Cerro Azul

Useful Information

Location:	Miraflores, Guaviare. 47 km from San José del Guaviare. (1.291716, -72.633748)
Open:	no restrictions. [2021]
Fee:	free. [2021]
Classification:	Rock Shelter Painted Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Cerro Azul, Miraflores, Guaviare.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Cerro Azul is a hill, not a cave. But the rock, which protrudes from a plain, has vertical cliff faces and even shelters. And it is famous for rock paintings depicting animals, hunters, and erotic scenes. The main site is a wall 7 m long and 4 m high full of paintings. Archaeologists found food and other human remains near Cerro Azul which were dated to be 12,500 years old. While it is impossible to date the pictograms, it is rather likely that they are of the same age.

Cerro Azul is a two hours drive south of San José del Guaviare. From the road it’s a 30 minutes hike to the shelter with the paintings. It’s actually impossible to find them on your own, so we strongly recommend to hire a local guide at San José del Guaviare. There is a beautiful view from the top of Cerro Azul which you should definitely visit while there.