10 Mind-Blowing Places in Colombia That Feel Out of This World

Noel Polo TV in English

Ready to be amazed? Join us as we explore 10 mind-blowing places in Colombia that look totally out of this world! From magical rivers to mysterious ancient cities, these landscapes will leave you speechless. Don’t miss out—subscribe for more epic adventures and drop a comment below telling us which spot wowed you the most! #travel #Colombia #nature #adventure #explore  👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@noelpolotv  0:00 - Colombia's Extraordinary and Diverse Landscapes 1:09 - Rock of El Peñol 2:29 - Tatacoa Desert 3:51 - Tequendama Falls 5:08 - The Lost City 6:20 - Los Estoraques Natural Park 7:32 - Sanctuary of Las Lajas 8:50 - Otherworldly Landscapes and Conclusion

Transcript

00:00Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world.

00:05In a single country, you can find forests, unique deserts, mountains, and rivers.

00:11But aside from this natural wealth, there are also places that stand out for a different reason.

00:17Their appearance is so distinct.

00:19It's surprising how difficult it is to associate these with what we usually picture when we think of a natural

00:25landscape.

00:26In this video, let's explore 10 amazing places in Colombia that feel like they're out of this world.

00:33Places where unusual shapes have formed in the earth, where the water changes color,

00:38or where the fusion of different elements creates landscapes rarely seen on our planet.

00:45Some are already famous, while others are lesser known.

00:49But they all share one thing in common.

00:52When you see them for the first time, they immediately give you an otherworldly feeling.

00:58But before we get started, if you are new to our channel,

01:02make sure to hit the subscribe button and turn on the notification bell

01:05so you will always stay updated on our latest videos.

01:09Rock of El Peñol

01:11In the middle of the mountainous landscape of Antioquia

01:14stands a massive rock that seems completely out of place.

01:17The Rock of El Peñol is a massive monolith roughly 220 meters high,

01:23standing completely alone.

01:26As if it were just dropped there without any clear explanation.

01:30For centuries, this rock caught the attention of indigenous communities.

01:36They even considered it a sacred place.

01:39To this day, its exact origins are still being studied.

01:43Yet it's known to be part of a larger geological formation

01:47that surfaced following millions of years of rock and soil erosion.

01:53But what is most striking is not just its shape,

01:56but how people actually use it.

02:00There is a natural crack splitting the rock from top to bottom.

02:04In that section, more than 700 steps were built to reach the very top.

02:10Once you reach the top, the view suddenly changes.

02:14Where there used to be nothing but continuous mountain ranges,

02:17now a vast network of water and small islands can be seen because of the Guatap Dam.

02:23It creates a view that looks more like a giant map than a real place.

02:29Tatacoa Desert

02:30In the province of Gila, in southern Colombia,

02:33lies a place that doesn't fit the typical image of the country.

02:37The Tatacoa Desert isn't actually a desert in the strictest sense.

02:41It's a tropical dry forest that over time has become an arid landscape deeply carved by erosion.

02:50What defines this place isn't just the sparse vegetation, but its unusual layout.

02:56For thousands of years, water and wind have relentlessly eaten away at the earth,

03:03carving out maize-like canyons, deep gullies, and irregular formations stretching out in every direction.

03:10The stark contrast in colors across its different sections is also striking.

03:15Some areas boast a vivid red hue while others display muted gray tones.

03:20Because of this, there's a clear visual distinction, even though it's all in one single place.

03:26It makes you feel even more like you're journeying through different kinds of landscapes,

03:31even though you haven't actually left the place.

03:34As the journey continues, the familiar landmarks around you gradually fade away.

03:40There are no more large landmarks, and the paths are merely narrow corridors between dirt walls that continuously change their

03:49shape.

03:51Tequendama Falls, roughly 30 kilometers from Bogota, the river's flow suddenly changes.

03:57Up until that point, its current was relatively smooth and steady.

04:01But eventually, it enters a narrow passage before plummeting straight down the cliff

04:06from a height of over 150 meters, forming Tequendama Falls.

04:12The falls are located in a cloud forest where constant humidity and high altitude create thick clouds and fog.

04:20Because of this, visibility is limited, and the surroundings seem to be veiled.

04:24Besides its geological features,

04:27this place has also been significant to the region's history for centuries.

04:32For the Muisca, the origin of the falls is linked to a sacred event.

