By. César Augusto Ángel Valencia
CEO – Nature Trips Colombia
Colombia is an exceptional destination for those who travel and enjoy vacations, in places where you can walk with freedom, tranquility and security. In this country you will find trails to explore the white beaches of the Caribbean, and also, the beautiful and biodiversity beaches of the Pacific, between the jungle, the mountains and the sea. You can walk in paradise islands, like Providencia, ascending to the pek, from where you can see the sea of seven colors, in a natural viewpoint of 360 degrees.
If you are a naturalist who enjoys remote places, you will find trails in the Amazon, inside the rainforest, or in the Orinoquia between savannas, grasslands and the Guiana shield. Another place for walkers is the Andes mountain range, which runs through an important area of the country, from south to north, dividing into the Colombian massif, into three branches, which make up the eastern, central and western mountain ranges, separated by two majestic valleys
In the central western part of the country, on the central and western mountain ranges, is the Coffee Cultural Landscape, inscribed by UNESCO on the world heritage list, between the departments of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda and Valle del Cauca. This region of Colombia is characterized by the wide mosaic of green tones that can be seen on the horizon. It is known as the Coffee Axis, because for more than a century, coffee plantations have boosted local economies, as well as the construction of colorful villages and important cities such as Armenia, Pereira and Manizales.
The history of coffee has proven that the roads and trails of these mountains are a challenge and also a pleasure for walkers. Here, you can find trails in the inter-Andean valleys at heights below 1000 meters above sea level. In a few hours, you have the opportunity to ascend over the Andes, passing through the dry tropical forest, the sub-Andean jungle, the misty forests, the moor and the perpetual snows that still exist on ancient volcanoes, such as Ruiz, Santa Isabel or Tolima, in the highest part of the mountain range, more than 5000 meters above sea level, a height greater than Mont Blanc in Europe.
Different protected areas have trails, where the observation of fauna and flora, in the company of local guides, offers the opportunity to enjoy nature.
Traveling with the Nature Trips Colombia team, you can have a hiking day in the cocora valley, knowing the tallest wax palms on the planet and the cloud forests of the Alto Quindío nature reserve, Acaime; or between the paths of the sub-Andean jungle of a wildlife sanctuary, recognized for five consecutive years as one of the 100 best green destinations on the planet, and a hotspot for bird watching, with endemic bird species of absolute beauty, where, in addition the troops of red howler monkey move through through the forest canopy.
Whether in Pereira or in Filandia, you can walk along trails in the sub Andean jungle, which will lead you to discover beautiful waterfalls.
The Colombian Coffee Cultural Landscape is also a place to walk through little explored territories, such as San Rafael Plans in the municipality of Sanctuary, or in the world bird paradise, Montezuma Hill, next to the imposing Tatama National Natural Park.
This is a destination for those who enjoy walking, whether on short trips, in the company of friends, family and children; or to areas of medium and high mountains that challenge their strength, stimulating their senses with the most breathtaking landscapes of the Andes. Always travel in the company of the guides of Nature Trips Colombia, to make your walk an experience difficult to forget, and in turn, to want to repeat many times.
