An impressive stream of water which rises in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy and joins the Río Suárez to finally form the Sogamoso River.

 

It passes through Santander Chicamocha opens a canon of impressive depth that you can appreciate in all its magnitude to go along the main highway in the country, which falls snaking to the pescadero bridge, where he began the ascent to Bucaramanga

 

General characteristics

The Chicamocha canyon, is the second largest Canyon in the world, with more tan 108,000 acres and 2,000 meters deep. 46 million years ago, this was a huge Lake that permitted the formation of caves and marine animals of which still remains are housed.

 

The Canyon has been highlighted as one of the main attractions of Colombia, reason that placed it in the Group of 261 nominees places to become one of the seven natural wonders of the world. This majestic place is a visual spectacle that leaves without words to everyone who has the opportunity to admire it.

 

So great is its importance that is considered deeper than the famous Canyon, because you have an average of two kilometers of depth approximately and 227 km long, located on the banks of the Chicamocha River by the departments of Boyacá and Santander.

 

In order to allow you to contemplate the Chicamocha canyon in comfortable and pleasant way, in 2006 was in operation the Park Chicamocha national (PANACHI), located on the road that communicates Bucaramanga with San Gil at a distance of 50 minutes from the capital Santander.

 

Here they come together harmoniously; history, culture, folklore and gastronomy. It is without a doubt, the best place for fun and adventure, as the attractions that are there have a high content of activity, Adrenaline and speed.

 

There are species of unique plants in the country, such as the Palm (Zamia encephalartoides), Indian cocoa, the castanete, and the potbelly tree. 

This place is also an immense pool of water which consists of 18 peaks snow-capped mountains and 14 temporary depending on the time of the year, as well as a lushvirgin forests on its eastern road to the plane foothills.

General characteristics 

The Cocuy is a pearl of nature in the middle east of the Eastern mountain range, 306,000 hectares of extension between the departments of Boyacá (municipalities of Cubará, Chiscas, Las Mercedes, El Espino, Güicán, The Cocuy and Chita), Arauca Between the municipalities of (Tame and San Lope) and Casanare between the municipalities of (La Salina and Sacama).

 

Depending on the area of ​​the park and the particular conditions that each zone presents, it has been determined the use that the man has given to the resources. In the eastern part of the park, which includes the basins of the Arauca and Casanare rivers, the forest ecosystems are represented in Mount 
 plainsman, Andean forest, paramo and snowy. The non-existence of access zones by this region has allowed the area to remain in an acceptable state of conservation despite colonization processes developed since before the declaration of the park.

 

At the northeastern end of the park, the U'wa Indigenous Territory overlaps with the protected area on about 100,000 hectares. This indigenous group retains almost intact its traditions and ways of using resources. They are allies of conservation of the protected area. The inhabitants of this indigenous people are constantly mobilized between the two slopes of the mountain range, interacting with the municipalities of Cubara, Tame, Concepcion, Chiscas, Guicán and Cocuy.

 

The western part of the park is drier due to the warm currents coming from the canyon of the Chicamocha River. Its inhabitants represent the high - Andean peasant culture. Most of its lands are high, superior to 3000 meters. The agricultural activities have been developed in the paramos of the area, situation that puts at risk the conservation of this ecosystem.

 

So far there has been no real knowledge of the U'wa cultural values ​​that would allow better management of natural resources by people living in the municipalities surrounding the protected area. Some U'wa groups are undergoing transculturation processes that do not benefit the conservation of natural resources.

Rosario’s Corales Park  possesses an important set of ecosystems inhabitedprimarily by coral reefs that are home to hundreds of animals, including fish of different shapes and colors, corals, crustaceans and other species. Few places in the world offer a spectacle of beauty and diversity as extraordinary as a coral reef. The beauty of a coral reef is not only due to the diversity of shapes and colors. These   formations serve as substrate to a huge variety of colourful organisms: calcareous algae, sponges, worms, feather dusters, lilies of sea anemones and corals soft, among others. In Corales del Rosario, it is possible to see, very shallow and crystal-clear, this extraordinary spectacle that surpasses the most vivid imaginations.

 

The ecosystems present in the Natural National Park Rosario’s  Corales and San Bernardo are characterized by marine ecosystems, where dominate reefs, excellentbarriers against sea erosion and even have a great aesthetic value which gives theman invaluable recreational importance. Considered essential ecosystem coral reefs are very vulnerable because it is very specific   communities that demand transparent waters, light, stable substrates, salinities and constant temperatures that fluctuate between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius. The coralline areas of the coral Park      occupy 191.68km2, representing 72% of the Colombian mainland Caribbean coral areas.

 

Another ecosystem of great importance is that of mangroves, considered highly productive ecosystems by providing various resources of flora and fauna that man advantage directly. It has been estimated that two-thirds of the population of the tropical fish in the world, depend on mangrove areas exported by these. In the coral Park are 5 species of mangrove, red mangrove, yellow mangrove, mangle bobo or Zaragoza and mangrove black or salt.