04:37According to their story,

04:39a huge opening in the rock was created,

04:41allowing the floodwaters that submerged the savannah to drain away.

04:45By time, many other stories have been linked to this place.

04:50The presence of the old hotel on the edge of the cliff,

04:53as well as the various events that took place here,

04:56added to its unique significance.

04:58Besides its actual appearance,

05:00the entire surroundings are what make the scenery unique.

05:03It's not just the waterfall that catches your attention,

05:05but also everything around it.

05:07The Lost City

05:09In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,

05:12hidden deep inside a dense jungle and far from easily accessible trails,

05:17lies the Lost City,

05:18an ancient settlement built by the Teyrona culture around the 7th century.

05:23For centuries, it remained covered by vegetation

05:26and virtually unknown to anyone

05:29until it was rediscovered in 1970

05:31after several stone steps leading up the mountain were spotted.

05:35There are no large vertical structures to be seen here.

05:39The main feature of the site

05:40is the circular terraces scattered at various elevations

05:44and interconnected by stone paths and stairways

05:47that follow the natural contour of the mountain.

05:49The surroundings also have a major impact on the feel of the place.

05:53Because of the high humidity,

05:55dense vegetation,

05:56and lack of wide-open views,

05:58the place feels cramped and isolated.

06:01It's as if the ancient city doesn't reveal its full form all at once.

06:05For a long time,

06:07most people weren't really aware of the location

06:08or even the very existence of this place.

06:11Even now,

06:13getting here is still difficult.

06:15Access is limited,

06:16and it takes several days of trekking to reach the Lost City.

06:21Los Estorac Natural Park

06:22In northern Colombia,

06:24in the province of Norte de Santander,

06:27there's a place where unique formations have taken shape in the land,

06:31even though it's an area prone to severe erosion.

06:35Los Estorac's natural park is known for its pillars,

06:38sharp rock formations,

06:39and massive boulders that stand irregularly

06:41and follow no distinct pattern.

06:45These structures were formed from ancient sedimentary deposits

06:48that over time took shape.

06:51Shaped by the continuous impact of water and wind,

06:55there is no single direction to follow when exploring the area.

06:59As you keep going,

07:00the size and arrangement of the rocks change,

07:02so some areas are more open,

07:04while others are tighter,

07:05depending on where you are.

07:06In some parts,

07:08the rocks look like separate towers.

07:11In others,

07:12they come together and form larger crowded clusters

07:15that block the view.

07:17There's no single centerpiece

07:19that immediately grabs your attention.

07:22What really stands out

07:24is the repetition of these structures throughout the area,

07:27each varying in height, shape, and level of erosion.

07:32Sanctuary of Las Lajas

07:34In southern Colombia,

07:36near the border with Ecuador,

07:38there's a place where the building

07:39wasn't just constructed on top of the land,

07:42but shaped directly into the landscape itself.

07:46The sanctuary of Las Lajas

07:48is set within the canyon of the Guayatara River,

07:51appearing suspended between two massive rock walls

07:54and connected by a bridge spanning across the cliff.

07:59Its origin is connected to an event

08:02that later became part of local tradition.

08:06In the mid-17th century,

08:09a woman and her daughter

08:11claimed to have seen an apparition

08:13right on the rock wall.

08:16From then on,

08:18the place began to become significant.

08:20First, small structures were built,

08:23and later,

08:24the current sanctuary was constructed.

08:26The building,

08:27which has a neo-gothic style,

08:30does not stand on a wide, flat foundation.

08:33Instead,

08:34it is aligned with the natural fissure of the canyon.

08:38Because of this,

08:39the shape and layout of the building are influenced,

08:42creating a vertical structure

08:43that seems to be part of the environment itself,

08:46rather than a building merely constructed upon it.

08:50Mabicor Hills

08:51In the department of Guaynea,

08:54near the border with Venezuela,

08:55there are three landforms

08:57that are strikingly different

08:58from the jungle surrounding them.

09:00The Mabicor Hills

09:01are no ordinary mountains.

09:03They are massive rock formations

09:05that abruptly rise out of the middle

09:06of an almost flat terrain.

09:08They are part of the Guiana Shield,

09:11one of the oldest geological structures in the world,

09:14estimated to be over a billion years old.

09:18Unlike other mountains that are covered,

09:21they are exposed rock

09:23with vast, smooth sections.

09:26The slopes are also steep,

09:28and there is very little soil

09:30where trees can grow.

