Southwest Colombia
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Southwest Colombia - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Parque Arqueológico Alto de los Idolos
The Alto de los Idolos park, a few miles southwest of the town of Isnos, could be viewed as an extension of the San Agustín park, with a single ticket valid for both sites. The tombs and sculptures here—they're also courtesy of the unknown people the Spaniards called "the San Agustín culture"—are fewer in number but better preserved than in the larger park. The 23 anthropomorphic and zoomorphic monoliths are carved from volcanic stones set in a U-shaped grassy expanse, the largest standing nearly 15 feet tall. There are also a number of raised tombs and sarcophagi to examine. Although there is information in English as well as Spanish, the experience is infinitely richer with a guide. Make the outing a day trip to allow time to soak up the atmosphere and the stunning views from the park, and allow time to head to the smaller Alto de las Piedras park, north of Isnos. Here there are a few burial sites and statues, some preserving traces of the original coloring work.
San Agustín, Huila, 418068, Colombia1-444–0544-in BogotáSight Details
Rate Includes: 20,000 pesos, Daily 8–4:30 -
2. Parque Arqueológico de San Agustín
The parks surrounding San Agustín make up the largest pre-Columbian site outside Central America and Peru and are part of a vast complex of tombs left by little-known cultures whose actual names are lost to history. One of these thrived in this region from AD 300–800 and was given the name "the San Agustín culture" by the Spanish settlers who stumbled upon their relics. (Carbon-14 dating places some of the works here as early as 3300 BC.) Altars and idols carved from volcanic rock make up the structures scattered throughout this ancient funerary complex. Some of the pieces have been donated from private collections. As with all the parks in the region, a guide is necessary to get a full understanding of what you're seeing. The folks at the Secretaria de Turismo or the Hacienda Anacaona can hook you up with one.
San Agustín, Huila, 418068, Colombia8-837–9844Sight Details
Rate Includes: 20,000 pesos, Daily 8–4:30 -
3. Parque Arqueológico de Tierradentro
Loosely translated, tierradentro means "within the ground." Within the ground here you'll find the New World's largest concentration of hypogea, or underground burial chambers, constructed much like Rome's catacombs. The name of the pre-Columbian people who constructed the tombs has been lost. Most are thought to date from the 6th through 10th centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, many of the tombs—78 have been excavated so far—are up to 40 feet wide with walls painted with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures. Tierradentro, some five hours north of San Agustín, is a bit harder to reach than San Agustín and Alto de las Piedras parks; it's worth spending a night in nearby San Andrés. If traveling from Popayán, this makes an excellent midway stop before continuing on to San Agustín. As with the other parks, a guide is useful to help you understand what you're seeing here.
San Agustín, Huila, 418068, Colombia1-444–0544-in BogotáSight Details
Rate Includes: 20,000 pesos, Daily 8–4:30 -
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