A thousand and one ecosystems
Colombia has an overflowing tropical vegetation, thanks to a unique geographical position in the north of South America, at the junction of Central America. Bordered by two oceans, it is connected to the Isthmus of Panama by a thick jungle. It is in this so-called Darién buffer that animal and plant species have been migrating back and forth for three million years. In addition, Colombia's rugged terrain is crossed by three large mountain ranges. This topography gives the country privileged conditions to host a mosaic of natural environments that shelter a diverse fauna. Colombia is the3rd country in the world with the most animals of all groups and the4th in terms of mammals and reptiles. Jaguars, pumas, ocelots, peccaries, armadillos, sloths and all kinds of monkeys abound in the forests and savannas. The spectacled bear and the pinchaque tapir haunt the humid solitudes of the highlands of the Páramo. The Pacific jungle is home to the world's most poisonous frog, the rana dorada venenosa, whose single microgram of venom can kill up to 10 people in seconds! The marshes and the banks of the great rivers are frequented by a multitude of aquatic birds, but also by crocodiles and anacondas. For exceptional images of the country's biodiversity, the documentary Colombia Magia Salvaje (2015) is a gem to watch. It can be found on YouTube, or on DVD in the stores of the company Éxito, which co-produced the film.
The kingdom of Orchids and Bromelaceae
Colombia is the country with the most orchids in the world. There are 4,270 species, of which more than a third are endemic. They come in all sizes and colors, each one more beautiful than the other. They are mostly found in the Andean forests. The Cattleya trianae, nicknamed "Flower of May", is the national flower of Colombia. Its name honors the great Colombian botanist José Jerónimo Triana (1828-1890). Among the different species of the genus Cattleya, the trianae is the one with the most colors, with 70 different tones! Medellín, the "city of eternal spring", which hosts the headquarters of the Colombian Society for the Study of Orchids, is often referred to as the "South American capital of orchids".
Bromeliads are another very common plant family in Colombia. Like orchids and ferns (1,633 species), they are found mainly in the enchanting "cloud forests"(bosques de niebla), present between 1,600 m and 3,000 m, where each tree is a true botanical garden in itself. Most of the species are epiphytes, that is to say that they grow on other plants that serve as support. Their aerial roots or pointed leaves allow them to absorb rainwater and humidity from the atmosphere. Some species grow on the ground, such as thePineapple comosus, whose fruits we enjoy.
Giant palm trees
When it comes to palm trees in Colombia, there is a lot to choose from, as it is the country with the most species in the world (258). They will certainly appear on your photos of the Caribbean coast, and they will not fail to illustrate your memories of the coffee region either. It is indeed in theEje Cafetero that we find the famous Wax Palm(Palma de cera), the national tree of Colombia. The Quindío Wax Palm is the tallest palm tree in the world and can reach heights of over 60 meters. As its name indicates, it grows naturally in the department of Quindío, between 2,500 and 3,000 meters above sea level. If the beautiful Cocora Valley, near Salento, is famous for its wax palms, it is far from being the only place to admire them. Much less touristy, the finca La Carbonera, in Tochecito, between Salento and Ibagué, offers the largest concentration of wax palms in the world. It is said that there are about 600,000 specimens! You can get there from Salento by Jeep, or by bicycle for the bravest. Many wax palms have been planted in the parks and gardens of the country, especially in Bogotá, in the Botanical Garden or in the Parque de la 93. Threatened with extinction, this now protected tree can live up to 300 years. Some of them date back to well before the arrival in Colombia of a certain Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), who was the first to study them, in 1801.
