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The ceremonial sites are at the center of settlement concentrations and contain large burial mounds connected by terraces, roads and earthen causeways. The earthen mounds, some measuring 30 m in diameter, built during the Regional Classic period (A.D. 1-900) covered large stone tombs of elite individuals from the well-documented chiefdom societies that developed in the region from about 1000 B.C., one of the earliest complex societies in the Americas. The tombs contain elaborate funerary architecture of stone corridors, columns, sarcophagi and large, impressive statues representing gods or supernatural beings, an expression of the link between deceased ancestors and supernatural power that marks the institutionalization of power in the region.

1. Ruins of the San Agustin Archaeological Park

The San Agustin Archaeological Park is one of the most privileged and intriguing places in the Colombian Andes, a destination of lush vegetation and canyons carved in volcanic rock, which holds the deepest secrets of a lost civilization. It is located in the south of the department of Huila, between the Central and Eastern mountain ranges, in the municipalities of San Agustín and Isnos and 5 hours from Neiva. San Agustin Park is one of the few places declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in Colombia, where ancient peoples carved in stone statues, sarcophagus and multiple petroglyphs.

Touring the park will take you about 4 hours, and along the way you will see about 130 pre-Columbian statues, tombs and ceremonial centers that are presumed to have been made to honor ancestors and connect living beings with the divinities of the afterlife.

In addition, upon entering San Agustin Park you will find the Archaeological Museum, where small statues, ceramic pieces and ancient sculptures that worship fertility are preserved, and which you should visit if you want to learn more about the context and history of the park, and have a more enriching experience.

After visiting the Archaeological Museum of San Agustin Park, you can go to the area known as the Forest of Statues, which contains a collection of at least 35 statues, including the famous monkey head. Then you can continue your tour along the paths that will lead you to discover charming areas, such as the Lavapatas Fountain, the Alto de Lavapatas and Las 4 Mesetas that protect sculptures up to 4 meters high and hold all the Augustinian mythology.

2. Alto de Los Idolos Archaeological Park

The Alto de los Idolos Archaeological Park is located 5 kilometers from the municipality of Isnos and 45 minutes from the park of San Agustín. It is one of the best preserved funerary complexes of the Augustinian culture, which stands out for the presence of large statues that endow wild animals with human qualities.

Although the Alto de los Idolos Archaeological Park is smaller than that of San Agustin, it is a very interesting place to continue learning about ancient funerary rites and to photograph the cultural and historical heritage of South America.

3. Alto de Las Piedras Archaeological Park

Five kilometers from the municipality of Isnos and 17 kilometers from the town of San Agustín, is the Alto de las Piedras Archaeological Park, a site where you will find tombs inhabited by figures representing pregnancy, and on its summit lies one of the most spectacular sculptures in the entire region, which represents a supposed shaman with a feline mask.

4. Bordones Waterfall

Salto de Bordones is located 15 kilometers from the center of Isnos, and is an imposing waterfall that rises amidst welcoming landscapes, more than 370 meters above the river of the same name. A place that is undoubtedly part of the most beautiful landscapes of Colombia.

To get to Salto de Bordones from San Agustín, you will have to travel to the neighboring municipality of Isnos and when you get to Bordones you will have to go to the church and from there walk along a path to the base of the waterfall, although from the viewpoint you can also contemplate the immensity of the waterfall.

How to get there and Entrance

The archaeological park is located 3 kilometers from the municipality of San Agustín, Huila, so to visit it you can take a direct bus from Bogotá, Neiva and Pitalito.

Bus Bogotá to San Agustín: 9 hours and $100.000 COP
Neiva to San Agustín: 5 hours and $50.000 COP
Bus Pitalito to San Agustín: 45 minutes and $19.000 COP

The San Agustin Archaeological Park has several entrance fees: Colombians $35,000 COP, students with valid ID $15,000 COP, and foreigners $50,000 COP. Children under 12 years old, adults over 62 years old do not pay the entrance fee. Rates subject to change without prior notice.

Please note that the entrance passport can be purchased at the park’s ticket office, and is valid to enter the archaeological parks of San Agustín, Alto de Los ídolos and Alto de Las Piedras.

Hours: The park is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is closed every Tuesday.