03. Nature and ADVENTURE 03 09 Colombia: a Must-See Destination Amazing Landscapes, Exciting Experiences Contents
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ISSN No. 2711-4317 03. 03. Nature and Adventure naturE AND ADVENTURE Amazing landscapes, exciting experiences Amazing landscapes, exciting Colombia: a must-see destination Colombia: 03 09 Contents Page 04 Chiribiquete ISSUE 03 THE ANCESTRAL SECRET OF THE TEPUIS Text by María José Castaño Photographs by César David Martínez Nature and Adventure With an area of 1,142 million km², Colombia is a Page 10 country nearly the size of France and Germany For some, their relationship with the environ- Birdwatching combined. Besides its extensive territory, there is ment can be intimacy, quiet and rest; for others, a mountainous and hydrographic network, far-rea- approaching nature can also be intimate, but more Skies recovered during the post-conflict ching coasts in two oceans, islands, desert landsca- bodily, involving physical activities as well as adven- Text by Julián Isaza Illustrations by Cromalario pes and huge forested areas. Both the luggage and ture experiences. For the latter, those restless spirits the curiosity of the visitors must be open to deep and who feel the desire to climb a huge and imposing exciting contrasts from one place to another. rock when they see it, who sense the vibrant flow of This diversity of landscapes offers an equal the rapids and want to dive in and row, for whom Page 18 variety of experiences, tailored to the tastes and a mountain is both a place of contemplation and a Cycling Through Towns interests of each traveler... While regions such as challenge of rising conquest. For all of them, the the Pacific coast, the Amazon and the Coffee Cultu- different regions of Colombia are brimming with Bogota and its surroundings: ral Landscape are widely recognized for the richness emotion and challenges. A strong tourism, hotel mecca of American cycling of their landscapes, for some it might be less predic- and complementary services infrastructure related Text by Sinar Alvarado table that Bogota and its surroundings are also full to adventure and extreme sports is available for your Photographs by Camilo Rozo of ideal places to experience adventures in nature. enjoyment and safety. Two of the stories in this chapter start right there, in Mountains, rivers, lagoons, rocks, coral reefs, Page 26 the country’s capital: a cycling mecca, the hub of a deserts, rainforests, unlimited flora and fauna.... More Nature and Adventure whole circuit of scenarios for adventure sports and the list would be endless and words would always home of endemic birds, which visitors can enjoy in fall short. Opening our eyes to the Colombian lands- Experiences in Colombia an unforgettable sighting experience without lea- capes turns us into witnesses of surprising contrasts ving the city. and active participants who interact with a generous nature that unfolds in all directions and goes beyond our borders. introduction – 03 Chiribiquete Guaviare, Amazon Region The Ancestral Secret of the Tepuis Since she was a child, the author heard her father talk about a majestic territory, where nature was as extraordinary as archeological wealth. Years later, she traveled to the heart of the Colombian Amazon to discover Chiribiquete with her own eyes. 03 Text: María José Castaño Photographs: César David Martínez Nature and Adventure 04 – naturaleza y aventura Amazonas – 05 What can be found The lost world of the Chiribiquete mountain range Parks and to integrate it into the system of protected in Chiribiquete? was my favorite imaginary place as a child. I remem- areas,” he claims. ber, that when returning from this Amazonian However, he is proud that the real discovery was paradise, my father, Carlos Castaño Uribe, a Colom- to come across rock paintings on his first expedition bian-style Indiana Jones, was always bruised, loo- there in 1990. After climbing one of the rocks, he king like a shipwrecked man and so skinny that you found himself in front of an enormous rock shelter 2,138 60 46 60 189 89 plant reptile amphibian fish butterfly mammal couldn’t see him from the side. I was fascinated by with two huge and imposing jaguars. He has been species species species species species species his stories of that secret place nobody knew about. At in more than a dozen expeditions, accompanied by school, I would look for references of this place and the most renowned scientists who have been stud- since it did not appear in any encyclopedia or map of ying the flora and fauna. He has fully devoted him- Trees up to Indigenous communities the time, I doubted whether it was my father’s inven- self to archeology and the study of the cave paintings 70,000 50 M tion to amuse me or if the details he narrated were of this. Rock paintings Without contact with Western society HIGH just fiction to make me dream. Chiribiquete