TATACOA, A WONDERFUL LANDSCAPE TO DISCOVER
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The soil has different colors that correspond to the different minerals it has. There are two characteristic colors, Ochre in the Cuzco zone and gray in "Los Hoyos". The Tatacoa has a lot of erosion and very few animals and vegetable life were able to adapt to the humidity and the high temperatures. The area has dry canyons that develop during rainy seasons. These canyons are formed over clay surfaces, this generate gullies that can reach depths of 20 meters, and these are sculpted by the infrequent rain. We can find snakes, spiders, scorpions and lizards that share the land. Some of these animals can hide among rocks and cactuses.
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HUILA, AN EXPERIENCE TO BE LIVED
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San Agustin has a lot of mountains and its location in the tropic provides a good weather all year-round; the different altitudinal floors offer a biodiversity with abundant flora and fauna. You can do landscaping activities. The vegetation corresponds to the very humid subtropical mountaine forest and very humid mountaine low forest, the more common are bamboos, palm ferns, flowers, like the orchids and many trees.
The fauna is composed of jaguars, monkeys, tigers, bears, guinea pigs, some reptiles, variety of birds; some of these animals were sculpted in stone by the ancient cultures and are found at the archaeological park.
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BIBLIOGRAPHIES:
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Most of the information, was taken from our notes and our experience in Tatacoa; but for complementing we search in internet.
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Aventure Colombia. "Tatacoa Desert." Tatacoa Desert | Aventure Colombia. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2017.
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Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Tatacoa Desert." Tatacoa Desert - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2017.
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Wikipedia. "Tatacoa Desert." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 May 2017. Web. 20 May 2017.
Archaeological park of
San Agustin
What is known as a desert is actually a tropical dry forest.
Tatacoa is the second largest dry area in Colombia, it is one of Colombia´s most attractive landscapes. It has an area of 330km2 of soil and cactuses. The name “Tatacoa” was given in reference to rattlesnakes.
The average temperature is 28°C, and on sunny days it can go up to 40°C. Tatacoa has a humid heat. The sky is cloud-free most of the year. There are rainy seasons in the period from April to May, and October- November. The average of rain per year is of 1070mm.
Tatacoa desert; Cuzco zone
Huila has a great agricultural development, it has coffee and rice; the soil is very fertile and it has water wealth, nature and biodiversity. The territory has mineral wealth, the petroleum is the most abundant. Huila reflects in a small territory all the richness and natural contrasts of the country.
San Agustin is a town in the southern department of Huila, and is located 227km away from Neiva. The population is around 30,000.In this municipality we find the lagoon of the Magdalena that gives birth to the most important river of Colombia, the Magdalena River. The average temperature is of 20°C, is a good weather for the tourism. In this territory we find the archaeological park of San Agustin, is one of the most important archaeological parks of Colombia; was declared patrimony of the humanity by the Unesco in 1995.
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The more common plants are big cactuses, "mothers in law" pillow cactus, shrubs. The big cactuses are the representative plant of la Tatacoa and is called “cactus cardon” it reach 4 to 5 meters high, they grow 10 to 15cm per year and they have a stem that is the major organ of photosynthesis. The "mothers in law" pillow cactus is very common in Tatacoa, it has a delicious fruit that is pink in the outside and white with black seeds in the inside. The majority of the cactus in Tatacoa have fruits.
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La Tatacoa is a very geographically privileged place to observe stars; we can observe the 88 constellations, to appreciate phenomena such as meteor shower. This place doesn’t have light nor sound pollution, you can enjoy the silence, the landscape and the peace of Tatacoa.
