Tekwendama Waterfall
She told about this and much more to Lenta.ru, a member of the Association of Free Guides, founder of a Colombian travel company Anna Semochkina.
Beginning of the Journey
All travelers first arrive in the capital – Bogotá, because the airport is located there. The city lies in the mountains, at an altitude of over 2,600 meters, so the climate is cool but comfortable – the average temperature is around +18 degrees. Spring replaces autumn, and flowers bloom constantly.
More than seven million people live here. Modern Colombians are a mix of indigenous people (Indians) with Spaniards and Africans who were brought here as slaves. There are up to 98 different groups of Indians throughout the country, the highest concentration of Indian tribes in a single country.
Bogotá is a city of contrasts. It is divided into several districts. There are poor neighborhoods, but tourists mostly stay in the historic center or in the north of the city, built up with large brick houses. Three days are enough to explore the city. You must visit the largest underground cathedral in the world and the Gold Museum. Moreover, the museum has no copies – only authentic Indian gold.
The underground Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá is a fantastic structure. It takes an hour to walk all around it. It is an active cathedral built in a salt mine, at a depth of 200 meters. In Indian times, salt replaced money, and today it is also a key export product of Colombia, which is still mined in this mine. From the capital to the cathedral is 40 kilometers, about an hour by bus or car; a special tourist train also runs there on a single track.
The Las Lajas Cathedral is also popular with tourists; it is considered the most beautiful in the country and is located near the border with Ecuador. To get there, you need to fly two hours from Bogotá and then drive another four hours. Despite such a long journey, tourists flock there, not only because the cathedral is famous for its luxurious neo-Gothic architecture and is located on a bridge over a gorge, but also to see the rock icon of Our Lady of Las Lajas – a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary that heals diseases.
The second most important city in the country is Medellín, the only one in Colombia with an elevated metro. It is the cleanest and best-organized city with a wonderful botanical garden, and it is also famous because two well-known Colombians were born here – sculptor Fernando Botero and politician-narco Pablo Escobar. The city has Botero Square, filled with his three-meter-tall statues. But much in Medellín was also done thanks to Escobar – he opened schools and even built entire neighborhoods. Some locals idolize him; his portraits hang in homes like icons.
Waterfalls
Everyone knows about Angel Falls in Venezuela, but not everyone knows that the largest number of waterfalls is in Colombia – there are more than a hundred here. For example, the Tekwendama Waterfall (translated from the Indian language as "Open Door") is 137 meters high, and the 70-meter El Pa cho, located just an hour's drive from Bogotá.
Legends are associated with each waterfall. Visiting them was previously complicated because they were located in guerrilla territory, but recently peace was signed in the country, and natural attractions have become accessible to tourists. Trekking (hiking tourism) is well developed in Colombia, and you can walk to the same waterfalls, leaving your car nearby.
Sacred Lake of the Muiscas
The local Indians have many legends and stories. One of them is associated with Guatavita – the sacred lake of the Muisca tribe. This is where the legend of the golden land El Dorado originated. This round-shaped body of water is located in the crater of an extinct volcano at an altitude of 3,100 meters above sea level. It is only 50 kilometers from Bogotá.
According to legend, the election of a Muisca chief was very difficult and lengthy. First, the strongest boys (about 16 people) were carefully selected, they were trained for several years and the laggards were weeded out until only one remained. Then the chosen one had his clothes taken away and was placed in a cave for a year. During this time, they tried to seduce him: they sent naked women, offered tasty food, and tried in every way to disrupt his solitude and steadfastness. If he passed the trials, he was chosen as chief.
During the solemn ceremony, they spat gold powder on him through tubes, then he went on a raft to the middle of the lake, where he threw all his jewelry into the water, and then immersed himself to wash off the gold. The chief returned at dawn, and the Indians called him reborn.
Rich merchants who heard this legend tried to drain the lake to obtain gold. A channel was cut into the rocky shore. Through it, part of the water was diverted, lowering the lake level by three meters. Some gold items were retrieved; they are now in the Gold Museum. There you can also admire the emeralds that were also found at the bottom. One of them is the size of an egg.
