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Volcanoes Region (Manizales, Department of Caldas, Colombia)
Average Temperature: 17ºC (62ºF) Rainy Season: April-May, October-November Weather Details: Manizales is at high altitude, and the surrounding mountains and volcanoes can take you even higher, where it can get quite cold. In addition, evenings and mornings are generally chilly, so we recommend a scarf and a sweater. Altitude: 2,150 metres (7,054 ft)
The Volcanoes Region of Colombia is an ideal destination for any adventure-seeker or nature-lover. With several nevados, or snow-capped mountains, there are plenty of adventures to be enjoyed in the Colombian paramo. If chilly temperatures aren't up your alley, you can stay at the lower altitudes and walk through a beautiful canyon with crystal clear streams or spend your day at a finca watching in awe as 36 species of hummingbirds flutter around the porch.
Where there are volcanoes, there are also hot springs, where water comes into contact with magma and is naturally heated. Often reputed for their therapeutic ability, the water in the hot springs is full of natural minerals. There are several places in the Volcanic Regions where you can relax in these soothing thermal waters.
If you are interested in rock climbing, you should try scaling the rocks of this region, which were left jagged but perfect for climbing by a volcanic eruption in 1985. At the same site as rock climbing, you can explore a majestic forest of siete cueros trees, some of which are up to 400-years-old!
The offer in this region is diverse, but the most famous highlight is definitely the nevados. One of the most famous nevados is El Nevado del Ruiz, an Andean volcano that lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where the Earth’s crust is particularly unstable, resulting in a significant amount of volcanic activity in the region. It is estimated that El Nevado del Ruiz has been active for 2 million years, but it’s last eruption was in 1985. The evidence of such a recent eruption is obvious throughout the area: there is no flora or fauna at the top; and the lava that violently ran down the mountain 23 years ago left behind bizarre rock formations and tons of volcanic ash. Consequently, the constantly changing horizon looks like something from the moon and the surface feels more like walking in flour than walking on solid ground.
Currently, we offer several tours that include El Nevado del Ruiz, including an in-depth 3 day trek through one of Colombia's most treasured national parks. The trek takes you from dead land to a distinctly yellow and green eco-system called Paramo. Paramo only exists between the upper forest line (3800m) and the permanent snow line (5000m) near the equator, meaning it only exists in Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Costa Rica, with 70% of it lying within Colombian territory.
Paramo is full of 5000 species of flora that are not found elsewhere, such as the beautiful, bizarre-looking frailejon, many small, bright red and purple flowers, and the paramo sunflower, which has a distinctly extraterrestrial look.
If you are looking for a new experience in a place unlike anywhere else, the Volcanoes Region is the right place for you.
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