23. San Agustin, Purace National Park

In the hostel in Bogota, I met Lisa, who happened to have almost the same plan for her trip. So we decided to travel together for a few days.

We took a night bus to San Agustin in southwestern Colombia. The hostel there is run by the same operator as the one in Bogota and we have heard a lot of good things about it. Once we arrived, we can confirm what others say: it feels more like a resort than a hostel! Located in the beautiful mountains, there are small cabins for accommodation. There is also a river and a large hammock net, even a small whirlpool!!

Here we met three guys from Israel and teamed up with them. With the group, we explored the archaeological parks in the area.

After two days, we made our way to Popayan. The road to Popayan is very adventurous, as much of it is a gravel and mud path through the mountains. Due to the condition of the road, the 100km drive took nearly 5 hours.

We organized a private shuttle together and were able to visit the Purace National Park, which is on the way. In this national park, we were able to experience condors up close.

Furthermore, there were breathtaking waterfalls, stunning landscapes, frailejones - rare palms - and hot springs. Unfortunately, the hot springs are not suitable for swimming as the water is very sulphurous.