Parks and Trekking
Hiking enthusiasts should visit Chingaza National Park, the village of Villa de Leyva, El Cocuy Park, and the Cocora Valley. From the capital to Chingaza Park is an hour and a half drive. If you have altitude sickness, you need to be careful, as the park territory starts at an altitude of three thousand meters and reaches four thousand meters above sea level. The route is very interesting, passing near three lakes of unknown origin (Siecha Lakes) with crystal-clear water. Diverse animals (including tapirs, pumas, jaguars, ocelots) and rare plants live here.
The picturesque 16th-century village of Villa de Leyva in Spanish colonial style is a three-hour drive from Bogotá. It was built by the Spanish for wealthy compatriots. This village has the largest square in Latin America – Plaza Mayor (14,000 square meters), a favorite weekend getaway for locals.
The world's largest palm trees – the wax palm – grow in Los Nevados National Natural Park. This place is called the Cocora Valley, where they reach 90 meters in height. It's a good place to go horseback riding and admire the waterfalls.
El Cocuy National Park is the only one with snow. There is a ski resort here, though the slope is very short. The park is interesting for its unforgettable hiking route: it takes at least two days to climb the mountains. The ascent is difficult, at some point you'll need to use crampons.
But the toughest trek (mainly due to the heat) is the road to the Lost City from Santa Marta. Nearby lives a Korean herbalist from Altai, who believes that the climate of this place is perfect for treating many diseases and restoring strength.
My favorite place in Colombia is Chicamocha National Park. It was opened in 2006, its area is 264 hectares, and it is located along the Chicamocha Canyon. This park is known as a center for extreme sports. Here you can fly over the canyon on a wing (paragliding), go rappelling, or descend into a cave.
Coffee from Armenia and Carnival
Roads in Colombia are all winding, so all travel is calculated not in kilometers but in time. For example, famous Colombian coffee is grown in the city of Armenia, which is a one-hour flight from Bogotá or a six-hour drive. Coffee is harvested twice a year, and all tourists have a chance to participate, then brew themselves a cup at a finca (traditional coffee house).
In Armenia live the kindest and most open locals. After visiting this city, residents of Bogotá will seem gloomy. In Armenia, daytime temperatures are no lower than +25 degrees, the heat only subsides in the evening.
The second most famous carnival in the world after Brazil's takes place in the Colombian city of Barranquilla, where Shakira was born. It is divided into three parts: precarnival, carnival, and postcarnival. The carnival itself lasts a week: dancing, alcohol, and more dancing. The postcarnival continues for another week. Six months before, the city elects the king and queen of the future celebration. Nine months after the carnival, Colombia experiences a peak in birth rates.
Red Desert
The Tatacoa Desert is known for being two-colored. Part of it is an ordinary gray color, the other part is bright red, formed as a result of soil erosion. Tatacoa is called one of the most beautiful deserts on the planet. It's a paradise for photographers, a chance to take shots that look like from another planet.
The red part is not very large; you can walk it in an hour and a half, but the gray part cannot be walked so quickly. This is the best place in Colombia to stargaze – the sky is clear 360 days a year. In addition, an astronomer lives here who gives fascinating talks about the starry sky to tourists.
Marquez's Homeland and the River of Dreams
Writer Gabriel García Márquez was born near Cartagena, the most visited tourist city in Colombia. The old town can be walked around in two hours. Marquez's brother lives in Cartagena and conducts tours of this vibrant colonial city. The city has a port where cruise ships that tour the Caribbean arrive. In winter they come three times a week, in summer one or two. The only downside of Cartagena is that there is no beach.
We'll end the narrative about Colombia with a story about the most beautiful river in the world – Caño Cristales (Crystal River). It is also called the 'River of Five Colors'. It begins in the south of the ancient mountain range Macarena, flows east and joins the Guayabero River. It is listed as a UNESCO natural heritage site and is protected by the state.
To see this picturesque river, you need to fly to the small village of La Macarena and walk along special tourist trails. You can also take a 15-minute boat ride and then a half-hour jeep ride. All these difficulties are worth it. The river is truly beautiful. Here you find all shades of yellow, blue, black, red, and green. The river becomes this way due to unusual algae that bloom from May to November, but people are only allowed into the park starting in June. Depending on the time of year, the brightness of the color intensifies. The water is crystal clear, so you can see the bottom even at great depths.