From mud with healing properties to fossils with years of history and antiquity, this paradise has everything to become the quintessential tourist destination of Colombia

In the southwest of Cundinamarca, two hours away by car from the capital of Colombia, is located Tocaima, a municipality known for its rich cultural and historical tradition. Identified at the national level as the "healthy city", this paradise has everything to become the tourist destination par excellence of Colombia.

Leer en español: Tocaima: la “ciudad salud” de Colombia

The territory that today occupies the city was part of the Panche nation , made up of the Tocaimas, Anapuimas, Suitamas, Lachimíes and Síquimas tribes, from which even today there are some samples of rock art on the Guacaná hill, which according to legend It rises in the municipality on two columns of gold.

Its dry climate, one of the best in Colombia with a temperature of approximately 28°, fascinate thousands of national and international tourists who seek to oxygenate their bodies with clean air and enjoy the benefits of Pocitos Azufrados, located at kilometer 3 via Jerusalem.

With an area of 57,022 square meters, Pocitos Azufrados is a recreational center that has mud pits in its interior with high medicinal and therapeutic content, known to alleviate and prevent locomotor, dermatological, respiratory and cardiovascular anomalies.

It is said that since pre-Columbian times people sought help in the sulfurous waters of Tocaima that flowed from the land, so the region went down in history as the "health city" of the country. In addition to the thermal mud, the recreational center offers tourists restaurant service, playgrounds, therapeutic massages, ecological walks with experts and camping area.

On the other hand, fifteen minutes from the city, there is the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of Pubenza, founded in the building of the old railway station. There are the fossils of mastodons and megaterres that have been found in the region and that have given rise to the fact that the area has been declared a protected paleontological reserve.

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You can not leave the city without visiting the Bridge of Sighs, the first hanging infrastructure in the country where, according to Pedro Jimenez al Espectador, the relatives of the lepers said goodbye to their loved ones with sighs and handed them over to the authorities. Once signed Law 104 of 1890, which forced the patients to isolate themselves until his death.

In recent years, with the aim of positioning the municipality as an ideal tourist site and provide its visitors with an unforgettable experience, Mayor Wílmar Alexánder Martínez Bareño, with the help of Governor Jorge Emilio Rey, has advanced a series of works to improve the infrastructure of the city and the quality of life of the population.

"We want the tourist to take the best image of Tocaima, to see an organized municipality. We want to make a good team with the merchants and we as a municipal administration are investing in works to improve the quality of life for all, "says Bareño on the official website of the town hall.

In addition, Mr. Bareño has met with the mayors of culture and tourism to discuss how to exploit the archaeological resources of the municipality that is considered a great wealth and which become a tourist attraction, as it shows the cultural and historical richness of the population.

If you want to take home a souvenir, do not forget that Tocaima's craftsmanship is one of the richest in the region. This month of August, on days 17, 18, 19 and 20, you can go to the Main Park of the City to observe the fabrics in fique made with the hands and feet of artisans.

LatinAmerican Post | Luisa Fernand Báez

Translated from: 'Tocaima: la “ciudad salud” de Colombia'