales, despite the possible rains.

Where to stay in Gorgona National Natural Park

Gorgona natural national park offers simple accommodation for travelers. In addition, the island has the beautiful Hotel Parque Nacional Gorgona, where you can enjoy wonderful facilities and an afternoon swim at a pool.

Best time to visit Gorgona National Natural Park

The climate on Gorgona Island is tropical maritime super-humid. Air temperature is generally above 26°C while relative humidity reaches 90% saturation. Average monthly precipitation ranges between 180 mm to 400 mm during the “dry” season (January-March) and between 550 mm to 750 mm during the “rainy” season (April-December).

Gorgona Island can be visited all year round, there is no dry season but the months with less rainfall are February and March. 

Gorgona National Natural Park Entrance fees

The entrance fee varies depending on the nationality and age of the visitors. These are the entrance fees for 2021:

  • Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (ages 5 to 25): COP 13,500 (approx.USD 4)
  • Colombians, resident foreigners and tourists from Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru (over 25 years old): COP 22,000 (approx.USD 7)
  • Non-resident foreigners (over 5 years old): COP 53,000 (approx.USD 17)
  • Children under 5 years old and Colombians over 65 years old have free entrance presenting their IDs.

What to consider before visiting Gorgona National Natural Park

  • To take any of the tours inside the sanctuary you must hire an authorized and certified guide.
  • Gorgona is one of the mating, breeding and feeding sites of the humpback whale. For this reason observing whales must be done under supervision of authorized guides;
  • Consider wearing personal protective items (sun blocker, sunglasses, towel, insect repellent, and hat).
  • The use of flash when taking photographs is prohibited.
  • Recommended the use of binoculars to admire animals’ behavior and beauty in their natural habitat.
  • Carry valid identity documents and health insurance. It is recommended to be vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • If you take specific medications, take them with you a personal first aid kit.

Some prohibitions

Feeding, bothering or hunting animals, alcoholic drinks and drugs, throwing cigarette butts, burning garbage, felling, and capturing wildlife.

References
About the authors

Luisa Martin

Engineer, world traveler, amateur photographer, traveling blogger, and foody.

Sara Colmenares

The 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.

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

Posted on by Frank59872

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

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.

Why Chiribiquete is called the Sistine Chapel of Colombia?

Posted on by Frank59872


Serranía de Chiribiquete mountain range, and its surroundings, present a landscape in which strange forms rarely seen or even imagined stand out.

Together with the enormous extensions of virgin forest, it makes an illusory, magical and very old “lost world”, in the heart of the Colombian Amazon.

The Guiana Shield

The Guiana Shield is a geographic region located in the northeast of South America. It is a very old geological formation, being one of the oldest areas on Earth, from the Pre-Cambrian era.

Almost from the very moment of the formation of the planet Earth, some very high plateaus with vertical slopes, called tepuis, have originated in this place.

Tepuy is a term from the indigenous Pemón language, which means “mountain”.

Tepuis Chirbiquete ©Parques Nacionales Naturales

In the Guiana shield, you will find the famous Angel Falls, or Kerepakupai Meru, the highest waterfall in the world with 979 m. Also, the highest and most impressive tepui of all, Mount Roraima. Both in Venezuela.

The Guiana Shield of Colombia

The western part of the Guiana shield is located in the eastern zone of Colombia, covering the departments of Guainía, Vichada, Vaupés, Caquetá, and Meta.

Guiana shield MAP ©Free Art License

The Guiana Shield penetrates Colombia, across the border with Venezuela and Brazil, and possessess those characteristic rocky outcrops known as Tepuis.

Being so far away from the Andean system, deep in the Colombian Amazon, these outcrops of the Guiana Shield are little known, with some exceptions.

Serranía de Chirbiquete ©Parques Nacionales Naturales

Among the most famous tepuis are Cerros de Mavecure, in the department of Guainía, Sierra de La Macarena, place of the rainbow river, in Meta, Serranía de La Lindosa in Guaviare and the Iguaje tables, in Caquetá.

These mountains are a reduced scale version of the great mountains of the Guianas that culminate in the hills of La Neblina and Roraima in Venezuela.

Serrania del Chiribiquete

The Serrania del Chiribiquete is one of the oldest geological formations on the planet and is part of the Guiana Shield.

