San Agustín

By Lorraine Caputo

Like silent sentinels guarding the green mountains of southern Colombia, the pre-Columbian statues of San Agustín have long beckoned travelers to wander off the beaten track. The journey can be difficult, but the reward for these sojourners is days of walking through the countryside, exploring the numerous archaeological sites that bestow the name "Archaeological Capital of Colombia" to San Agustín.

The landscape also holds so many beauties for the soul's eye: the nascent Río Magdalena, canyons, waterfalls and caves. The road from Popayán skirts the south boundary of Parque Nacional Natural Puracé; it is paved as far as Coconuco, after which it is poor to El Cruce, 27 kilometers (16 miles) from Pitalito. The road from Bogotá, by way of Neiva, Garzón and Pitalito, is completely paved. Life is laid-back in the village of San Agustín, so much so that many foreigners have decided to stay here to live.

So, be prepared to spend a bit of time here—learning about this enigmatic culture that a millennium ago carved these monoliths (every one has a theory), hiking and just relaxing. Be careful, though, not to slip into the vortex where time and space just seems to, well, disappear.