Colombia National Parks, Colombia History Colombia Facts and Colombia General Information

Colombia National Parks, History and Heritage
In a short time on a tour to Colombia, you can go from perpetual snow to the beaches of the Caribbean, enjoy the company of friendly country folk in the Andean highlands, or in warmer climes, participate in the fiestas of the local inhabitants.

National Parks
In Colombia there are five natural regions of matchless riches: the warm beaches of the Caribbean coast, bays lined with coconut palms in the Pacific, the mysterious Colombian Amazon Jungle, limitless savannas in Orinoquia, and the imposing peaks of the Andes: a universe of destinations that nature lovers can enjoy in some of the 50 national parks that are to be found in every corner of the country.

To travel up the Amazon in Colombia and enter the jungle up creeks, listen to its sounds, observe a multitude of birds returning to their nests at sunset, or admire pink dolphins, is an adventure that will persist in the memory. It is comparable only to the fascination of traveling along the Pacific coast, a wild region that offers lovers of eco-tourism its virgin jungle, its solitary beaches, its exotic islands, its ocean where humpback whales call to their mates. For those who prefer the serenity of mountain scenery, Los Nevados National Park and Iguaque Sanctuary of Flora and Fauna are ideal places to get to know the other face of tropical nature.

The Caribbean Beaches
The Colombian Caribbean provides other destinations: golden beaches bordering deep green waters at Cabo de la Vela, in La Guajira; white sandy bays surrounded by lush tropical jungle, in Tayrona National Park; full-service tourist paradises and lively activity in Santa Marta and Cartagena de Indias, a city packed with historical and cultural treasures; unending beaches in the Gulf of Morrosquillo; and near the border with Panama, the hideaway of Capurganá, surrounded by the impenetrable jungle of Darien.

After an hour’s boat ride from Cartagena de Indias, the visitor discovers the archipelagos of Rosario and San Bernardo; true underwater paradises, where the transparent turquoise of the sea and its tiny islands captivate the visitor with their tranquility and beauty. The islands of San Andrés and Old Providence emerge on the horizon, a former refuge of pirates and privateers, where the myths and legends of hidden treasures are still recounted on its shores, and where the marine life - declared a reserve of the biosphere - and the warm Caribbean waters combine to provide the tourist with excellent sites for diving.

The Coffee Region
Traveling through the coffee region, you pass through lovely countryside and villages hidden away in the Andes. Colorful haciendas appear amidst coffee farms and banana plantations, their beautiful architecture adorned with flowers, and which have been refurbished to provide comfortable accommodation for tourists enjoying rural life among cheerful and hospitable country folk.

Archeology and History
Colombia has a long history going back before the Spanish Conquest, and there are several sites that bear testimony to its fascinating Indian past. In San Agustín, in the southern part of the Colombian Andes, monoliths of volcanic stone representing gods and warriors are preserved, and nearby, in the area of Tierradentro, the visitor can enter a complex of underground burial chambers.

From one of the bays of Tayrona National Park, on the Caribbean coast, you can ascend the foothills of the Sierra, following a path of stone slabs that leads to the ruins of Pueblito, a settlement built by the Tayrona people, one of the most advanced cultures of pre-Hispanic America, which left an invaluable inheritance of objects fashioned in gold that can be admired, together with a wealth of articles from different cultures, in the different branches of the Gold Museum and other museums in different towns around the country.

Colombia has a valuable past in colonial architecture and culture that is preserved in many towns and villages. The walled city of Cartagena de Indias was the former port of embarkation of the treasures of the Spanish Crown. It endured constant sieges that determined its extraordinary military architecture, characterized by thick walls, forts and bastions. Cartagena is today the most beautiful colonial city in South America, declared a world heritage site, where the visitor can evoke the rigor of the Inquisition and the battles to defend the city, while walking down colorful streets lined with marvelously preserved colonial facades.

The barrio of La Candelaria, in the historical sector of Bogota, displays its colonial past on every corner: old mansions and churches, whose interiors contain veritable jewels of baroque art. It is a well-preserved sector where urban life provides very interesting cultural activities. The Gold Museum, in the city center, houses the world’s largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold figures and ornaments.

Other towns whose historical centers are perfectly restored include Tunja, on the highland plain of the department of Boyacá, and Popayán, in the south of the country, where the Catholic tradition of Holy Week is observed with inimitable pomp and fervor. There are also many colonial villages such as Santa Cruz de Mompox, Pamplona, Barichara, Girón, Villa de Leyva and Santa Fe de Antioquia.

Cultural Heritage
Colombia has an immense material and intangible cultural heritage. The Ministry of Culture has declared 1.131 assets as an important part of this heritage, such as buildings and historical sectors and four expressions of intangible patrimony.

In addition, five sites are on UNESCO’s World Heritage List: the city of Cartagena de Indias, for its port, forts and monuments; Los Katíos National Park, for its unique nature; the town of Santa Cruz de Mompox, and the archeological parks of San Agustín and Tierradentro. The Carnival of Barranquilla was recently declared a Masterwork of Oral and Intangible World Heritage.

People and Folklore
In addition to the country’s natural beauty and its history, what is surprising about Colombia is the kindness of its people. Their disinterested generosity is evident in the matchless hospitality that the tourist receives in every corner of the country. The cheerfulness of the Colombian people is noticeable everywhere, especially in their regional fiestas, fairs, carnivals and cultural festivals.

Outstanding are the Carnival of Blacks and Whites in the city of Pasto, at the beginning of the year; the Manizales Fair in January, the Carnival of Barranquilla in February, the International Theater Festival of Bogota that coincides with Easter, the Festival of the Legend of the Vallenato, in Valledupar, in June the Festival of Colombian Folklore in Ibagué together with the National Bambuco Beauty Contest in Neiva, in August the Flower Fair in Medellín, in November the Cuadrillas de San Martín in the Department of Meta and the fiestas of the 11th of November in Cartagena de Indias, and Cali Fair at the end of the year, among many others.

Culture and Society
Colombians have adapted to modern life and its towns express a dynamic culture that reflects global tendencies. An indication of this are the International Film Festival of Cartagena, the Theater Festival of Manizales, the Book Fair of Bogota, museums, important art exhibitions that are mounted annually, fashion shows that are held in Cali, e capital, and a proliferation of lively nightclubs and elegant restaurants.

The academic excellence of its schools and universities and the technological endowment of its hospitals, staffed by specialists of international standing, indicate the level of social development in Colombia. The physical infrastructure of the large cities has been modernized with efficient mass transit systems, broad avenues and spacious parks that provide a natural environment for the enjoyment of its inhabitants, and examples of urban architectural design comparable to any metropolis.

Bogota, the capital, which stands on a highland plain at 2.600 meters above sea level, has become a popular tourist destination. It is a modern and cosmopolitan city that enjoys an excellent quality of life. Medellin, in the central mountain chain, which justifiably boasts its title of City of Eternal Spring, is the epicenter of textile production and design, and a reference point for fashion.

The city is known for the friendliness of its people, their hard-working spirit, and the beauty of its women. To the south of the country, in a valley of sugar cane plantations, lies the city of Cali, cheerful and party-loving, whose women rival those of ín in charm and beauty. Barranquilla and many other cities have been modernized to provide culture and entertainment for inhabitants and tourists alike.