At sea and in the rivers
With its 2,900 km of coastline, Colombia is a delight for divers, fishermen and surfers. A trip to the Caribbean coast is an opportunity to observe a multitude of colorful fish, but it is especially by reaching the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, and its well named "sea of seven colors", that divers will take a lot of pleasure. In the Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, the volcanic island of Providencia is a hidden treasure for scuba diving and snorkeling enthusiasts. Located on the world's third largest barrier reef, its crystal clear waters make it easy to spot a myriad of colorful fish, manta rays, giant turtles and even reef sharks. Speaking of sharks, the island of Malpelo, in the Pacific this time, is nicknamed the world capital of shark diving. The setting is much more hostile around this craggy rock, 500 km off the coast, where you can only go on diving cruises. Groups of hundreds of hammerhead sharks roam around, but also silk sharks, whale sharks (the biggest fish in the world), in addition to eagle rays, flying fish and schools of tuna. But the king here is the ferocious shark. Malpelo is one of the few places in the world where you can hope to get close to this shark with its menacing teeth, which can reach five meters long. It lives in the deep sea and only comes up at certain times of the year, when the surface waters are cold. Another Pacific island also attracts divers: Gorgona. Located off the coast of Guapi, this very wild island, known for having been used as a penitentiary ("the Colombian Alcatraz") and for sheltering 4 species of deadly snakes, is also an excellent diving spot. Dolphins, sea turtles, sperm whales and humpback whales can be seen there, which come to mate in the area between June and October. But you don't have to leave the coast to see the whales. These giants of the sea (30 tons and 14 m long on average) approach the continent at the same period, and especially between July and September. You can admire their spectacular jumps from the beach, not far from Buenaventura, in Ladrilleros, Juanchaco and La Barra, but also in Chocó. The Ensenada de Utría National Natural Park, between El Valle and Nuquí, is one of the whales' favorite places to give birth, as is Cupica Bay, north of Bahía Solano. After the largest marine mammal, go to the rivers of the Amazon or Orinoco basins to observe the largest freshwater dolphin. The pink dolphin, or tonina, is an animal as fascinating as it is mysterious, the origin of many legends. It can be seen in the lake of Tarapoto near Puerto Nariño, or in the fishy waters of Puerto Carreño (Vichada), at the confluence of the Meta and Orenoque rivers.
Bird and butterfly paradise
Colombia is the country with the greatest variety of birds in the world. Its 1,963 species recorded in 2021 (20% of the species recorded on earth) represent more than the species of North America and Europe combined! Macaws and other colorful parrots, toucans with oversized beaks and tiny hummingbirds are numerous. Colombia is focusing more and more on bird tourism, birdwatching , which attracts passionate travelers, ready to do anything to photograph the rare bird. And Colombia has a lot of them, with not less than 80 endemic species! The observation sites are numerous: Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Amazonia, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Eje Cafetero, among others. Geographical conditions, food, habitat and time of year influence the location of the birds. A Guide to the Birds of Colombia and its Spanish version Guía ilustrada de la Avifauna Colombiana are considered the reference for birdwatchers. The website www.birdsofcolombia.com is also an excellent source of information for enthusiasts.
Colombia is also home to the most butterfly species in the world: 3,642 species of butterflies and 2,085 subspecies were recorded by the Natural History Museum in London in 2021, which is 20% of all lepidopteran species currently known on the planet. The most famous of them is undoubtedly the morpho, a very large butterfly (12 to 20 cm wingspan) that is frequently seen in forests along waterways. With its wings of a magnificent metallic blue, it is easy to recognize!
Animals in the wallet!
Watch your coins: since 2012, the Colombian peso has featured some of Colombia's iconic species! The spectacled bear, which hides in the Andean rainforests, appears on the $50 coin. The frailejón, the endemic plant of the páramo, appears on the $100 coin, while the Ara macao, a beautiful parrot with the red, yellow and blue colors of the Colombian flag, is worth double: $200. The "glass frog", with a translucent chest through which the lungs, intestines and even the heartbeat of the amphibian can be seen, is entitled to the $500 coin. Finally, the $1,000 coin pays tribute to the Caretta caretta, one of the five species of sea turtles (out of seven in the world) that frequent the Colombian coast.
