Colombia is the home of Pablo Escobar, Sofia Vergara and Shakira, a drug lord, Hollywood's highest-paid television actress, and an international singer. The range of people that made it to international fame, or infamy in some instances, from Colombia is telling of how interesting the country is. Situated in South America but with some territories located in North America, Colombia has a total land area of 1.1 million square kilometers (272 million acres). Around 48 million people live in this nation famed for its coffee.
Most tourists in Colombia head to Bogota, its sprawling capital, for the architectural gems. Then they head to the port city of Cartagena to enjoy the stunning coastline. Medellin is another favorite city, particularly for those who love flowers, as the place rightfully earned the moniker "City of Eternal Spring." Tourists should also expect a healthy serving of cheese on almost every food they order in Colombia, Colombians love their cheese.
The country's national parks are also among the most popular tourist attractions in the country. This is because the country has the second-highest diversity in the world. Part of the Amazon rainforest lies in this country. It is also among the 17 megadiverse countries, a list of 17 nations that house the majority of the world's species and has a large number of endemic species. The country is home to 2,000 species of birds—the most in any country around the world.
It is no surprise then that Colombia has 60 nationally protected areas—43 of which are national parks. Here are the 10 national parks that are considered largely unexplored by tourists:
Bahia Portete – Kaurrele National Natural Park
This is Colombia's youngest park, having only been established in 2014. But the recently formed national park has a lot to offer because of its biodiversity, which is abundant in the park. It is located in the La Guajira Department.
The park, which is in the northernmost part of Colombia, has two major sections, the maritime one and the terrestrial—one just as exciting as the other. What is unique about this park is its cultural relevance, various indigenous peoples of Colombia helped in the planning of the park's creation. It was important to Colombia to not only protect its natural resources but its people as well.
In terms of fauna, there are not a lot of mammals in the park. The Caribbean Sea in Bahia Portete, though, registered some 217 species of marine animals. Among them are the different species of turtles: green sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, loggerhead and olive ridley sea turtle. Other interesting marine residents are the blue land crab, Caribbean spiny lobster, common snook, cubera snapper, hogfish, itajara, rainbow parrotfish, red cushion sea star, and slender seahorse. As for the corals, there are the blushing start, elkhorn, spiny flower, and staghorn.
There is also a wide variety of birds showing off colorful feathers: American flamingo, anhinga, bi-colored conebill, brown pelican, cocoi heron, crested caracara, magnificent frigatebird, maguari stork, neotropic cormorant, roseate spoonbill, scarlet ibis, white ibis, yellow warbler, among others.
Other animals in the park are the American crocodiles, armadillos, bats, brown-vine snakes, crab-eating foxes, green iguanas, peccaries, South American rattlesnakes, and squirrels.
Cahuinar National Nature Park
Trees that are over 130 feet tall are among the most notable residents of this park in the Putumayo Department. The park is also an indigenous reservation inhabited by the communities of Andoque, Bora, Huitoto, Miraña, and Nonyuna-Muinane.
Other notable residents of the park are the anacondas, caimans, deer, jaguars, ocelots, and piranhas. Typical of a rainforest, the bodies of water in the park also makes it attractive among aquatic birds. Several non-water birds nest in the park.
This is one of the least visited parks in Colombia, even if it was established as early as 1986. There is not much biodiversity in this park, which could be the reason for the low tourist turnout. However, it is also largely undisturbed, which makes it significant among naturalists.
Corales de Profundidad National Park
The name translates to Deep Natural Corals National Park, which speaks volumes about what this park is protecting. The marine life is abundant with deep corals that are popular with invertebrates. This park is perfect for divers, snorkelers and even photographers. There are so many photo opportunities underwater because of the colorful corals and other marine life.
This park, though, is mostly meant to protect the deep coral formations rather than to showcase them to the public. Park management aims to contribute to the supply of the ecosystem for deep coral formations. This is why those who want to swim among the beautiful corals, have to ask permission in advance. Authorities want to make sure that none of the corals will be damaged during the activity.
Cueva de Los Guacharos National Park
This is the country’s first national park, which was established in 1960. It traverses the Caqueta and Huila departments. Cueva means cave, so the centerpiece of this park is the cave systems, which are formed from the karstic zones of the Caqueta and Magdalena Rivers. These caves are inhabited by guacharo birds, which share similarities with the bats, and also live in the caves. They, too, go out at night to look for food.
But the park was also established to protect the two dominant ecosystems in the park: cloud forest or mountain forest and paramo or alpine tundra. Because of its two distinct ecosystems, tourists can expect varied plant and animal species thriving in the park. In the forest area, oak trees are abundant including two native species.
Close to 300 species of birds have been documented in the park. Various species of deer and monkeys are also common park residents as well as the threatened paramo tapir.
Doña Juana-Cascabel Volcanic Complex National Natural Park
Volcanoes take center stage in this park in the Cauca and Nariño Departments. The three volcanoes in the park are named Doña Juana, Las Animas, and Petacas.
