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| Other sites of interest |
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 Corrals
Malpelo is the site of the most important coral formations of Colombia’s Pacific region. As a result, it is a breeding ground for a large number of ocean species, some of which are endemic, like the starfish, the angelfish, the moray eel, the hammerhead shark and the whale. Divers are especially impressed by the sea landscapes, which are extraordinary thanks to their volcanic formation.
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As a result of its tropical location, Colombia is blessed with a variety of climates and temperatures. Thanks to these factors, the country has an abundance of plant and animal life. Considering this fact and faced with the need to safeguard its ecosystems, the Ministry of the Environment created the Special Administrative Unit for the System of National Natural Parks. Its main purpose is to protect and care for the environment, including the National Natural Parks, the Preserves and the Flora and Fauna Sanctuaries.
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Access |
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Tourists wishing to visit the National Natural Parks should contact the Unit in Bogotá to obtain a permit to enter and move around the park and other instructions for the trip. A permit issued by the Ministry of the Environment is needed to enter any of the national parks. The office where the permit must be requested is located at No. 20-30, Carrera 10, 4th floor and the telephone numbers of the Special Unit for National Natural Parks of the Colombian Ministry of the Environment are 3410676 / 2433095 and 34152331 in Bogotá.
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Tourist attractions |
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 Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu
The Park is located on the Amazon, the world’s lungs, at the southernmost tip of the Department of Amacayacu. It covers an area of 293 500 hectares, lies 100 meters above sea level, and is hot and humid, with a temperature of 27°C. The vegetation consists of floodable forests and hard ground forests, swampland and marshes.
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 Camino de la Selva (Jungle path)
This is an interpretative path to be followed by visitors always in the wake of an ecotourist guide. In the forest, there are more than 150 species of mammals, such as the tapir, the jaguar, the otter, the manatee or river mermaid, the long-tailed monkey, the smallest of its kind in the world, and the pink dolphin. From the observation platforms in the park, some of the 500 species of birds it shelters can be spied.
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 Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary
The small island of Malpelo is located 330 km off the Pacific coast of Colombia to the west of Buenaventura, in the Department of Valle del Cauca. It has an approximate land area of 35 hectares and a sea area of 38 756.3 hectares. Sea birds like the piquero, the tijereta de mar and the pico rojo nest on the hilltops, which serve them as a way station. The land species, for their part, include an endemic crab and three saurians.
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