CARTAGENA DE INDIAS WCPA STEERING COMMITTEE From 27th to 30th of March 201 C O L O M B I A

INFORMATION NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Cartagena de Indias 1.2. Currency and Credit Cards 1.3. Electricity 1.4. Language 1.5. Temperature 1.6. Time 1.7. Tipping

2. BEFORE LEAVING FOR CARTAGENA

2.1. Accommodation 2.2. Visas 2.3. Yellow Fever Vaccination 2.4. Documents 2.5. Dress Code

3. UPON ARRIVAL

3.1. Arriving to 3.2. Meeting Venue 3.3. WCPA Dinner 3.4. On-site Registration 3.5. Cocktail 3.6. Field Trip 3.7. Farewell Event

4. OTHER USEFUL INFORMATION

4.1 List of National Natural Parks in the Caribbean region 4.2 Tourism in Cartagena (Http://www.cartagenadeindias.travel)

1 . I N T R O D U C T I O N CARTAGENA DE INDIAS

Cartagena de Indias is a city located on the northern coast of Colombia, capital of the department of Bolívar, and was founded by the Pedro de Heredia from in 1533. Since then, the city became one of the most important ports of the . The iconic city walls, beautifully preserved despite the passage of time, were built to prevent attacks by pirates and enemies. Recognized by UNESCO since 1984 for its historical value and heritage for humanity, as the gate of America, and is considered one of the most international and safest cities in Colombia. Cartagena is a center of economic activity in the Caribbean region and a popular tourist destination for domestic and foreign people, and is chosen by many as an ideal venue for professional meetings.

1.2. Currency and Credit Cards

The official currency of Colombia is the (COP), which has denominations in bills of $ 1,000, $ 2,000, $ 5,000, $ 10,000, $ 20,000 and $ 50,000; and coins of $ 50, $ 100, $ 200, $ 500 and $ 1,000. Currently, the official exchange rate of US dollar fluctuates between $ 2,935 and $ 3,000 COP per US dollar. All participants are advised to avoid changing money outside the authorized sites. You can change currency at the meeting headquarters. The main credit and debit cards (MasterCard, Visa) are accepted at most hotels, major restaurants and shops.

1.3. Electricity

Voltage in Colombia is 110-120 volts and frequency 60 Hz. The image below shows a Colombian power outlet.

1.4. Language

The official language of Colombia is Spanish; however English is spoken in hotels and main touristic places.

1.5. Weather Information and Time Zone

Cartagena is a Caribbean city, with an average relative humidity of 85% from December to March. Usually during these months there is breeze and a pleasant . The temperature is around 30°C. The standard time zone is GMT -5.

1.6. Tipping

Tipping is a common practice in Colombia. In restaurants the tip is usually included in the bill but its payment is voluntary. If not included, a 10% tip is customary in restaurants.

Each delegate requiring a visa must apply for a TP-1 (courtesy) visa. Further information on visa application for Colombia is available on the web site of the Colombian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at: Http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/procedures_services/visas. This visa TP-1 visa must be processed through the following link: Https://tramitesmre.cancilleria.gov.co/tramites/enlinea/solicitarVisa.xhtml The system will ask you to upload supporting documents:

1. A copy of the main page of the valid passport where the personal data of the holder appear, 2. Supporting letter informing length of stay ( we will send an invitation (Http://en.hotelcaribe.com) letter to all participants)

3. A passport style photograph with a white background.

2 . B E F O R E L E A V I N G F O R • Once you've completed the visa application, the system will give you a registration number. Please inform your nearest consulate of this number, the name, passport number and date of birth of the applicant, to be able to CARTAGENA DE INDIAS authorize the visa. 2.1. Accommodation • Once the application is approved, an email notification with the e-visa included will be sent to the email registered on the application, allowing the person to travel with the e-visa The IUCN will cover the hotel costs, your room is booked at the following • P l e a s e n o t i f y M s . A n g e l a R i v e r a b y e m a i l : venue: CARIBE BY FARANDA HOTEL FARANDA HOTELS, Carrera 1 # 2- [email protected] once you have uploaded your 87, Bocagrande. application.

