Discover Colombia
Accommodation in Colombia
Discover Colombia through distinctive cultural heritage sites and highly varied landscapes. In Cartagena, fortifications tell the story of the defense of natural harbor entrances and the bay. The Coffee Cultural Landscape is a living production landscape comprising six areas and incorporating 18 urban settlements. In the national parks, the themes range from high-Andean wetlands and volcanoes to trails along glacier edges. Shape your trip around specific interests: historic structures, culture on a landscape scale, nature observation, or routes with stated distances.
Cultural Heritage in Cartagena and the Coffee Cultural Landscape
The natural harbor entrances and bay of Cartagena were defended by fortifications. San Luis and San José, San Fernando, San Rafael, and Santa Bárbara stood at the southwestern harbor entrance, Bocachica. Inside the bay were Santa Cruz, San Juan de Manzanillo, and San Sebastián de Pastelillo. Castillo San Felipe de Barajas dominates the city to the east and protects access to the Cabrero isthmus. The fortifications can therefore be considered in terms of their relationship to the harbor entrance, the inside of the bay, and the isthmus.
The Coffee Cultural Landscape offers a different scale: it is a living production landscape made up of six areas, incorporating 18 urban settlements. Unlike the individually named fortifications in Cartagena, the focus here is on areas and settlements within a production landscape. This creates a clear thematic distinction for planning your trip: Cartagena represents specific defensive structures, while the Coffee Cultural Landscape represents a living production area with multiple settlements.
High Mountains, Coastal Ecosystems, and Trails
Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados protects high-Andean wetlands, forests and páramo, as well as the snow-capped volcanic peaks of Nevados del Ruiz (Kumanday), Santa Isabel (Poleka Kasue), and Tolima (Dulima). In the Cisne-Poleka Kasue and Otún sectors, visitors can hike and climb, and observe birds, geology, animals, and plants. Nature experiences therefore range from habitats and volcanoes to observation opportunities and activities in the named sectors. Before traveling, check current access to the sectors and applicable operating requirements.
The Sendero Cañaveral-Arrecife “La Ruta del Conocimiento” passes through coastal ecosystems and features areas for cultural heritage interpretation, natural viewpoints, and good opportunities to observe wildlife and plant life. The route thus combines nature observation and cultural heritage with scenic viewpoints; it appeals to travelers interested in several of these themes.
In Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy, two trails can be distinguished by their destinations and distance information. The Sendero Ritacuba climbs from the trailhead at an elevation of 4,000 meters to the edge of the glacier at Pico Ritacuba Blanco. The route within the park is approximately 5,000 meters long; the total distance is around 7 km one way, or 14 km round trip. Another trail begins at an elevation of 4,000 meters near La Plazuela, passes through the El Hotelito sector, and reaches the edge of the glacier at Pico PĂşlpito del Diablo. Its length within the park is approximately 4,500 meters. The total distance is about 7.8 km one way, or 15.6 km round trip. Both trails lead to different peaks at glacier edges, but their stated round-trip distances are close. Before traveling, check current requirements for the authorized trails and the conditions on each route.
Visitor Information
Tourism is not permitted within the protected area of Chiribiquete National Park.
Discover more destinations: Amazonas, CĂłrdoba, Santander, San AndrĂ©s and Providencia, Atlántico, Risaralda, Caquetá, Cesar, Meta, Norte de Santander, Cundinamarca, Casanare, BolĂvar, Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, Magdalena, HuĂla, Caldas, Tolima, Boyacá, QuindĂo, ChocĂł, Tabatinga, Cauca, Nariño, Cedro, Aguamansa, Sucre, El Islote, Arauca, La Guajira, Guaviare, Vichada, Putumayo, Bogotá, Guainia, VaupĂ©s
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