Cabañas y Camping Colina de San Diego

The area around San Agustín is paradise for history buffs – in the hills near Colina de San Diego are the Archaeological Park of San Agustín (a UNESCO World Heritage Site 20 minutes’ drive from base where there are plenty of millennia-old artefacts to explore) and the Parque Arqueologico Alto de los Ídolos (an hour away). Augustinian statuary and rock carvings are dotted around the parks, and La Pelota, Purutal, El Tablón and La Chaquira are worth visits to see some prime examples. Driving here isn’t an option, so be sure to stretch those legs before getting started or opt instead for a horseback trek between sites. There are plenty of museums too, for anyone after more on the ancient civilisations that called these hills home. Pass an hour or two in the ethnographic museum at El Tablón to learn about agricultural methods and tools, or call into the Museo Obando, 20 minutes away, where you can poke around ceramics and stone paintings that show the pre-Colombian culture of the region. For more time out in nature, make the 20-minute trip to the ceremonial fountain of Lavapatas or journey a little further to Puracé National Natural Park, an hour and a half away, for hikes and – with a little luck – an afternoon spent spotting cougars, mountain tapirs and Andean bears.