(Check-in Sunday, March 26, check-out Friday, March 31)**. IMPORTANT: The Colombian Government is not responsible for the ** Please take into account the days of arrival and departure of hotels. Any procedures and validity of transit visas required by the event's participants to change or additional nights should be covered by the participant. Any item enter and exit Colombia. On the other hand, we strongly recommend you to hotel expenses are for your own account (dinner, mini bar, bar, phone calls confirm with your consulate if you require International Health Certificate for and room services). The additional charges for accompanying persons Yellow Fever Vaccination. must be paid directly to the hotel. Finally, find attached the list of Nationalities that require Colombian Visa The hotel offers a list of services and facilities as restaurants and shops. Free WIFI will be available in all areas of the hotel. 2.3. Yellow Fever Vaccination 2.2. Visas

Delegates to the Steering Committee SC must obtain visas if necessary in The participants from countries or have been in areas whit a high risk of order to travel, enter and stay in Colombia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs- infection, yellow fever vaccines are recommended. Please contact the Coordination of Visas and Immigration, has taken the necessary measures appropriate authorities in your country, in order to confirm if any to facilitate entry to the country. vaccination is required to enter in Colombia before travel. 2.4. Documents 3.2. Meeting Venue

To minimize negative environmental impacts to the greatest possible The meeting will take place at the Hotel Caribe in Cartagena, a historical degree, we request all participants to bring their own copies of the working beachfront hotel in El Laguito, Bocagrande: one of the most beautiful papers, as no copies will be available at the meeting venue. areas of Cartagena de Indias. 2.5. Dress Code This hotel is considered one of the national monuments of Cartagena de Indias, due to its spectacular colonial architecture with a Spanish style, large corridors and arches and its gardens and historical elements. We recommend the use of comfortable clothes, preferably in a "business casual" style (like for Hawaii). Please note that the temperature at the meeting venue will be around 20 ° C 3.3. WCPA Annual Dinner on 28 March 2017

the Rafael Núñez International Airport (USD10 Approx.). For security reasons, we suggest you to take your taxi from a taxi station authorized by the airport authorities.

WCPA invites all the participants for a dinner at the restaurant Club de Pesca: http://clubdepesca.com/es/reservas.htm#1. Address: Manga, Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo - Cartagena de Indias Colombia - Tel: (+57 5) 651 7400 - Cel: (+57) 321 727 9856 You can go to the restaurant and return by: Walking - with a distance of 4,6 km taking about 1 hour. You need to be at the lobby of the Hotel Caribe by 18:00 to join the group. Please see the map below. Taxi the cost will not be covered by WCPA.

3 . U P O N A R R I V A L 3.1. Arriving in Colombia

The Rafael Núñez International Airport in Cartagena is just 10 minutes away from downtown and 15 minutes from the Caribe hotel.

A shuttle service from the hotel will be waiting for participants at the arrival gate of the airport on March 26th. For those who arrive before the date of the meeting a taxi station can be found at 3.4. On-site Registration 3.7. Farewell Event Thursday 30 March 2017

Registration for participants will be held on Monday, March 27, from 07:00 a.m. at the Caribe Hotel. Dinner Hosted by Palmarito Foundation and GHL Hotels in the Marea Restaurant by Rausch 3.5. Cocktail Monday 27 March 2017 (Hosted by National Natural Parks and WWF) 18:15 p.m. Departure from Caribe Hotel to the Convention Center of Cartagena de Indias, neighbourhood of Getsemani. The Government of Colombia will host a cocktail for all participants to SC on 18:30 p.m. Welcoming Reception and Dinner Monday 27 at the Marqués de Valdehoyos house (logistics will be Gastronomic performance by the renowned Colombian announced during the meeting). After the Cocktail participants are free to chef Jorge Rausch, one of the precursors of the consumption of make their own arrangements for dinner. Lion Fish, an invader species of the Colombian Caribbean Sea. 20:30 p.m. Return to Caribe Hotel on your own. 3.6. Field Trip**

There will be a full day field trip on Wednesday 29 March 2017 to the National Park Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo by boat. Please bring the right clothes and shoes, sun protection, bathing suit and equipment for snorkelling activities (optional).

Time: 6:30 a.m. 16:30 p.m.

7:00 a.m. Members of the WCPA Committee leave the Caribe Hotel to the Touristic Dock La Bodeguita - Cartagena. 7:15 a.m. Arrival at the dock and boarding. 7:40 - 8:40 a.m. Departure from the dock to the National Natural Park Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo. Information briefing about Cartagena and the Park. 8:40 - 10:00 a.m. Brief tour through the Park. Moment to enjoy the coral beauties of the Park (Optional snorkeling activities) 10:00 -10:15 a.m. Tour from the Corales Park to La Isleta, an island located in the Cholón Swamp. 10:15 - 13:30 p.m. La Isleta visit White sand beach and crystalline water. Lunch. 13:30 - 13:45 a.m. Departure. Boat transportation to Punta Iguana 13:45 - 14:00 p.m. Bus transportation to the National Colombian Aviary 14:00 - 16:00p.m. Guided visit through the Aviary: meeting point of Scientists, bird enthusiasts, biology scholars and tourists 16:15 - 17:00 p.m. Return to Cartagena. Bus transportation Caribe Hotel Dinner (own arrangements) ** Please take into account that this event could have some minor logistical changes. Additional information will be provided during the meeting

4 . O T H E R U S E F U L I N F O R M A T I O N El Corchal “El Mono Hernandez” Fauna and Flora Sanctuary: Preserves the unique representative samples of pure stands and swamp forests of 4.1. List of National Natural Parks in the Caribbean region dragonblood tree and forests.

