Paramo Trek Day Tour from Medellin

The Paramo Trek is an intermediate high-altitude hike that takes you into the highlands of the Andes whereto will walk through one of Colombia’s rarest mountain ecosystems, the Paramo.

After crossing the cloud forest and reaching the plateau, enjoy lunch by a small lake then descend via a different trail and walk on a mystical ridge though the cloud forest. On the way back, visit the charming village of Belmira and sit in the small cafe to sip hot ” agua Panela”.

5 to 6 hours of trekking | 600 meters of elevation gain

What to Expect

After breakfast, meet your bilingual guide at 7 a.m. at our offices near Poblado in Medellin. Our hiking guide greets you to drive two hours to the village of Belmira, a Spanish-style town located at an altitude of 2,500 m. From the Belmira Cathedral and plaza, take on your intermediate day hike and climb nearly 700 meters in elevation.

As you hike, encounter endemic plants you may have never seen before in your life and discover Colombia’s rarest ecosystem: high-altitude páramo. Páramo are high alpine zones just above the forest line and below the permanent snowline which, according to scientists, are “evolutionary hot spots” with some of the fastest evolving plant systems in the world. In this landscape it is difficult to place where you are: desert, coral reef, high-altitude tundra? There are mountainsides of cacti circling alpine lakes, coral-like plants growing from marshes, and blossoming flowers on succulent plants.

Although all plants are distinct, they share an ability to absorb great amounts of water in the aridest of conditions. For this reason, the Páramo, and not the Amazon rainforest, is largely responsible for Colombia’s water supply. This ecosystem stores water in marshes that drain into groundwater to supply countless Andean rivers. After your hike, drive two hours back to Medellín and return to your boutique hotel located in Poblado by 6 p.m.

Included:

• Professional bilingual guide
• Comfortable transport
• Lunches, and snacks with the option to purchase bottled water
• Excellent vegetarian, vegan options, gluten-free options* Tell us 1 day in advance if you have any dietary needs or allergies
• Expert bilingual adventure and cultural guides (languages: Spanish, French, English)
• Colombian insurance

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