Los Nevados National Natural Park: Complete Collection of Expert Guides and Resources

Colombia's high-altitude volcanic paradise of glaciers, páramos and Andean ecosystems

Los Nevados National Natural Park

Los Nevados National Natural Park occupies a remarkable position in the Colombian Andes as the nation's premier high-altitude protected area. The park centers on a chain of volcanic peaks that form the highest and northernmost glaciated volcanoes in Colombia, creating a unique intersection of tropical and alpine environments. The landscape is defined by the interplay of volcanic activity and glacial processes, with U-shaped valleys and moraines marking the passage of ancient glaciers that once descended to 4,000-4,500 meters above sea level. Today, only three of the original six glaciers remain, the others having melted completely by the 1960s, making the park an important site for studying climate change impacts on tropical alpine environments. The park's ecological diversity is remarkable given its relatively compact area, transitioning through distinct life zones from Andean forests through high Andean forests and wetlands to the sweeping páramo and lunar-like super-páramo that dominates the highest elevations. These ecosystems perform critical hydrological functions, with the park's glacial meltwater and precipitation feeding ten river basins that empty into both the Magdalena and Cauca watersheds. The Otún wetland system within the park has been recognized internationally under the Ramsar Convention, highlighting its significance as a stopping point for migratory waterfowl and a repository of high-altitude wetland biodiversity. Beyond its ecological importance, Los Nevados holds cultural significance through indigenous associations with the volcanic peaks, which appear in the traditional names applied by pre-Columbian peoples to mountains like Nevado del Ruiz, known as Kumanday, Tama, and Tabuchía in various indigenous languages.