Flora and Fauna Sanctuary of the Ciénaga Grande de : National Natural Parks of Colombia is the entity in charge of the This Sanctuary is located in the north of Colombia, and it is part of the core administration and management of the Systems of National Natural area of the Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Wetland Ciénaga Grande de Parks, it is represented in 59 natural areas that belong to the Systems of Santa Marta, integrating a set of wetlands of great importance in the National Natural Parks, which represent 14,268,224,3 hectares. It is also Colombian Caribbean. It includes Isla de Salamanca National Park. responsible of the coordination of the National System of Protected Areas with 23.810.280.9 hectares, which includes both, public and private Paramillo National Natural Park: Due to the different altitudes, the protected areas of the regional and national order. National Park has many different reaching from desert to In the Caribbean area of Colombia there are 14 protected areas of the floodplains, Andean Forest and Tropical rainforests. It is home of System of National Natural Parks of Colombia. indigenous communities like Embera katío.

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park: home of the Bahía Portete Kaurrele National Natural Park: It is a coastal- marine Tayrona civilization and of 30,000 indigenous people including the Kogi, protected area that fosters the development and maintenance of Arhuaco, Kankuamo, and Wiwa ethnicities. This protected area is also traditional practices associated with Wayuu culture. home to the two highest mountains in Colombia, the snowy peaks of Acandi, Playón and Playona Wildlife Sanctuary: This is an area for Colón and Bolívar (3.5 and 3.4 miles above sea level, respectively). Due to Conservation of Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, as well as the protection its variety of ecosystems, thermal floors, its unique beauty and its historical zone of the leatherback sea turtle (nesting habitat). and cultural richness, this Park constitutes a unique place to visit; UNESCO Corales de Profundidad National Natural Park: It houses a sample of declared it a Biosphere Reserve in 1979. deep corals and high diversity of invertebrates associated with them. This McBean Lagoon Old Providence National Nature Park: It is part of the represents 67% of the coral reef formations of the Colombian Caribbean. Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, declared by UNESCO in 1979. It has a 32 Los Colorados Wildlife Sanctuary: The abundance of Red Howler km. long coral reef and a small hill known as Iron Hill Wood. In this (monkey howler), gives its name to the Park, which preserves a sample of protected area, where there is a dry forest of 48 hectares, you can go dry tropical forest in the Serrania of San Jacinto. hiking, diving, snorkeling and bird watching, among others. Macuira National Natural Park: It is a green oasis located in the desert of 4.2. Tourism in Cartagena upper Guajira region. It is ideal for bird watching given that 140 different bird species have been recorded at the site17 of which can be seen there and nowhere else. Various forest ecosystems can be found within the reserve. For participants interested in cultural activities, tours and sightseeing in Cartagena and/or Colombia before or after the meeting, information is Los Flamencos Fauna and Flora Sanctuary: The representative ecosystems available at the following web sites: are the coastal lagoons: Laguna Navío Quebrado and Laguna Grande, where it is possible to see a great variety of resident and migratory water birds. Http://www.colombia.travel Salamanca Island Road Park: It is located in the Caribbean Region of Colombia, on the eastern outskirts of the city of Barranquilla in the www.cartagenamagica.com Magdalena Department. The flora and fauna is abundant due to the confluence of sweet water flowing from the and saline Tourism Office water of the Caribbean Sea. It was created in 1964 to protect the abundant bird life and coastal . Muelle Turístico La Bodeguita Piso 2

Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo National Natural Park: The Tel. +57-1-56550211 - 6550277 Protected Area is located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. It includes a large marine area within the jurisdiction of the Tourist and Cultural Additional information on Cartagena de Indias is available on: District of Cartagena de Indias. There we find the most important continental reef formations in the country, unique samples of coastal www.cartagenacaribe.com mangrove forests, extensive sea-grass that borders the islands, diversity of invertebrates and crowds of multi-coloured reef fish. These is why it is the most visited National Park in the country.