 

The marine ecosystem, constitutes an area around of 3. 035km². In the Corales Park serve as habitat, food and origin of food chains and refuge for countless marine species. They are vascular plants or plants with flowers, which have developed the ability to perform all its life submerged in brackish or saline water cycle. They inhabit shallow waters up to 20-30m deep, reaching its maximum development at depths of 10m and usually develop on substrates of sand in highly lighted and preferably calm waters. They contribute to the recycling of nutrients and stabilize the shoreline sediment. 

One of the marine species identified in the Park is the Thalassia testudinum which isthe most          abundant seagrass, extensive and important of the Caribbean.

 

Rocky and Sandy coastlines comprise one of protected ecosystems in the coral Park, basically constituted by the sandy strip of beaches, especially those found in the four intangible zones of the Park (Rosario Island, treasure island, island wonder and mangrove Island). In the same way these Sandy formations are in other areas of the Park, one of the main attractions for visitors. The beaches of the Park, are of marine origin thanks to fragments of coral skeleton of dead animals as shells of snail and thebiological activity of some marine species like parrot fish, which through their excrement brings sand to the shoreline.

 

The National Natural  Rosario’s  Corales Park and San Bernardo  presents in its zone of influence 12 settlements comprised populations that live and derive their livelihood mainly from the economic activities that take place around the same, which have a contact direct with the coastal and marine resources, these are: Bocachica, Caño de Oro, Punta Arena and Tierra Bomba (island villages of the District of Cartagena de Indias located on the island of Tierra Bomba); Ararca, Santa Ana and Baru (on the island of Barú); Isla Grande (in the Rosario’s archipelago); Santa Cruz of the islet, Mucura island and Ceycén Island (in San Bernardo’s Archipelago) and the population of Fuerte island.

 

Among the inhabitants of the coastal strip, cultural practices have become quite widespread around the activities of fishing, conventional tourism, the cultivation of small plots and the extraction of resources from the mangroves, among others. A sector of the population are craftsmen and traders which distribute their products among the visitors of the Park. Between different groups there are differences related to thepatterns of settlement, the benchmark landscape and human historical dynamics as environmental, others result from the abandonment of the traditional productive activities as a resul  in part, of the proximity to cities and towns, tourist occupation, the occupation and the construction of civil works and industrial practices.

 

Live the tranquility, deriving their livelihood from the medium that accompanies them, either directly or indirectly, makes them feel happy and allows them to enjoy a healthy coexistence with neighbors, relatives or people surrounding environment, share the fandango and integrations around the music, for example, become unique values that motivate their desire to remain there throughout life.

The foothills Natural park of the sierra nevada of Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain in the world, sink into the sea as a giant hand fingers between  the bays and inlets of singular beauty, with its beaches of white sand bounded by mangroves, thickets or forests, and all lapped by the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean Sea are formed they’re part of the many attractions offered by the Tayrona National Park.

 

Its coasts are of white sand and a beautiful sea of seven colors full of small bays with a unique        charm. It also has ruins of ancient Tayrona settlements in an area called Chairama - village.

 

 

Tayrona is one of those tropical paradises idealized in literature and cinema. Its white beaches on  which pours the rainforest all its exuberance makes the Tayrona one of the most visited natural parks in Colombia by the beaches. Chairama now known as village, was one of the most important centers of artisans, fishermen and farmers, who exchanged their products by public services.

 

For those who practice water sports and diving, Concha bay is the perfect place. Forwalkers, even unrestored pre-hispanic roads transfer to an era where the profoundrespect for nature was the centerpiece of the   existence.

 

It is also characterized by tropical dry and moist forests, diverse wildlife, coral reefsand seagrass. It also has more than 100 species of mammals include margay and deer and so scarce birds like the condor, Lone Eagle and the white Eagle.

 

Vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus. Wear clothing suitable for warm weather, sunscreen,  repellent against insects,water bottle and food that does not break down easily. Be careful in the sea, since it has strong waves and dangerous undertows. In some areas swimming can be dangerous. Do not take unnecessary risks and besure to not leave trash or contaminate streams.

It’s a river of Colombia which is located in the sierra de la Macarena in the municipality of the same name, in the Department of Meta. It has been called the gods River, the river of five colors, rainbow that melted or also the world's most beautiful River, since in its depths reproduce aquatic plants of different colours. Producing the sensation of being in front of a river of five colors: red, yellow, green, blue and black, mainly. 

 

It’s a succession of Rapids, waterfalls, stain and pools whose waters emerge from the Southern     Plateau of Macarena montain range, location of birth behind the backs of tepuyes of the range in a steep area where numerous paintings still unexplored. Those waters, of  such purity that let you see the background andall the magic that holds this beautiful River, run toward the Guayabero river picking up in its wake innumerable little arms of Rocky savannas of the ranger.

Well bed as Rocky just a rain of moderate intensity that flow grows in an impressivemanner and leave the traveller isolated on its shores. However, the river tends to decrease with the same speed.

