Colombia’s impressive biodiversity is more than a good reason to want to discover a country which ranks first in the number of species of birds and orchids, second in species of plants, amphibians, butterflies and freshwater fish, third in palms and reptiles, sixth in mammals and has 50% of the world’s paramos or moorlands.
It is an experience full of natural landscapes sheltered by green wherever you go walking. In fact, the Antioquia region (the region where the city of Medellín is located) is no exception. As it is such a mountainous region, its inventory of natural wealth includes 350 water sources that supply regional aqueducts and more than 1,000,000 hectares of native forest and 76,000 of wetlands.
The municipality of Abejorral, located in the eastern sub-region of the department of Antioquia and 86 kilometers from Medellín (approximately two and a half-hour drive), embraces this biodiversity and also one of the favorite places in our region for adventure tourism and outdoor sports, such as rock climbing. Rock climbing can be carried out in an unforgettable place called La Peña, where surrounded by the charm of the natural forest, you can also venture in ecological walks, rappelling, and glamping.
At the moment, there are five official climbing sectors: (Los Lados, El Bosque, El Dado, El Mirador and El Multilargo) holding more than 30 routes with different difficulties, from 5 or 6 to 5.14, with heights from 7 to 30 meters (22 to 98ft) in the granite rock surface.
Download La Peña’s climbing guide here. [vc_empty_space height=”18px”][vc_images_carousel images=”25889,25887,25885,25883″ img_size=”800×400″][vc_empty_space height=”18px”]
The House in the Air
Another place that would be unforgivable not to mention in Abejorral is La Casa en el Aire (The House in the Air), an aero-hostel securely anchored with steel cables on the rock at 20 meters high (65 ft). Bashfully built but loaded with magic, it looks out from a boulder of the imposing Cerro San Vicente.
The House in the Air is designed to accommodate up to 10 people and among the many other activities available, you can enjoy the sunset hanging in a hammock at 35 meters high (114ft), or the equivalent of a 15-story building secured by a zip line and slide across the canopy – undoubtedly one of the most unforgettable activities.
We estimate that in the coming years, adventure and nature tourism will continue to gain followers. In fact, according to the 2019 Tripadvisor Experience Trends Report, outdoor experience bookings increased by 56% over the previous year.
This, in line with other trends that according to Skift -one of the world’s largest media companies focused on the travel industry, 69% of travelers prefer to spend their money on experiences, in exchange for a nicer room. Furthermore, 65% want to return home feeling like they have experienced something new, even if that means not feeling completely rested. So there’s no reason to stop the adventure. [vc_empty_space height=”18px”][vc_separator color=”orange”] Also read: Planning your next trip to Colombia: a new tourist destination. 🚀