The Unknown Colombia - Adventures and Travels of El Indio Andino

An Ode to Los Llanos The first journey from mountain chill to the warmth of the Llanos Some journeys begin quietly, long before we realise how much they will matter. My connection to Restrepo started in the early days of my relationship with my wife — a time when everything felt new, hopeful, and full of gentle possibility. One afternoon, she invited me on a trip to a small town in Meta and mentioned, almost casually, that the climate there would feel similar to India. That simple detail lit something inside me, a small warmth in a country that was still becoming home. I had no way of knowing then that her invitation would lead me toward a landscape that would stay with me for years. I did not know that this first descent from the cold of the Andes into the warm, open plains would become a thread woven through my life — or that I would one day be affectionately called el amigo del llano , the Friend of the Plains. This chapter is my ode to that beginning — to the first journey that ope...

Happy new year and this is the time to start a new chapter in Unknown Colombia. Thank you for sticking around.  Orinoquía region, also known as the eastern plains, is one of the most fascinating natural regions of Colombia, yet is often overlooked by travellers here due to the vastness and remoteness of this region, starting with the complicated trunk road RN 40 from Bogotá to Villavicencio. Sunrise over the plains is a sight to experience Geographical Extent The Eastern Plains covers the departments of Meta, Casanare, Vichada, Guaviare, parts of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. Although there are some cities in this region such as Villavicencio, the capital of Meta department, which is the 11th largest in Colombia and Yopal, the capital of Casanare department, this region is rural, remote, fertile and full of culture, gastronomy, music and dance. Villavicencio is affectionately referred to as Villao (Vee jaa oo) and is considered as ‘Puerto Del Llano’ or ‘Gateway to the plains’. The gover...

  Corrales is less than an hour away from Monguí and this is one of the most beautiful towns in the Sugamuxi province of Boyacá. This place has won the award for the most beautiful lights of Christmas for a long time. The town sits on the bank of the mighty Chicamocha river that eventually flows through the Chicamocha canyon in Santander department, forming the 2nd largest canyon of the world. Corrales is just about an hour from Sogamoso and the roads are good. To reach Corrales from Duitama , my suggestion would be to take the route to Nobsa and proceed through Sogamoso’s outskirts to reach this beautiful town. This town grows onions, corn and potatoes. This town is every bit contrasty to Monguí’s colonial set up. The white and green painted walls and windows give way to white and brown and in some cases white and black painted walls and windows. These are equally impressive if not more beautiful. This town has a very pretty church that stands tall dominates the skyline of the...

Recently, in my instagram account - I posted the following clues for a little town in Cundinamarca .  This is not a pueblo patrimonio , however the white buildings with green color are a treat to watch.  The cobblestone streets in the center have been maintained very well since colonial times.  This town lies in the middle of a coal mining region of Cundinamarca. The name of the town in Chibcha language means "similar to a face". Not a lot of people found the answer and that was not shocking. Well, this blog exists for a reason and for that reason has its name - The Unknown Colombia. Cucunubá - The face of Ubaté valley Cucunubá - This is a small town that is located in the Ubaté province of Cundinamarca. The town gets its name from the Chibcha language meaning "similar to a face". This town is about 2.5 hours from Bogota exiting through Autopista Norte and towards Ubaté, Cundinamarca. The route to Ubaté is a scenic route that takes us through the small towns of ...