The Upper Magdalena River Valley

If the Magdalena River could speak it would no doubt boast unashamedly of the countless riches that have been transported on its waters over the years. Shaped by this river, the Upper Magdalena River Valley runs from the lower extremes of the Andes (at the river’s source in Huila) to the well-preserved statues of San Agustín, through the arid badlands of the Tatacoa Desert, and past Nevado del Tolima, a towering snow-capped mountain standing 5200 meters over the departmental capital of Ibague, before encountering the last navigable point from the coast inland, Honda.

Willing travelers to this area will be pleasantly surprised by the contrasts and the differences in each town. Starting at Honda, known as both “the City of Bridges” and the “Cartagena of the Interior” (thanks to its narrow colonial streets), travelers can venture on to Ibague, Colombia’s music capital, where one can explore verdant canyons nearby and try to catch a glimpse of a spectacled bear. Moving south, travelers encounter Neiva, with archeological wonders that will whet ones appetite for the wonders further down the road at San Agustín. Given the importance of the river as one of the country’s principal highways, it is no wonder that towns and settlements dating back to earlier than 1000 BC are of major significance in the makeup of Colombia.