LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: National Parks & Protected Areas
Colombia has 34 national parks spread across the country, some easily accessible and others so remote that their number of yearly visitors can be counted on two hands.
One of the most frequently visited parks, Parque Nacional Tayrona, is popular among aspiring beach bums who have a wide selection of hammocks in which to swing. Also well-known on the Caribbean coast is the Parque Nacional Corales del Rosario, just off the coast of Cartagena. Most visitors base themselves at Playa Blanca and take boat trips out to the cays and islets.
Travelers seeking fresh alpine air and glacier-wrapped peaks would do well to head for Parque Nacional El Cocuy. Considered off-limits for a security reasons a few years ago, the park is now safe for trekkers. Closer to Bogota, the Parque Nacional Santuario de Iguaque is lower in elevation, but still offers some fine hikes to a group of alpine lakes. Laguna de Guatavita can be reached from the capital in a day trip and offers both beauty and spiritual significance.
Budding vulcanologists will want to visit the Parque Nacional Los Nevados, located southeast of Manizales. It contains several volcanic cones, some of them active. If the jungle is more your thing, it's hard to beat the Parque Nacional Amacayacu in Colombia's Amazon basin.
Lonely Planet recommends World Nomads Travel insurance
