As big as a European nation.
News Colombia.
In the heart of the country, where the jungle merges with mystery and the rivers seem to invent their own course, lies a territory so vast that it could be confused with an entire nation. Is called Serranía de Chiribiquete National Natural Parkand although few have set foot in it, its name commands respect throughout the world.
This natural sanctuary, located between Guaviare and Caquetáit is not only the largest protected area in Colombiabut also one of the largest on the planet. Its surface —more than 42,600 square kilometers— exceeds that of Belgium, Switzerland and the Netherlandsand approaches the size of Denmark. In other words: if Chiribiquete were a country, it would have its own place on the map of Europe.
A temple of nature and culture
Chiribiquete is not just about size: it is a universe in itself. There coexist intact Amazon rainforests, stone tepuis that emerge as natural fortresses, and a biological diversity that astonishes scientists. But its wealth does not end with the ecological: the park also keeps a cultural heritage of more than 70,000 rock pictogramssome with more than 20,000 years old.
These paintings, depicting jaguars, dances, and human figures, tell the spiritual story of the indigenous people who inhabited (and still inhabit) the jungle. For this reason, Chiribiquete is known as “the jaguar maloca”a sacred place where nature and man are recognized as part of the same whole.
An untouchable sanctuary
Although the park was declared UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Site in 2018your access remains restricted. There are no roads, tourist trails or accommodation. The only way to look at it is from the airthrough overflights authorized by National Natural Parks of Colombia.
These flights, which take off from San José del Guaviarelast about three hours and allow you to glimpse the tepuis, the canyons and the network of rivers that wind through the jungle. There are also river routes used exclusively by researchers, which can take up to two days of navigation through the Apaporis, Yari or Mesay.
The reason for so much caution is clear: Chiribiquete protects indigenous communities in voluntary isolation and ecosystems that still remain virgin. Any unregulated contact would put your balance at risk.
A reminder of what is essential
In times when the planet is looking for a way to breathe, Chiribiquete stands as the green lung that still resists. It does not need visitors to shine: its very existence is a message of humility in the face of Colombia’s natural greatness.
There, where the jaguar is still king and silence is confused with the song of the jungle, Chiribiquete reminds us that True wealth is not always in what is visible, but in what we manage to preserve.
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