All Tours in Southern Colombia

By Lorraine Caputo

In much of Southern Columbia, the tourist infrastructure is still lacking in as much as tour operators is concerned. Most agencies deal in selling airline tour packages to prime destinations like Cartagena. They also book flights, if spending up to a full day on land transportation is not quite appealing to you. SENA—Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje—is training guides in such places as Tumaco and Popayán in anticipation of growing tourism trade in those towns.

Parque Nacional Natural Puracé is working with the *resguardos indígenas* (indigenous communities) within the park boundaries to provide guiding services there, thus providing jobs for the local community which then does not have to rely on illegal hunting and logging to make a living. As it has long been a tourist destination, San Agustín has dozens of independent guides (few of whom are certified) and now several tourist operator offices.