- Address: Choco and Antioquia, Colombia
- Year of foundation: 1974
- Area: 720 square meters. km
The National Park Los Katios shares the two countries, passing along the border with the Panamanian reserve Darien . Most of the park is covered with dense forests, there are also small hills and plains, floodplain marshes and rainforests. Every year thousands of tourists come here for the sake of pristine landscapes and the opportunity to see local inhabitants.
Description of the park
The National Park Los Katios shares the two countries, passing along the border with the Panamanian reserve Darien . Most of the park is covered with dense forests, there are also small hills and plains, floodplain marshes and rainforests. Every year thousands of tourists come here for the sake of pristine landscapes and the opportunity to see local inhabitants.
Description of the park
Los Katios occupies about 720 square meters. km. The nature of the park is really pristine, because the land of this reserve has never been cultivated. The Serranha del Darien mountain range has a height of 1875 m and a length of 35 km. Almost half of the park (47%) is occupied by floodplains of the fast river Atrato and hills 250-600 m high. In 2009, Los Katias was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Flora and fauna of the park
In the national park , unique birds and plants have been preserved. Despite the fact that Los Katios occupies only 1% of the entire country, 25% of all bird species live in Colombia . The territory of the park was formed for many millions of years, as a result of which various ecosystems developed here, containing a diverse flora and fauna:
- Plants. More than 600 species of plants were found in wet forest areas. The most notable plant of the park is a cotton tree. In this region, its fruit-boxes reach 15 cm in length. Harvesting is done manually, this process is labor intensive and complex. Among the Maya people this tree was sacred and is often found in the mythology of their culture .
- Birds. There are more than 450 species of birds in the park. The most interesting and bright representatives of this family: parrots, hummingbirds, tourmaline nymph and rock cockerel.
- Animals. There are many wild animals here. Park Los-Katios is represented by such species of fauna: sloth, tapir, monkey-howler, large anteater, capybara, porcupines and shrubby dog. The last animal for a long period was considered extinct. To date, the population of dogs is small, and they are listed in the Red Book as an endangered species. In the national park of Los Katios they can be found near water reservoirs.
- Butterflies. They are incredibly beautiful, bright and big, there are more than 80 species in the park.
Traveling in Los Cattios
In the park there are several places for rest . Tourists can make short, independent walks. On longer distances one is not recommended to travel: the nature here is wild, and you should not forget this. Accompany the tourists in the trekking through the jungle and rafting on boats with great joy agree guides. There are many hills on the territory, so be prepared for active physical activities in the hike. Most tourists are impressed by the bridge, located in front of the waterfall . Fall from it is difficult, and feel the rapture - easily.
Visit to the park
The best time to travel to the National Park of Los Katios is from December to March. This period is the driest in this part of Colombia. The admission fee is not charged.
How to get there?
To visit the park of Los Katias, the journey should start from the capital of Kolumia, Bogota. From there there are 2 ways to get by planes:
- direct flights Bogota - Apartado, 3 times a week. Travel time - 1,5 hours;
- flights with transfers Bogota - Apartado, journey time about 3.5 hours. Then from Apartado to the nearest to the park of Chigirodo or Medellin . From there, public transport can take you to the Los Katios Park.