The Tierradentro National Archaeological Park is one of the great treasures of Cauca and is home to a wealth of heritage and history.
Tierradentro National Archaeological Park Tour
We'll pick you up at 5 am at your hotel in Popayán to start this full-day excursion, which we assure you'll be worth the early start!
Then we'll leave for the National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro, one of the most important archaeological sites in Cauca. On the way, we'll stop for breakfast in the village of Inzá. We'll soon reach our destination of great anthropological and historical richness, and once we're there you'll understand its name, we won't reveal the mystery yet!
First, we'll take a tour of the park, where we'll be able to see traces of three historical periods: pre-Hispanic, colonial and republican. We'll walk among its pyramids and underground tombs called 'hypogea', excavated in the volcanic rock itself, and we'll admire the decorations of the different burial chambers. Did you know that some of them reach a depth of 8 metres (26 feet)?
We'll also learn about the history of the Paez people, who inhabited this territory before the arrival of the Spaniards and allied with their neighbours to try to protect their land. Would they have built these caves? We'll find out!
After the visit to the tombs, we'll go up to the surface to see the stone statues of indigenous idols in the shape of animals and enter the museum, which houses some of the objects found in the excavations.
At midday, we'll take a break to recharge our batteries with a lunch that includes a chicken or meat dish accompanied by rice, soup, salad, 'patacones', twice-fried plantain chips, and a drink. In the afternoon, we'll discover the vestiges of the colonial era by visiting the church of San Andrés de Pisimbalá, a structure built of stone with a thatched roof.
Finally, we'll return to Popayán, and you'll be dropped off at your hotel between 8 pm and 9 pm.