is a unique place on the planet. It is a protected area of Did you know that Other activities Crossed by the Equator, the park is located between Chiribiquete is a UNESCO - Visits to the indigenous reserves bordering with the departments of Caqueta and Guaviare. It is one 4,268,095 hectares the Park, Yoga, the Devil’s Falls, the Araracuara of the best preserved places on Earth. The herba- World Heritage Site? which can be witnessed by tourists from aboard a plane Canyon ceous savannas and the Amazon plain are home to animals and species scientists dream of studying. Destination 1: For the indigenous cultures, it was the center of the The pictograms found in Chiribiquete are findings How to get to the Serrania del Chiribiquete? world. The house of the Jaguar, which is the son of that provide us new ways of interpreting our his- Route: San Jose del Guaviare Destination 2: the Sun and the Moon: lunar white on the chest, tory: they connect our ancestors to diverse abori- DEPARTURE FROM THE One hour flight over solar yellow on the back. This feline and the Jaguar- ginal cultures throughout Latin America and the GUAYMARAL AIRPORT men are the protagonists of more than 75,000 Caribbean (from what is now Mexico to Brazil). The Serrania del paintings found by my father on the rocks of Chi- same paintings appear in remote parts of the conti- IN BOGOTA Chiribiquete ribiquete. What is most surprising is that some of nent, showing evidence of a culture that unites us. them date back over 20 thousand years, which would It is believed that the shamans who painted on the be evidence of the oldest human habitation in Latin rocks were nomads who came from numerous pil- Costs: tours from USD 1,000 approximately America, according to Gonzalo Andrade, from the grimage routes. Since it is a sacred temple, no one National Institute of Sciences of the National Uni- can live there, just visit. versity. Why visit the More than thirty years ago, when my father was A Family Reunion with the Tepuis the director of National Natural Parks of Colombia, Colombian Amazon? this extraordinary place was was found by accident. As a family joke, we keep saying that, in addition to In 1986, he saw the monumental rocks of Chiribi- his four children, my father has a fifth favorite child more than 220 quete from a small plane, after they had to divert called Chiribiquete. I grew up listening to the stories 40,000 1,500 500 2.5 550 fish species their course to Leticia, capital of the department of about that enigmatic fifth brother, a mix between flora bird Mammal million Reptile among them the pirarucu, species species species insect species the Amazon, because of a tropical storm. None of living nature, majestic stone plateaus, rich, remote the largest freshwater fish, reaching 3 meters in length their navigation maps showed those plateaus, which cultures and thousands of paintings preserving their are three times the size of the Eiffel Tower and which own living past. I grew up wanting to meet him, but The extension of the Amazon River Animals native to the Amazon River emerged in the middle of a virgin jungle. That first we were too far apart and our family reunion wouldn’t 3 Pink and gray dolphins, manatees, time, they just flew over and wrote down the coordi- take place soon. 6,700 Km 219,000 m piranhas, boas and black caimans in length of water and caiman of the aguajal nates of that place to which he would return so many times and on which he would work for the rest of Although I had heard my father talk about Chiri- What activities can you enjoy in the Colombian Amazon? his life, searching for a perfect formula to preserve biquete since I was a child, many years passed without 420 Expeditions through the jungle, sighting of the pink dolphin, sailing and protect it. Being called “the discoverer of Chi- a word about it. It was five years ago when he brou- Indigenous 86 650 along the Amazon River, getting to know indigenous cultures, watching ribiquete” makes him uncomfortable because he ght up the subject again, now with great discretion tribes languages dialects the Victoria Regia - a large floating plant-, touring Leticia, visiting Puerto Nariño, kayaking, canopy and tree climbing, visiting the island of los knows that probably many others traveled there and concern. I learned of his sleepless nights after Micos. before him, be they nomadic indigenous peoples, the Park went public with several articles published in settlers or explorers. “I just discovered it for Natural national media and a documentary about Colombian Remember: Chiribiquete can only be seen from the air in an unforgettable flyover experience. 06 – nature and adventure Courtesy Environmental Heritage Foundation Environmental Courtesy The Giant Marmita, with a “crater” of 260 meters in diameter and rock walls over 60 meters high is one of the icons of the The rock paintings in this area date back nearly 20 thousand years.