The colourful market village of Silvia, an outstanding national park and some invigorating thermal springs are all within 60km of Popayán.
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TIERRADENTRO
After San Agustín, Tierradentro is Colombia’s most treasured archeological complex, though far less visited. Its circular tombs, some as deep as 9m and reachable by steep, smooth original steps through trapdoors, are decorated with elaborate geometric iconography and are as impressive as San Agustín’s statues. Monumental statues have also been found here, indicating a cultural influence from San Agustín, though again little is known about the tomb-building civilization other than that it flourished around 700–900 AD, with the statue phase occurring around 500 years later.
No large population centres have been discovered, lending credence to the belief that the original inhabitants belonged to a dispersed group of loosely related farmers. The modern Paez Indian population, 25,000 of whom live in the surrounding hillside, is not thought to be related to the creators of the tombs.
Tierradentro means “Inner Land”, an appropriate nickname to describe the rugged countryside of narrow valley and jagged summits. The area receives far fewer visitors than San Agustín, thanks to the poor quality of the road from Popayán, though that’s likely to change, given the ongoing road improvements and with the area currently safe from guerrillas.
The main village is tiny San Andrés de Pisimbalá, 4km from El Cruce de San Andrés, the junction on the main Popayán–La Plata road. San Andrés has a picturesque thatched-roof chapel that dates from the seventeenth-century mission. Two kilometres along the road to San Andrés, where you’ll find a smattering of guesthouses, starts the Parque Arqueológico Tierradentro (daily 8am–4pm; COP$10,000), which comprises the five burial sites. The trail begins behind the Museo Etnográfico (daily 8am–4pm), where you pay the park entry fee and receive a wristband, valid for two days. The well-presented displays in the museum focus on the history and customs of the indigenous Paez, while the Museo Arqueológicoacross the road has an archeological display including funerial urns, some statuary and information about the park’s tombs; both are worth visiting before you visit the sites.
It’s possible to visit all five sites, spread out over a sublime landscape, on a full-day, 14km walk that runs in a loop from the Museo Etnográfico and the Museo Arqueológico, with San Andrés making a convenient lunch stop. Be sure to bring your own torch to explore the tombs, as some are unlit, as well as plenty of water, and wear sturdy footwear. The guards at each site who open the tombs for you can answer most questions (in Spanish). It’s best to do the loop anticlockwise, since a clockwise route would mean tackling a long, tough uphill climb first thing.
Start with Segovia (20min walk uphill), the most important of the tomb sights. There are 29 of them; you descend into the trapdoors and down large, steep stone steps to peer into the gloom; note the black, red and white patterns that have survived the centuries. From here, it’s fifteen minutes up to El Duende, a smaller site with four tombs and very little colour on the walls of the tombs. It’s then a 25-minute walk to El Tablón – where you’ll find nine weather-worn stone statues which look similar to the ones found in San Agustín. To get here, go up to the main road and head left; El Tablón will be well signposted on your left. From here you can either take the main road into the village or else descend down the muddy trail that joins the other road that runs up into San Andrés from the two museums.
The best place for lunch is La Portada, after which you can pick up the trail again along the side of the restaurant. A ten-minute walk gets you to Alto de San Andrés, its six tombs boasting well-preserved wall paintings. From here, it’s a good hour and a half to the last and most remote site, El Aguacate, with spectacular views of the valley and a style of tomb painting not found in the others. Allow plenty of daylight time for the hour-and-a-half walk down to the museums as in the past there have been several robberies along this isolated trail.
PEREIRA
Just 56km south of Manizales, PEREIRA makes an equally suitable base for exploring the Zona Cafetera. The region’s largest city, it shares Manizales’ history as a centre for the coffee industry. Its historic centre has been repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes, the most recent striking in 1999. However, it’s closer to many of the region’s coffee fincas and thermal springs.
Pereira’s Plaza de Bolívar is unique among the uniformly named central plazas of Colombia for its modern sculpture of Bolívar Desnudo – the El Libertadór nude on horseback, a controversial pose when it was unveiled in 1963 but now a beloved city symbol. Also on the plaza is the town’s magnificent Catedral, built in 1875. Nondescript from the outside, the Catedral’s single-nave interior is supported by an elaborate latticework of twelve thousand wooden beams forming a canopy like a spider’s web.
Pueblito
A clear and physically demanding uphill path leading from Cabo San Juan brings you to the archeological site of Pueblito, a former Tayrona village with a large number of terrace dwellings, sometimes called a mini Ciudad Perdida. Although it’s possible to complete an Arrecifes–Cabo San Juan–Pueblito circuit in one long, strenuous day, the trip is better made as part of a multi-day stay on the beaches in the park. From Pueblito, you can also hike two hours through the jungle back down to the road and catch a bus back to Santa Marta from that park exit point, instead of traversing your original route back to Cabo San Juan. That said, you may be better off hiring a guide for this hike out, which has no signs and is quite taxing.
Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino
Whether or not you have a particular interest in Colombia’s liberation hero, the hacienda and sugar plantation 5km south of town where Simón Bolívar spent his last agonizing days makes for a great visit. The lush grounds, complete with an enchanted forest of twisted trees and creeping vines, are a pleasure to wander and you are very likely to spot numerous giant iguanas perched on the trees. Peek into the various mustard-coloured buildings for a glimpse of the Libertadór’s personal effects – an Italian marble bathtub, miniature portraits of the Bolívar family and military badges. Just to the right of the imposing Altar de la Patria memorial, the Museo Bolívariano features contemporary works by artists from countries liberated by Bolívar – Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela.
