TOURISM: Medellín

Medellín is a city located in Antioquia, one of the 32 departments of Colombia. It’s the more important city after Bogotá, capital of the country. Medellín is a very diverse city and there are many places that people can visit and many things to do. Among the tourist attractions are The Explora Park, near to Universidad de Antioquia; the Plaza Botero; the Pueblito paisa, the Museum of Antioquia, the Botanical Garden and the metro.

The Explora Park is an interactive center to spread the science and technology. It’s, besides a park, an aquarium and a planetary. The park possesses 22 thousand square meters of internal area and 15 thousand of public squares. It possesses an audience for projections in 3D, one study of television, an Infantile Room, spaces of experimentation for all and a room of temporary exhibitions. Also, it’s compromised with the conservation of the biological diversity, for this reason, it recreates two ecosystems in risk: the humid tropical forest and the reefs of coral.

In front of Explora Park is located the Botanical Garden. It disseminates and applies scientific knowledge on the floristic diversity of Antioquia and the country in relation to the tropics, contributing to its valuation, conservation, restoration and management. It’s a very nice and quiet place to be alone, with friends or family.

Fernando Botero is probably the most important plastic artist. In his honor, a square was constructed in the center of the city approximately ten years ago. The square consists of 23 sculptures donated by the artist, two fountains and many trees. This square is part of the Museo de Antioquia. This museum was cataloged as a National Monument. It has a collection of over 5,000 pieces ranging from archaeological material to contemporary art through the ages in the history of Colombia.

The Pueblito paisa is not truly a town, is rather a small replica of a typical paisa village in the early twentieth century. It was constructed in the top of Cerro Nutibara, in 1977, and it’s an allegory to the municipalities of the region paisa. There is a church, a school, an mayoralty, a barbershop, a crafts house, etc. Many things, like the school desks, the barber chairs, and the tables and cooking implements are of the nineteenth century. The Pueblito paisa is one of the most representative symbols of Medellín and, generally, of the paisas.

Finally, the metro. It is the most important transport medium of Medellín. It crosses the Metropolitan Area of ​​Medellín from south to north, north-northeast of the city center to the west, and from west to northwest. As one of the first experiences of modern mass transportation in Colombia, the Medellín Metro is for the more elaborate town planning department of Antioquia.

Well, we hope you will be excited to know these nice and interesting places of one of the most important cities of Colombia.

TOURISM: Santander

The National Natural Park Serranía de Los Yariguíes is located on the West side of the Cordillera Oriental, in the colombian department of Santander. The Serranía de los Yariguíes shows a landscape with various contrasts: rainforests, dry forests, environments ranging from subtropical to moor, etc.

For that reason, this is a protected area, of special interest for the biodiversity conservation. It’s especially important the large amount and diversity of birds: about the 54% of the birds that are known in Colombia, they are in this park. There are, actually, activities that alter the habitat and threat the biodiversity, such as the hunting, ranching, and agriculture.

Also, we can visit the Santuario de fauna y flora Guanenta Alto Río Fonce, another beautiful National Natural Park. It’s located between two departments of Colombia: Boyacá and Santander. Ecosystems that exist in this park are: Andean forest and moor. It has approximately 28 species of frailejones, plants native to the moors of the South American Andes; of which 13 are endemic. It has a considerable number of bird species, too.

The Santuario de fauna y flora Guanenta serves as a natural refuge for vulnerable or endangered species, such as partridge, deer, the spectacled bear, some primates, tapirs and ocelots.

The Parque Nacional del Chicamocha is one of the most visited tourist places in Santander. It’s 54 km. from Bucaramanga, the principal city of the department. It has different places and attractions to foster the values, landscapes and culture from this region of Colombia (Santander).

Its principal attraction is the Chicamocha’s Cableway that crosses the Chicamocha Canyon. Other attractions are the ice rink, the park of ostriches, the monument to the “Santandereanidad”, paragliding, canoeing, etc.

We hope you are encouraged to visit these interesting and diverse National Parks of Santander.

Tourism , parks and recreate things!

The richness and diversity of Colombia is an attraction for those who enjoy the rural tourism, the possibility to know the culture of the people and their traditions, as well as understand their natural environment.