The mountain range of Chiribiquete was the territory of Paleoindian groups that left graphic testimony of the temporary occupation of some of its tepuis in many cave paintings.

Petroglyph Chirbiquete ©Parques Nacionales Naturales

According to the experts, Chiribiquete was used as a rocky shelter that served as a temporary refuge and also as a place of worship for centuries.

The Rupestrian Art of Chiribiquete

Chiribiquete is one of the most emblematic places of American rupestrian art.

In this place, there is a collection of murals with more than 75,000 cave paintings, where the jaguar is the protagonist. But this number only represents between 5% to 8% of all of the paintings there.

Jaguar Petroglyph Chirbiquete ©Parques Nacionales Naturales

The pictographs are supposed to be ancient writings that have maintained the existence of the ‘secret of the world’. For this reason, it has been called the Sistine Chapel of the Amazon. From there, the ancestral stories of some of the indigenous peoples of the region emerged.

Some studies point out that the human presence in the area of Chiribiquete possibly dates back to 15500 years BC.

According to more recent archaeological and chronological evidence, it has been specified that the age of the rupestrian art of Chiribiquete is around 22000 years, which makes it the oldest on the continent.

Serrania de Chiribiquete National Natural Park

Chiribiquete is also a place where the biological richness is almost intact. There are few places in the world with these conditions, these characteristics of insularity, endemism, fragility and biodiversity.

Chirbiquete ©Parques Nacionales Naturales

The Serrania de Chiribiquete National Natural Park was created in 1989. This park is a mega reserve that contributes to maintaining the physical and biotic components of one of the areas with the highest biological diversity on the planet.

Scientists refers to Chiribiquete as a place with a high degree of endemism, and there is the discovery of new species with every expedition that has been made.

Colombia BIO expedition in Chiribiquete Park – Map ©MinCiencias

The declaration of Chiribiquete as a World Heritage Site (by UNESCO) occurred in July 2018; at which time the Government of Colombia also expanded the park’s territory.

Thus, the park constitutes a mixed heritage of humanity, since it represents a great contribution to the preservation of biodiversity and natural ecosystems for the planet; as well as the multiplicity of cultural expressions of the communities that have settled through time in the territory.

Tourism in Chiribiquete

The demobilization of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in 2016 made one think about tourism.

Unfortunately, the human presence caused vandalism, and the park has also been threatened by mining and illegal logging.

Opening this place as a tourist destination would end up greatly altering the conditions of the place, because it requires infrastructure, services, and permanent transit of people.

Thus, in order to protect Chiribiquete’s archeological and natural treasure, it is closed to the public. And you can only fly over it.

Overflights in the Serranía de Chiribiquete NNP

The aircraft will take off and land at the Jorge Enrique González Airport in the city of San José del Guaviare.

The overflights will take place in a single corridor defined and approved by National Parks, and there is a maximum time of three hours per overflight.

Chirbiquete Aerial View ©Parques Nacionales Naturales – Julia Miranda

The season, duration, and route of the overflights were designed to guarantee the protection of the ecosystems, and of the indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation who inhabit the area.

Where to stay in Chiribiquete NNP

Staying in Chiribiquete NNP is not allowed. However, since flights take off from San José del Guaviare, you can think about staying there. This way, you will have the opportunity to appreciate the natural and cultural richness of the Serranía la Lindosa.

Serranía La Lindosa

The Serrania La Lindosa is located 1.5 hours from San José del Guaviare. It is one of the places with more cave paintings in the world, and has been declared a Protected Archaeological Area of Colombia by the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, ICANH.

Cave paintings of the Nukak, Serranía de La Lindosa. ©Julian Ruiz P. CC

This place is open for ecotourism, being the ideal space for you, before or after your flight, to get close to what you can find in the Serrania de Chiribiquete National Natural Park.

Best time to visit Chiribiquete NNP

Only two overflights are allowed per week and during January, Easter, June, July, October and December.

Chiribiquete NNP Entrance fees

Overflights might vary according to the season, availability, tour operator and the number of travelers. However, an overflight may cost around 1450 USD.

 If you are planning a trip to Colombia, we are happy to help you have an unforgettable nature experience! Contact 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.