Melgar: Nature Reserve, Wildlife and Waterfalls

Topics to consider include nature conservation and environmental education, waterfalls, and wildlife and leisure areas. The associated options vary by programme and target audience: a workshop at Ciudad Reptilia is aimed at school students, while Cafam’s day-visit offer is aimed at families or groups of friends.

Nature Reserve and Environmental Education

Ciudad Reptilia is a nature reserve and environmental education centre in Melgar. For more than 30 years, the organisation has been committed to protecting Colombia’s flora and fauna. Its conservation programmes include the Magdalena crocodile, spectacled caimans, boa constrictors, peccaries, and aquatic and land turtles. The combination of a reserve and an environmental education centre gives the topic two aspects: protecting specific animal groups and sharing environmental knowledge.

The environmental workshops are aimed at school students. They can get to know native species up close, interact with them and feed them. Participants can also explore the tropical rainforest reserve and learn about its reforestation and forest restoration programme. This target audience is important for planning: encounters with the species and insight into the reserve’s work are part of the student programme. Check current reservations directly with the operator.

Waterfalls in Vereda Inalí

Cascada las Mieles in Vereda Inalí features waterfalls more than three metres high. The property is private. If you would like to include this natural attraction in your plans, check directly beforehand whether a visit is possible. Take the private status of the property into account rather than assuming access is unrestricted.

Wildlife and Day Visits at Cafam

For the biopark at Centro de Vacaciones Cafam Melgar, Cafam lists 86 species and a total of 402 animals. According to the operator, 90 percent of the animals were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade. Animal numbers may change over time. This information relates to the biopark and gives you a specific point of reference if wildlife is important to your plans.

Cafam’s day-visit offer includes green spaces, sports and dining areas, swimming pools and the water park, and is aimed at families or groups of friends. This description of the target audience applies to the day-visit offer; it should not automatically be applied to each individual activity or to the biopark. As the offer may change, check current access details directly with Cafam before making plans.

Differences to Consider When Planning Your Trip

The main difference between these nature and wildlife experiences is their focus: Ciudad Reptilia combines conservation programmes and environmental education with a workshop for school students. At Cafam, the biopark and its animal figures are distinct from the day-visit offer, which includes several leisure areas. For your trip planning, this means a practical distinction between an education-focused student programme and a day-visit offer for families or groups of friends. First consider which type of programme suits your fellow travellers, then look for a hotel in Melgar that meets your accommodation preferences.

Discover more destinations: Villa Restrepo, San Antonio, Chicoral, Espinal, Prado, Guadalajara, Boqueron De Tena, Alpujarrá

For the broader travel guide: Tolima.