15 Beautiful National Parks in Colombia

Written by Nixza Gonzalez
Updated: May 4, 2023
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Colombia has over 50 national parks to visit. National parks are places protected by governments and other parties to preserve the natural environment. This can include the animals and plants that live in the protected area. No two national parks are the same and they have their own rules. In Colombia, not only can you visit natural national parks, but road parks, fauna and flora sanctuaries, unique natural areas, and national natural reserves.

Although there are well over 50 protected areas and national parks in Columbia, we are only going to review 15. Follow along to discover 15 beautiful national parks in Colombia and the animals and plants that reside in each.

1. Playona Acandí Fauna and Flora Sanctuary

The first beautiful national park in Colombia on our list is the Playona Acandí Fauna and Flora Sanctuary. This stunning marine park is best known for being home to the Cana Turtle. This protected area is very important. It acts as a nesting site for hawksbill and leatherback turtles. The surface area of this park is about 64,820 acres. Playona Acandí Fauna and Flora Sanctuary are one of the newest national parks in the country.

Playona Acandí Fauna and Flora Sanctuary are important for leatherback sea turtles.

©iStock.com/AGAMI stock

2. Cueva de los Guácharos National Natural Park

Next on our list is the Cueva de los Guácharos National Natural Park. This park has many names, including the Parque Nacional Cueva de los Guacharos. This name is similar to another national park in Venezuela. The government of Colombia established Cueva de los Guácharos National Natural Park in 1960, making it the oldest park in the country. This park has a surface area of 35 square miles and is in the Colombian Eastern Andean Range. Within this park is a stunning and large cloud forest. You can also find countless animal and plant species like the páramo deer, corn monkey, and marimonda. There are also over 300 recorded bird species in the park.

Trip to the Oilbird Cave in Colombia

Cueva de los Guácharos National Natural Park is home to over 300 bird species.

©Gergo Nagy/Shutterstock.com

3. El Cocuy National Park (Guican)

Many of the national parks on this list have many names. People sometimes refer to El Cocuy National Park as Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Chita, Guican National Natural Park, Sierra Nevada de Chita, or Sierra Nevada de Güicán. This stunning park lies within the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. Its surface area is about 1,182 square miles. Many people visit this park to view the impressive ice-covered peaks. There are also crystal-clear glacial lakes and countless waterfalls. The environment is also unique. Most of the park is part of the páramo ecosystems. A common plant that lives within the park is the yellow-flowered Frailejón. You can also find many large animals like brown bears and Andean bears.

Laguna Pintada and Campanilla Negro in El Cocuy National Park, Colombia

El Cocuy National Park is home to many beautiful glacial lakes.

©Cam Jones/Shutterstock.com

4. Las Hermosas National Natural Park

Another wonderful national park on our list is Las Hermosas National Natural Park located in Tolima, Colombia, and established in 1977. Its surface area is 480 square miles. This park is stunning and has about 387 glacial lakes. A popular destination within the park is Laguna Las Mellizas. This beautiful park is home to many animals including the spectacled bear, mountain tapir, and northern tiger cat. Many plants also thrive in the area, like the Andean walnut tree and the Quindío wax palm.

Las Hermosas Natural National Park.  which are located in the Central Andes of the departments of Quindío, Tolima and Valle del Cauca, Colombia.

Las Hermosas National Natural Park has a surface area of 480 square miles.

©Cristian Gonzalez Acosta/Shutterstock.com

5. Tayrona National Natural Park

Another unforgettable and gorgeous national park in Colombia is the Tayrona National Natural Park. This park is on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It’s also one of the most visited national parks in the country for its beauty and spectacular beaches. The park also includes about 12 square miles of the Caribbean Sea. This stunning park not only has great plants and animals, but archeological finds. Evidence suggests the existence of ancient settlements in the park’s region. While visiting, you can hike, swim, and visit the Archaeologic Museum of Chairama. The endangered cotton-top tamarin can also be found within Tayrona National Natural Park.

Ocean view in Tayrona National Natural Park, Santa Marta.

Tayrona National Natural Park is on the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

©oscar garces/Shutterstock.com

6. Salamanca Island Road Park

Salamanca Island Road Park is another Columbian national park on the Caribbean Sea. The closest city to Salamanca Island Road Park is Ciénaga. The climate in the park is dry. It was established as a national park in 1964. Salamanca Island Road Park is covered in mangrove forests, tropical dry forests, and riparian forests. While it’s not the most visited park in the country, it has a lot of charm.

7. Chingaza National Natural Park

Chingaza National Natural Park is a very popular national park in Colombia and was established in 1977. It’s a treasure filled with many animals. You can find this stunning national park on the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The surface area of the park is 189,000 acres. Most of the park is found in the Orinoco River basin. There are about 40 natural glacial lakes. Some animals you can see in the park include the spectacled bear, turkeys, jaguars, ocelots, and toucans. The plants in the park are vibrant and there are over 2,000 species of flora. One of the most common plants in Chingaza National Natural Park is the Senecio formosoides.

Beautiful scene of chingaza river at sunset with a male deer inside colombian chingaza national natural park

Chingaza National Natural Park has over 2,000 flora species.