Tolu
Popular with holidaying Colombians but practically undiscovered by overseas travellers, the seaside town of TOLÚ is a pleasant spot to break your journey from Medellín to Cartagena. The laidback vibe is exemplified by the proliferation of bicycles rather than cars, though the brightly decorated bicitaxis, each one blaring its own choice of upbeat music, make up in volume for the lack of motorized traffic. While Tolú’s beaches are nondescript in comparison to the ones in Parque Nacional Tayrona, you can reach those 20km south, near Coveñas, by colectivos from the corner of Cra 2 and C 17 in Tolú. The town’s malecón, lined with restaurants, craft stalls and bars, makes for a nice stroll, but Tolú’s main attraction – the Islas de San Bernardo – lies off the coast.
The trek from Güicán to El Cocuy
Güicán is the starting point for the six- to seven-day circuit. On day one, you hike for five hours or so to the cabañas; it’s possible to continue on the same day to the top of Ritacuba Blanco (5hr), but better to stay for a night to acclimatize and then hike up early in the morning of day two. From Ritacuba Blanco it’s then a couple of hours’ walk to the Río Cardenillo creek and a two-hour ascent to the Boquerón del Carmen pass (4300m), from which you descend to the Laguna Grande de los Verdes (4100m), where you camp.
On day three it takes around seven hours to hike between Laguna Grande de los Verdes and Laguna del Avellanal – a spectacular climb up to the Boquerón de los Frailles pass (4200m), then past a couple of lakes and up again to the Boquerón de la Sierra pass (4650m). The descent brings you down to the lake, where you camp for the night either on the shore or in a cave nearby. From here it takes around seven hours on day four to reach Laguna del Pañuelo. You pass through the Valle de los Cojines, and past several waterfalls before climbing to the Laguna del Rincón (4350m), from where it’s another hour’s ascent to the Boquerón del Castillo pass (4530m), offering spectacular views of the valley below. If the pass is foggy, wait until the fog clears before descending to the Laguna del Pañuelo. Day five’s section to Laguna de la Plaza is around six or seven hours’ hike, made more difficult by the lack of trail, so having a guide is imperative. There are no major descents or ascents; you keep roughly level until you reach Laguna Hoja Larga in around five hours, with your destination – the splendid Laguna de la Plaza – roughly an hour later. On day six you follow the trail from here up to the Boquerón de Cusiri (4410m), the last pass you’ll have climb, then descend for an hour to the chain of attractive small lakes – lagunillas – where you’ll find the park’s busiest campsite. You can either camp here or press on to the Alto de la Cueva – a straightforward four-hour walk to the main road. If hiking as part of a tour, then you may have pre-arranged transport waiting; otherwise, it’s another four hours’ walk to El Cocuy.
MONSERRATE
Perched above La Candelaria is the rocky outcrop that is one of Bogotá’s most recognizable landmarks: Cerro de Monserrate. The hilltop, crowned by El Santuario de Monserrate church, offers spectacular views back down on the seemingly endless urban sprawl that is Bogotá. It is easily reached by the frequent teleférico cable car or by funicular railway. Alternatively, it’s a ninety-minute trek up the 1500-step stone path that begins at the base of the hill and leads to the summit 600m above.
Be aware that there are reports of robberies both on the way up the hill and on the walk between the Quinta and its base. The safest (and cheapest) time to go is Sunday, when you’ll be accompanied by thousands of pilgrims hoping for miracles from the church’s dark-skinned Christ.
Public holidays
January 1 New Year’s Day (Año Nuevo)
January 6 Epiphany (Día de los Reyes Magos)
March 21 St Joseph’s Day (Father’s Day)
March or April Easter (Semana Santa)
May 1 Labour Day (Día del Trabajo)
May Ascension Day (the Monday six weeks and a day after Easter Sunday)
May/June Corpus Christi (the Monday nine weeks and a day after Easter Sunday)
June 29 Saint Peter and Saint Paul (San Pedro y San Pablo)
July 20 Independence Day
August 7 Battle of Boyacá
August 15 Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Asunción de la Virgen)
October 12 Columbus Day (Día de la Raza)
November 1 All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos)
November 11 Independence of Cartagena
December 8 Immaculate Conception (Inmaculada Concepción)
December 25 Christmas Day (Navidad)
Read more: http://www.roughguides.com/destinations/south-america/colombia/travel-essentials/#ixzz36QwX9MXq
Introduction
Home to a traumatic but rich history, stunning scenery and some of the continent’s most welcoming and sophisticated people, Colombia is a natural draw for travellers to South America. Despite its four-decade-long civil war and reputation for violence, improved security conditions have led to a sharp increase in tourism. Foreigners and Colombians alike are now far more able to explore this thrilling paradise of cloudforested mountains, palm-fringed beaches and gorgeous colonial cities. The only country in South America to border both the Pacific and the Caribbean, Colombia offers a huge range of ecosystems, from the Amazon rainforest near Leticia to the snowcapped mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the tropical islands of San Andrés and Providencia.
Explore Colombia 