Country guide

Colombia

16 sacred sites across 7 regions.

Traditions present in Colombia

Indigenous8 Catholic4 Chibchan1

Prominent site types

archaeological_site8 church4 Archaeoastronomical Site1 Lake1 Archaeological Site1

Boyacá

3 sites

Catholic

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá

Boyacá, Boyacá, Colombia

Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá in Boyacá, Boyacá, Colombia.

Catholic

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Renewal

Boyacá, Boyacá, Colombia

Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Renewal in Boyacá, Boyacá, Colombia.

El Infiernito

Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, Colombia

El Infiernito is a archaeoastronomical site of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 5.64795, -73.55848. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological, ceremonial. El Infiernito (Spanish for The Little Hell ), is a pre-Columbian archaeoastronomical site located on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense in the outskirts of Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, Colombia. It is composed of several earthworks surrounding a setting of menhirs (upright standing stones); several burial mounds are also present. The site was a center of religious ceremonies and spiritual purification rites, and also served as an astronomical observatory. Located in Boyacá, Colombia.

Calle del Cauca

1 sites

Catholic

Our Lord of the Miracles of Buga

Calle del Cauca, Calle del Cauca, Colombia

Our Lord of the Miracles of Buga in Calle del Cauca, Calle del Cauca, Colombia.

Cauca

3 sites

Indigenous

Hill of the Avocado

Tierradentro, Cauca, Colombia

Hill of the Avocado in Tierradentro, Cauca, Colombia.

Tierradentro

Inzá, Cauca, Colombia

Tierradentro is a site of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 2.58300, -76.03300. Located in Inzá, Cauca, Colombia.

Indigenous

Tierradentro Pyramid

Inza, Cauca, Colombia

Tierradentro Pyramid in Inza, Cauca, Colombia.

Cundinamarca

1 sites

Chibchan

Lake Guatavita

Sesquilé, Cundinamarca, Colombia

Lake Guatavita is a lake of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 4.97722, -73.77556. Attributes: natural, cultural, ceremonial. Tradition: Chibchan. Mythological context: El Dorado. Lake Guatavita (Spanish: Laguna Guatavita) is located in the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes in the municipality of Sesquilé in the Almeidas Province, Cundinamarca department of Colombia, 57 km (35 mi) northeast of Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. The lake is circular and has a surface area of 19.8 hectares (49 acres). The earlier theories of the crater s origin being a meteorite impact, volcanic cinder, or limestone sinkhole are now discredited. The most likely explanation is that it resulted from the dissolution of underground salt deposits from an anticline, resulting in a kind of sinkhole. There are hot springs nearby in the municipality of Sesquilé, which means hot water in the now-extinct language of Chibcha, once spoken by the local indigenous people, the Muisca. Spanish colonizers and Conquistadors knew about the existence of a sacred lake in the Eastern Ranges of the Andes possibly as early as 1531. The lake was associated with indigenous rituals involving gold. However, the first conquistador to arrive at the actual location was Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, possibly in June 1537, while on an expedition to the highlands of the Eastern Ranges of the Andes in search of gold. This brought the Spanish into first contact with the Muisca inhabiting the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, including around Lake Guatavita. The lake is a focus of ecotourism, and its association with the legend of El Dorado is also a major attraction. Located in Sesquilé, Cundinamarca, Colombia.

Huila, Huila, Colombia

The Archaeological Park of Alto de los Ídolos in Huila, Huila, Colombia.

Magdalena

1 sites

La Ciudad Perdita

Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia

La Ciudad Perdita is a archaeological site of sacred significance. Approximate coordinates: 11.03800, -73.92519. Attributes: built, cultural, archaeological. Located in Magdalena, Colombia.

Nariño

1 sites

Catholic

Sanctuary of Las Lajas

Nariño, Nariño, Colombia

Sanctuary of Las Lajas in Nariño, Nariño, Colombia.