Rural areas of the country captivate travelers the tranquility and harmony of the landscape as well as the culture that is reflected through musical expressions, food, daily work and traditional celebrations that bring individuals.

Another attractive activity in the Andean Region is the Birdwatching in the central surpassing the 800 species of birds, the Andes of Colombia are part of the Biodiversity Hotspot richest and most diverse on the planet. In the Cordillera Central birding options are divided mainly between the north area (near Medellín) and the center (The Coffee).

Some 120 species are of special interest be endemic as the anthill Parker's Antbird (Cercomacra parkeri), recently described as cotinga Chestnut-capped Piha (Lipaugus weberi), or endangered in some degree like Antpitta Brown-banded Antpitta (Grallaria milleri).

The Andean region in Colombia has old colonial buildings, palaces, convents and churches to gather the faithful during religious celebrations. Cities such as Bogotá, Tunja and Villa de Leyva Zipaquirá are some destinations for tourists for tours of temples and churches and attend concerts of sacred music, lectures and presentations on religious art, pontifical masses and processions, as well as retreats.

A magic place to visit is Santa Fe de Antioquia, as his nickname suggests, is the mother city, the cradle of all the warmth, kindness and joy paisa. Colonial homes, beautiful churches and cobblestone streets are the scene of the origin of a whole race. This town is the genesis of Antioquia, its architectural beauty can only be compared with that of its people and its history.

TOURISM!

Parks and places of the Andean Region.

Tipycal Dance!

The typical dances of the Andean Region are one of the most beautiful in Colombia:

Culture!

By the variety of clime and space in the Andean regiosn exist lot fo different cultures:

The Aburrá Valley is home to the city of Medellin, the main urban center paisa.

Paisa: extending in the mountainous part of the departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Risaralda and Quindio and the north of the department of Valle del Cauca and Tolima northwest, forming the so-called Paisa Region and subregion, the Coffee. His accent is characterized by voseo in Antioquia and the "you" in the coffee.

Santander: is another "mountain race" that extends through the mountains of Santander and Norte de Santander. The direct talk and the almost exclusive use of "you" characterized his language.

Opita: occurs in the Upper Magdalena Valley, in the departments of Huila and Tolima.

Valluno: in the Cauca River Valley, corresponding to the central part of the department of Valle del Cauca. The talk also highlighted the voseo.

Serrano is primarily spread through the mountains of Nariño and Putumayo. His way of speaking Spanish Quechua substrate reveals their ancestors, preserving the distinction between the "y" and "ll", and containing words like "Pacha", "Wayra", "bus" and "achichay '.

Cundiboyacense: extends primarily by the homonymous plateau, except for the city of Bogota, which has some cultural traits and different. One form of treatment is used formally "sumercé '.

These are not the only cultural groups, there being a cultural continuum that connects, for example, the group opita with Santander, separating groups of cundiboyacences paisas, are also indigenous groups like the guambianos and Nasa (Páez), not are included in the above classification.

Gastronomy!

The Andean region has a diverse cuisine, depending on geographic location presents different dishes like santafereño ajiaco (Bogotá), bandeja paisa (Antioquia) or  the mute and lechona from Santander (Tolima and Huila).

In the cundiboyasense kitchen predominate the fried food preparations and broths, with potato broth among the most consumed by locals. On the other hand, are common dishes cooked like pork and river fish. There are drinks like the denominated Masato, a drink made from cassava, rice, corn, pineapple, and the chicha, a drink that includes alcoholic beverages based on cereals and corn.

The Andean cuisine has its desserts and among them are the sandwich veleño the curuba foams, custard of milk, curd with molasses, sweets and papayuela gooseberries, the “flirty” cake or custard and the Muisca almojábana .

Economy!

The Andean region is comprised of the departments of Antioquia, Boyaca, Caldas, Cundinamarca, Huila, Norte de Santander, Quindio, Risaralda, Santander and Tolima.

The Andean region has most of the country's water resources and the most productive land for agriculture. Its subsoil have exploited oil, emeralds, salt and other mineral resources. In the Andean region is more than 80% of the country's coffee crop, mainly distributed in the coffee (Caldas, Risaralda, Quindio, Antioquia, Tolima, Cundinamarca and Norte de Santander).