Doña Juana is an active volcano that is described as large and with cataclysmic destructive power. Its last eruption in 1906 killed over a hundred people. The volcano is shaped beautifully and is also home to great beauty, as it hosts the Valley of Orchids on its slope. The surrounding forest also supports large biodiversity including 471 species of birds—among the most bountiful in Colombia. The Doña Juana summit also provides a great viewpoint for the entire park that includes 42 lakes including the beautiful Laguna del Silencio.
The Las Animas, on the other hand, is no longer active. The last volcanism has been noted to be prehistoric. Petacas is a lava dome.
El Tuparro National Natural Park
Located in the Vichada Department, this park is characterized by savannahs and riparian forests. The savannahs cover three-fourths of the park while the rest are gallery forests that outline the various bodies of water in the park: Orinoco River, Tomo River and the Tuparro River, from which the park got its name.
The park is also known for its rock formations in rounded hills. So for those who love to hike, they must take on the trails that will lead them to certain viewpoints in various peaks within the park to enjoy the vistas that highlight the rock formations. One of the park's main attractions is the Raudal de Maypures or the Maypures Torrent, which is often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.
In terms of fauna, this park will not disappoint birders as over 320 bird species have been documented in the park. The most commonly spotted birds in the area are curassows, ducks, eagles, guans, and screamers. As for mammalian residents, there are giant and small savannah armadillos, jaguars, peccaries, pumas, tapirs, and white-tailed deer.
La Paya National Natural Park
Lakes and lagoons dominate this park, which makes it a great paddling area. There is nothing like kayaking on a body of water with a gallery of forest on the side along with a smattering of wildlife, and the blue skies with a peppering of clouds overhead. The area is also home to some waterfalls and swamp areas.
The park is one of the most diverse areas in the country already known for its biodiversity. The forest has not been affected by human activities, which is why it's lush cover provides shelter to a large population of animals. But its most popular resident and one of the attractions of the park is the black caiman. The park’s swamp is the reptile’s natural refuge.
Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park
There are so many different layers to this park: there is the lagoon, then the Providencia Island along with other smaller neighboring islands, and a small tropical dry forest. Providencia Island is also known as The Sea of Seven Colors because of the colorful coral reefs that get reflected on the sea waters. The park forms part of the Colombian Caribbean that protects the third largest coral reef in the world. The coral reefs also have exciting formations aside from the vibrant colors.
The other part of the park is the small hill that forms the land part of the island, called Iron Wood Hill. It is isolated by steep slopes. It is also surrounded by a flood plain with a mangrove swamp that is an important habitat among shorebirds. Among the birds that frequent the park are the Audobon’s shearwater, brown bobby, magnificent frigatebird and royal tern.
Tinigua National Park
Established in 1989, this park should have been protected from deforestation. But this wasn't the case, as the government found in 2018. According to reports, three percent of the park's forest was cleared sometime from February to April 2018. Authorities fear that it will only get worse.
This park is the only place that connects the Andes, the Amazon and the Orinoquia. It is also an important natural corridor for jaguars, mountain lions, and woolly monkeys. Other wildlife residents of the park are the collared peccaries, common squirrel monkeys, curassows, long-tailed otters, Orinoco crocodiles, scarlet macaws, spider monkeys, three-toed sloths, and yellow-footed tortoises.
The park has a unique ecosystem because of the presence of Duda and Guayabero Rivers. But this is being threatened by a guerrilla group that is taking over parts of the park and distributing lands to its members. The group’s members are armed and dangerous and are threatening park guards.
The Colombian government is doing everything it can to combat the Tinigua problem and revitalize the forest area that had been affected by illegal logging and other deforestation activities.
Yaigoje Apaporis National Park
The Amazon rainforest, while mostly found in Brazil, also traverses other countries—one of which is Colombia. This park covers part of the Amazon rainforest in Colombian territory. The park is not only significant for its contribution to the world's oxygen, but it is also culturally important. While most parks are supposed to be uninhabited, indigenous peoples of Colombia live here. Generally, parks are not inhabited by people because human activities destroy natural resources. But not in this case, as the indigenous peoples consider the park sacred and they, too, help manage the park.
The park residents helped maintain the wilderness in its pristine condition. They were one of the reasons for the park's establishment in 2009. Development threatened the forest, particularly from mining companies. This was not only a threat to natural resources but also the food source of the indigenous peoples. So the government decided to protect the area.
This part of the Colombian Amazon lies near the Brazilian border. It is also the third-largest park in Colombia. One of the park's attractions is the Yuisi hill, which is also considered the most sacred place in the park. The park is home to giant anteaters, jaguars, pumas, squirrel monkeys and tapirs. The bodies of water are home to giant otters, manatees, and pink dolphins. There are also over 400 species of butterflies in the park.