Cueva de los Guácharos Huila

Useful Information

Location:	Cueva de los Guácharos National Natural Park. Near Acevedo and San José del Fragua. In the extreme southeast of the state of Huila and the southwest of the state of Caquetá.
Open:	With organized ecotours. [2010]
Fee:	Depends on tour operator. [2010]
Classification:	Karst Cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:	Park: Ar=9,000 ha.
Guided tours:
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Corporación de Turismo y Conservación los Andakies, Contact name: Humberto Anacona, Tel: +57-313-47-24797. E-mail: Fundación Cerca Viva, Contact name: Denys Muños Delgado, Tel: +57-310-785-4195. E-mail: Cueva de los Guácharos NNP Administrative Office, Carrera 4 No. 9, 25 Acevedo, Huila, Tel: +57-8-831-7487, Tel: +57-313-258-0268. E-mail: Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia, Calle 74 no 11, 81 Bogotá, Tel: +57-601-3532400. E-mail: E-mail:
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

1960	declared a national park, the first in Colombia.
1979	part of the Cinturón Andino (Andean belt) Biosphere Reserve declared by UNESCO.

Description

The Cueva de los Guácharos National Park was the first National Park in Colombia, created in 1961. It is named after its main feature, a cave which is the roost of the Guácharo or Oilbird (Steatornis caripensis). However, this is not the Cueva de los Guácharos where Alexander von Humboldt, the famous German naturalist, first described the oilbirds. This famous homonymous cave is located in Venezuela. Nevertheless, this cave is very interesting and roost to numerous of the rare bird. And actually the park protects more than 90 square kilometers of karst terrain and uncountable caves and karst features.