Serrania de los Yariguies
An isolated Santander range whose separation from the main Andes produced birds found nowhere else on earth.
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The Yariguies range stands west of the main Eastern Cordillera, separated from it by the Chicamocha and Sogamoso valleys, and that isolation has done what isolation does - populations diverged, and the range holds species and subspecies found nowhere else, including the Yariguies brushfinch, described as new to science in 2005 from this range alone. The park covers around seventy-eight thousand hectares from about six hundred metres to over three thousand, running through tropical forest, cloud forest and paramo, which is why the bird list is long. It is named for the Yariguies people, who resisted colonisation and were destroyed. Access is difficult, infrastructure is minimal, and the area was affected by armed conflict for years.
What you actually see
- A range isolated from the Andes - by the Chicamocha and Sogamoso valleys.
- Endemic birds - including one described new to science in 2005.
- Forest from six hundred to three thousand metres - tropical to paramo.
- A park named for a destroyed people - the Yariguies.
When to go
December to March. A full day or several.
Honest expectations
Access is genuinely difficult with few roads and minimal facilities. Permits and local guides are needed. Trails are rough and wet. Check regional conditions before travelling.
Nearby
San Vicente de Chucuri is east; Zapatoca is north-east.
What to pack for Serrania de los Yariguies
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