©Alejo Bernal/Shutterstock.com

8. Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park

Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park is one of the best national parks to visit in Colombia. Residents suggest visiting during the dry season from December to March. It’s on the Caribbean coast and has a rich history and biodiversity. The park was established in 1977. The majority of the park is within the ocean and protects many vibrant coral reefs. Sea diving and snorkeling are common activities at the Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park.

Happy, friendly people live on the archipelagos islands of Rosario & San Bernardo in tropical Natural National Park off the coast of the historical, tourist city of Cartagena, Colombia South America

Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park is a beautiful national park on the Caribbean coast in Colombia.

©Stephen Peterson/Shutterstock.com

9. La Corota Island Flora Sanctuary

La Corota Island Flora Sanctuary is the smallest national park in the country, but don’t let this fool you, it’s stunning! The surface area of the protected area is 37.7 acres. Despite being so small, there is a lot to do including two scenic hiking trails, El Quiche trail, and La Totora trail. Bird watching is another popular activity. Some bird species you can find in the park include the pied-billed grebe, black-crowned night heron, sparkling violetear, and golden-fronted white start.

Pied-billed Grebe in spring

La Corota Island Flora Sanctuary is home to many beautiful birds, including the pied-billed grebe.

©Mircea Costina/Shutterstock.com

10. Los Katíos National Park

Los Katíos National Park was established on August 6, 1974. This stunning park is located in Antioquia and Choco, Colombia. This park was also declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. It’s near Darién National Park in Panama. The surface area of this park is 280 square miles. Los Katíos National Park has low hills, forests, and wet plains. It also includes the Tendal Waterfall, Tilupo Waterfall, and the Tumaradó swamps. This stunning region also has over 400 recorded bird species.

11. Puracé National Natural Park

Next on our list of the most beautiful national parks in Colombia is Puracé National Natural Park. It’s located in the Andean Region of Colombia and has a surface area of 320 square miles. The most active volcano in the country is within the park. Puracé is an active volcano about 15,030 feet above mean sea level. This beautiful natural park has a daytime high temperature ranging from 57 to 61 °F. When the sun sets, the temperature drops significantly. The average annual rainfall is about 98 inches. Many animals live in the national park. There are at least 160 bird species and four primates in the forests. The primates are woolly monkeys, howler monkeys, gray-bellied night monkeys, and tufted capuchins.

Parque Nacional Natural Puracé in Cauca, Colombia

Puracé National Natural Park is named after Puracé, the only active volcano in the park.

©Guillermo Ossa/Shutterstock.com

12. Los Nevados National Natural Park

Los Nevados National Natural Park is beautiful and looks like something captured in a postcard. It’s located in the Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes. The surface area of the park is 225 square miles. Los Nevados National Natural Park sees many visitors. However, it’s currently closed because of Nevado del Ruiz Volcano’s increased activity. There is a chance the volcano may erupt. Within the park are snowcapped mountains. There are three glaciers, but before the 1970s, there were 6. Experts believe two of the glaciers may completely disappear by 2030 or 2040.

Los Nevados National Natural Park, Colombia

Los Nevados National Natural Park is mountainous and has an active volcano.

©Antoine Barthelemy/Shutterstock.com

13. Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park

Another popular natural park in Colombia is the Old Providence McBean Lagoon National Natural Park. It has many coral reefs and is located on the northeast side of Providencia Island. The surface area of the park is 384 square miles. Although most of the park is underwater, there are different ecosystems like mangrove forests, coral formations, beds of marine grasses, and a tropical dry forest. This park was established in 1995 to prevent time-sharing, which was destroying precious mangroves. The main mangroves in the national park are black mangroves and white mangroves. It’s popular for its ecotourism.

14. Puinawai Natural Reserve

The second-largest national park in Colombia is the Puinawai Natural Reserve. Its surface area is about 4,218 square miles and is located in the Amazon Region of Colombia. Many important rivers cross this beautiful park including the Cuyari, Isana, and Guainía Rivers. Although the national park wasn’t established until 1989, its always been an important region. This hot and humid park is a humid tropical rainforest. This park is virtually in its natural state and hasn’t suffered from deforestation.

15. Tatamá National Natural Park

Last but not least is the Tatamá National Natural Park. This national park is a popular tourist destination for good reasons. Tatamá National Natural Park is in the Cordillera Occidental, Colombia. The nearest city is Pueblo Rico. Tatamá National Natural Park’s surface area is about 200 square miles. While it’s not the largest national park in the country, it’s home to over 560 species of orchids alone. There are also 16 bird species specifically endemic to Colombia including the Colombian chachalaca, turquoise cacnis, munchique wood-wren, and dusky starfrontlet. Many of these birds are vibrant. For instance, the dusky starfrontlet has blue-green glimmering feathers with yellow markings. More commonly, you can find silver-beaked tanagers.

Bloody-red colored songbird, Silver-beaked Tanager, Ramphocelus carbo, two south american tanagers, pair perched on curved stalk of reed. Montezuma area, Tatama national park, Colombia.

Dusky starfrontlets are beautiful birds found in the Tatamá National Natural Park.

©Martin Mecnarowski/Shutterstock.com

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/mirza kadic


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About the Author

Nixza Gonzalez is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering topics like travel, geography, plants, and marine animals. She has over six years of experience as a content writer and holds an Associate of Arts Degree. A resident of Florida, Nixza loves spending time outdoors exploring state parks and tending to her container garden.

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