For over 2000 years, the native Muisca people performed a ritual in a small circular mountain lake located north of what is now Bogotá. In this ritual, the newly crowned Muisca tribal chief covered himself in gold dust and took a raft to the center of Lake Guatavita (Laguna de Guatavita). He then offered treasures made of gold to the gods by dumping them into the lake.
Guatavita is a small town near Bogotá, Colombia, that was built in the 1960s. It replaced an older town with the same name that was flooded during the construction of a reservoir. The town is the gateway to Lake Guatavita, where the Legend of El Dorado was born.
Caicedonia is a town located in the department of Valle del Cauca. It sits only 45 minutes from Armenia.
Alcalá is a small town located in the department of Valle del Cauca.
All my life I’ve been used to jam packed churches for Greek Orthodox Easter, no matter where I’ve lived. In Northwest Indiana and Chicago, the churches are so full it’s nearly impossible to find a spot if you don’t show up super early. It was the same in Melbourne and Istanbul where I even had to stand outside of the church. In all these places, the familiar smell of burnt hair from someone’s stray candle was always in the air. This Easter, my first in Colombia, was completely different.
Supía is a small town with a pleasant plaza, just a half hour from Riosucio. Some rural areas are part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
Riosucio is a town known for its biennial carnival, the Carnival of the Devil (Carnaval del Diablo). It’s one of the most popular and important carnivals in all of Colombia and takes place every January of odd-numbered years. Some rural areas of Riosucio are included in the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.