09:32The three main hills,

09:34called Mabicor, Monkey, and Little Bird,

09:36are aligned alongside the Inarita River.

09:39Because of this,

09:41they serve as clear landmarks

09:43in an area where the view

09:44is typically covered by dense forest,

09:46and it is difficult to see into the distance.

09:51Climbing one of the hills

09:53means walking over bare rock

09:55without clear paths

09:57and with continuously steep sections

10:00so every step must be chosen carefully.

10:05Caño Cristales

10:07In the Sierra de la Macarena in Colombia,

10:10there is a river that drastically changes its appearance

10:12for only a few months each year.

10:14Caño Cristales

10:16isn't particularly large or deep,

10:19but beneath its waters

10:20lies a unique natural phenomenon

10:22that makes it extraordinary.

10:25Between November,

10:27when the water level is just right

10:30and the sunlight is strong,

10:32an endemic aquatic plant

10:34called Macarena clavigera

10:36thrives here.

10:38This plant clings to the rocks

10:40at the bottom of the river

10:42and under the right conditions

10:43turns a vibrant red.

10:45When its red hue blends

10:47with the yellow sediments,

10:49the green of other algae,

10:51and the crystal clear water,

10:53a stunning array of colors

10:55comes alive,

10:56stretching across

10:57a vast stretch of the river.

11:00The colors appear as streaks

11:02that follow the water's flow,

11:04creating lines,

11:05patches,

11:06and shifting shades

11:07depending on the depth

11:09and speed of the current.

11:12The balance needed for this to happen

11:14is incredibly fragile.

11:16If the water rises too high,

11:19the plants won't get enough light.

11:21On the other hand,

11:23if the water is too low,

11:24they dry out.

11:25That's why this unique spectacle

11:27only appears at a specific time

11:29each year.

11:31Gorgona Island

11:33Off Colombia's Pacific coast,

11:36about 35 kilometers

11:38from the mainland,

11:39lies a densely forested island

11:41where nature has reclaimed

11:43almost the entire land.

11:46At first glance,

11:47you might think Gorgona

11:49is just an ordinary tropical island.

11:52But once you learn its history,

11:54the way you see the place

11:55completely changes.

11:57For a large part of the 20th century,

12:00this place was used

12:01as one of Colombia's strictest prisons.

12:04Because of its isolation

12:06from the mainland,

12:07the powerful currents

12:08of the Pacific Ocean,

12:10and the dense jungle,

12:11it was nearly impossible

12:13to escape from here.

12:14When the prison was closed in 1984,

12:16the buildings and facilities

12:18were abandoned.

12:19Since then,

12:20the vegetation has gradually

12:21overtaken the former structures.

12:23Today,

12:24amidst the trees,

12:26humidity,

12:27and silence,

12:27you can still see

12:29the remains of the cells,

12:30walls,

12:31and other structures

12:32suddenly emerging

12:33in the middle of the jungle.

12:34Gorgona stands out

12:36not because of a particular shape

12:38or unusual color,

12:40but because of the combination

12:41of various elements.

12:44Throughout this entire journey,

12:46we have seen many places

12:48that look completely different,

12:49but they all share

12:51one thing in common.

12:53They challenge our common idea

12:55of what a natural landscape

12:57is supposed to look like.

13:00Some stand out

13:01because of their shape,

13:02while others do so

13:04because of their colors.

13:05And there are also places

13:06that are remarkable

13:07because of the history

13:08they carry.

13:11But all of them

13:13give the same feeling of awe

13:14when you see them

13:15for the first time.

13:18Colombia is not only

13:19a country full of diversity,

13:21it is also a country

13:23where you cannot easily predict

13:25what you are going to see.

13:28And that's precisely

13:29why in a single country,

13:30there are landscapes

13:31that seem out of place

13:33and so different

13:34from what we usually see.

13:37Now the question is for you.

13:39Did you know about

13:41any of the places we mentioned?

13:42Or was there one place here

13:44that really surprised you?

13:45I'll be reading your comments.

13:48If you are interested

13:49in places like these,

13:50places that don't seem

13:52to belong to the world we know,

13:54subscribe to

13:54Know All Polo Television.

13:56Here,

13:57we will continue to explore

13:59the amazing places

14:00and wonders of our planet.

14:16We'll see you next time.

14:17We'll see you next time.

14:17You

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