Put your explorer hat on! Direction Tierradentro Park for a return to the past, to discover the remains of a missing civilization.
Who has never dreamed of following the step of explorers in search of lost tombs? Like an Indiana Jones embarking on the inside of the earth to discover forgotten treasures. Colombia is the ideal destination to live this kid's dream. Good news for history and adventure enthusiasts: visiting Tierradentro Park gives you the opportunity to play this role!
Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this park extends in the middle of the Andes Mountains. You will find five different archaeological sites that gather tombs dating almost two thousand years! Despite the investigations, very few references are known about the people who are at their origin. One thing is for sure: visiting Tierradentro Park will drive you several centuries back!
Tierradentro Park Historic Rapid
Photo credit: Shutterstock / reisegraf.ch
How can we set a history of an unknown civilization? The spot is delicate and for cause: the archaeologists know nothing about the builders of these graves! The only information in their possession is their period of prosperity. It extends between 600 and 900 of our era. A certainty: it turned out before the 13th Century. The modern occupation gradually covered the tombs. They were looted between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In fact, artifacts are very rare. In these places it is possible to admire many tombs, some of which are richly decorated: the paintings and sculptures remained intact. On-site sculptures suggest those found in the region of San Augustine, clearly indicating a cultural influence of this other civilization.
No social center was found in the area. It is possible to imagine that the population has been divided into small groups of farmers, scattered in the mountains of the region. However, the size and decoration of some caves suggests the existence of a social hierarchy and a political structure within this population.
What to do and see in Tierradentro Park
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Matyas Rehak
Visiting Tierradentro Park is a real adventure. You will have to go through the jungle to reach various archaeological sites located a few kilometers from each other.
The Tierradentro Museums
Photo credit: Matyas Rehak via Shutterstock
Before you begin your exploration, it is important to visit the two museums located at the entrance of the park.
- The first focuses on the archaeological aspect of the place. It exposes a small collection of objects found in the tombs during their exploration.
- The second concerns the history and culture of the Nasa people who live in the region.
The archaeological sites of Tierradentro
Photo credit: Matyas Rehak, via Shutterstock
When you start this challenging hike, the Alto de Segovia is the first site of the court. This is the most important site in the park: it has nearly sixty-five tombs. At present, only twenty-five of them are open to the public, but among them are some wonders. You will descend almost nine meters deep through narrow stairs and you will be fascinated with so much beauty. Many paintings have crossed the centuries and can be contemplated today.
From this site, about 15 minutes walk will lead you to the Alto de Duende . You can admire five different tombs in the same style as previous ones, but with significantly less preserved colors.
Then a walk of almost thirty minutes will take you to the site El Tablon . Here, there is no question of tombs but statues. Influence is not without recalling the sites of San Augustine and suggests that a cultural link united both cultures.
L’ Alto de San Andrès is about 20 minutes' walk. You will find seven open tombs and can admire many preserved paintings there.
Finally, l ‘Alto del Aguacate is the last visitable site of the park. It's more than two hours' walk. The latter is less well preserved than previous sites but includes forty-two open tombs. You will then live a moment at the Indiana Jones where you will explore the various caves using your lamp.
How to go to Tierradentro Park
Tierradentro is 113 km from Popayan. The park is accessible by bus via a difficult road. The journey takes almost seven hours but the time spent in the transport is worth it. It will cost you about 30,000 COPs, about 8 euros. If you come from the north, you will have to make a stop by La Plata and take a pick-up to get to the place. The journey takes two hours and costs 13,000 COPs, about 4 euros.
It is common to go to Tierradentro from San Augustin or vice versa. Indeed, it is the two most important archaeological sites in Colombia after the Lost City. The road will make you pass through a sumptuous panorama that you will have all the time to observe. Once again, the journey takes more than eight hours for a hundred kilometers. It will cost you about 35,000 COPs, about 10 euros.
Coming to Tierradentro by plane
The nearest airport is Popayan city. You can take an internal flight from most cities in the country. This will represent a considerable time gain in your journey. You can visit our partner's website Ulysses to find the best offers.
How long to visit Tierradentro?
Once on site, we recommend taking two days to visit Tierradentro Park. The best option is to start by visiting the museums at the entrance of the park before you head to archaeological sites, leaving the museum Alto del Aguacate . The second day will be entirely dedicated to the visit of the Alto del Aguacate day: its access is made after two hours of walking. Moreover, although the places are secure nowadays, it has already happened that tourists get attacked on the way back. The trail is isolated so you should come back before nightfall.
Schedules and rates at Tierradentro Park
The Tierradentro Archaeological Park is open to tourists from 8am to 4pm. Sites are open daily except on the first Tuesday of each month.
To visit Tierradentro Park, you will have to pay the entrance fee of 50,000 COPs, which is about 16 euros. The pass is valid for two days and it will be possible for you to scale your visit without paying an extra fee.
Although it is possible to make the 14 km of trail in a single day, you should spread your visit over two days.
Good to know.
- Have a flashlight! Some tombs are not equipped with electricity.
- We advise you to plan two days of visit.
- The places have recently opened following the ease of conflict. However, we advise you not to return from the_Alto del Aguacate_ after 4:00.
- If you arrive at the end of the day at the park, you can visit both museums in the afternoon and activate your pass the next morning.
- The custodians of the different sites are volunteers of the region, who are truly passionate about the place. Don’t hesitate to ask them questions for an even more lively experience!
- Most of the accommodations are not on the booking sites and you will have to come directly on site to find them. If you are of a predictable nature, you can visit this hotel comparison site to find the availability.
- It is forbidden to take photos with a flash inside the tombs.
You now know all the tips and good plans to visit Tierradentro Park in Colombia. To your flashlights and it’s gone!
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