During the summer, the waters are dried and Red plants then have their chance to multiply. Of the Serranía de la Macarena down several streams of water as cano Indio, cano Yarumales, and cano Canoas, but only Caño Cristales, river of five colors, has been called 'the most beautiful of the    world'.  

 

It’s    worth explaining that pipes in the jungle are called rivers of smaller length andwidth compared with giants like the             Amazonas, Guaviare, Caquetá and Putumayo.

 

The Peñol stone is a 220 metre high monolith located in Guatape (Antioquia, Colombia). The Peñol stone, composed of quartz, feldspar and mica, was climbing for the first time on July 16, 1954 by an inhabitant of the area, Luis Eduardo Villegas López in the company of Ramón Díaz and Pedro Nel Ramírez. Now you can access the Summit up 740 steps built in the monolito. El Peñón de Guatapé is planned to paint inwhite the word GUATAPE in Stone. However, as a cultural heritage, he only painted GI. The stone has become a tourist attraction of the place, next to the dam that surrounds it. Thousands of people around the world have visited the place.

 

Details about the training. The depressurization is a mechanical relaxation of a buried crystallinerock mass which then, by erosion, emerges. Confinement pressure loss means a fallof border forces and in response an increase in volume of already an outdoor mass, so forces of distension of the dome. Its volumen is of 22 million m3, its density 3000 kg/m3 for a total of 600 million tons. The perimeter is 770 ml. The height above sea level 2137m. The composition: quartz, feldspar and Mica. This Rock structure is part of the Batholito Antioqueño.

 

Once the authorities and habitants of the region to check the truth of the facts which were branded as prodigy by the ecclesiastical authorities of September 15 of 1754, the place was converted into a reference for the entire region including North of the Ecuador and proceeded to build the sanctuary whose history has five well defined epochs.

 

It is located in the central mountain range in the Andes. Its surface is part of the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío and Tolima, being divided between the municipalities of Villamaría, Santa Rosa de Cabal, Pereira, Salento, Villahermosa, Anzoátegui, Santa Isabel, Murillo and Ibagué.

The park encompasses the cold, wilderness and snow climates, so their main ecosystems are the Andean forests, moors and glacier. It includes also the watersheds of some rivers, such as the Otún River, River Totarito, River Mills, Río Azufrado, Lagunillas River, River Campoalegre and Guali River, among others.

In the Park are located the snowcapped peaks of the Ruiz, Tolima, Santa Isabel, Quindio, being the first three permanent Nevados and occasional last, given the loss of glacial ice in them.

The Park can be accessed by vehicle from Manizales, Villamaría aiming to climb to the Nevado del Ruiz or Lunar valleys Santa Isabel (sector Councillors - Potosí) for those who wish to have contact with the snow. The other accesses in Santa Rosa de Cabal and Pereira are to climb only the Nevado Santa Isabel sector Florida - Otun. The accesses in the departments of Quindío and Tolima are to only climb the Nevado del Tolima Cocora and Combeima sectors respectively.

The sanctuary is located in the Canyon of the Guáitara River in the township of LasLajas in the municipaly of Ipiales, seven km from the municipal head city, in the Department of Nariño and 10 km from the border with the Ecuador.

 

Sculpture of the indigenous woman María Mueses and his daughter Rosa. 

The Franciscan fray Juan de Santa Gertrudis, in his Chronicle of the journey between 1756 - 1762 by the south of the Kingdom of Nueva Granada, published in four volumes under the title of "Wonders of nature", mentions the shrine in Book III, 2 being possibly the oldest reference of its existence. Main altar of the sanctuary with painting on stone of Nuestra Señora de las Lajas.

 

Subsequently, bishop Justino Mejia and Mejia, Chaplain of the sanctuary between 1944 - 1977 andhistorian, tells us the currently accepted history and has the imageof the Virgen del Rosario as around 1754 was discovered by a native named MaríaMueses with rose, her young daughter, as they were heading from Ipiales to his house in Potosi; to be caught by a storm, Maria and his daughter, sought refuge at theedge of the road between the cavities formed by the wide and flat stones or natural slabs (Flagstone) immense that characterize this area of the Canyon of the river. To the surprise of the mother, the girl who until then was considered deaf mutes calls your attention with the words: "Mommy, the mestizo call me..." pointing to the painting  probably lit in a suggestive way by the lighting.

Also called Isla de Baru. It is a coastal area located to the South and 45 minutes by speed boat from Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, famous for its white beaches and turquoise water. It is separated from the Pasacaballo village by the channel of Dique.Hasta 2014, the only way to crkuzarla was in rafts. It was in that year when opened a bridge, called "Bridge of Baru".

 

Today is a place of great tourist. A small paradise in the land of warm waters and turquoise, which invite to rest and nature lovers to enjoy a unique landscape and varied fauna and flora. Surrounded by Resorts and places for rest, almost all beaches areprivate and exclusive, except for white beach, which is the only public beach.

 

In sea waters that are in front of Baru was fought the famous battle of Baru in 1708, during which sank the Galleon San Jose.