The Ocetá Páramo (

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

: ''Páramo de Ocetá'') is a

páramo Páramo () can refer to a variety of alpine tundra ecosystems located in the Andes Mountain Range, South America. Some ecologists describe the páramo broadly as "all high, tropical, montane vegetation above the continuous timberline". A narrower ...

, which means an ecosystem above the continuous forest line yet below the permanent snowline. This particular páramo is located at altitudes between and in the

Eastern Ranges The Eastern Ranges is an Australian rules football team in the NAB League, the Victorian statewide under-18s competition. The club is a founding member of the competition (1992) and has produced several players for the Australian Football Leagu ...

of the

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

. It covers parts of the

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Monguí Monguí is a town and municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ...

Mongua Mongua is a town and municipality in Sugamuxi Province in the Colombian Department of Boyacá. Mongua is situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes at altitudes between and . The municipality borders Gámeza, Socotá, Pisba, Labranza ...

and Tópaga, belonging to the

Sugamuxi Province The Sugamuxi Province () is a subregion of the Colombian Department of Boyacá. The subregion is formed by 13 municipalities. Etymology The name of the province comes from Sugamuxi, the last ''iraca'' of the Muisca and means in Chibcha: "Dwell ...

, Boyacá. The Ocetá Páramo is known for its collection of small shrubs called frailejones, as well as other Andean flora and fauna. Hiking tours from Monguí or Mongua to the páramo take a full day. The Páramo de Ocetá in the times before the

Spanish conquest of the Muisca The Spanish conquest of the Muisca took place from 1537 to 1540. The Muisca were the inhabitants of the central Andean highlands of Colombia before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. They were organised in a loose confederation of differe ...

was inhabited by the

Muisca The Muisca (also called Chibcha) are an indigenous people and culture of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Colombia, that formed the Muisca Confederation before the Spanish conquest. The people spoke Muysccubun, a language of the Chibchan langu ...

, loyal to the ''

iraca The ''iraca'', sometimes spelled ''iraka'',Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.12, p.77Ocampo López, 2013, Ch.14, p.85 was the ruler and high priest of Sugamuxi in the confederation of the Muisca who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense; the central high ...

'' of Suamox, who considered the region

sacred Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

Myths and legends ''Myths and Legends'' is a collectible card game based on universal mythologies, developed in 2000 in Santiago, Chile. The game currently counts with 39 sets and over 3000 different cards. It is the only collectible card game fully produced and d ...

exist from pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial times and in the lower part of the páramo the Muisca women gave birth in little man-made pools (''Tortolitas''). The Ocetá Páramo is considered the most beautiful páramo in the world and one of the treasures of Colombia.

Description

The Ocetá Páramo is considered the most beautiful páramo in the world and one of the national treasures of Colombia.Ocetá, el páramo más bello en el mundo
- El TiempoWills et al., 2001, p.117 It is located at from the Colombian capital

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

and from the departmental capital

Tunja Tunja () is a city on the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, in the region known as the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, 130 km northeast of Bogotá. In 2018 it had a population of 172,548 inhabitants. It is the capital of Boyacá department an ...

. Colombia is the country with the most páramos in the world; more than 60% of the Andean ecosystem is found within Colombian territories.Five unmissable Colombian páramos begging to be explored
/ref> Boyacá is the department where 18.3% of the national total area is located.Nieto Escalante et al., 2010, p.75

Geography and climate

The Ocetá Páramo is situated in the

of the Colombian Andes at altitudes between and .Monguí-Ocetá Caminata
/ref>Páramo de Ocetá
- Colparques The páramo with an area of lies east of the

Altiplano Cundiboyacense The Altiplano Cundiboyacense () is a high plateau located in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes covering parts of the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. The altiplano corresponds to the ancient territory of the Muisca. The Alti ...

, southwest of the

Pisba National Natural Park Pisba (sometimes spelled Pisva) is a town and municipality in Boyacá Department, Colombia, part of the subregion of La Libertad Province. Pisba is situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes at altitudes between and . Distance to Sogam ...

and north of Siscuinsí Lake.N.N. - Monguí - Plan Ambiental, s.a., p.4 Farther to the northeast are the

Sierra Nevada del Cocuy The Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Chita or Guican National Natural Park (or Sierra Nevada de Chita or Sierra Nevada de Güicán, es, Parque Natural Sierra Nevada del Cocuy Chita o Guican is a national park and a series of highlands and glaciated peaks l ...

and to the southwest

Lake Tota Lake Tota ( es, Lago de Tota) is the largest lake in Colombia, located in the east of Boyacá department, inside the Sugamuxi Province, it is the source of the Upia River which flows into the Orinoco River basin. The major town on the lake is ...

. The climate varies between in winter nights and on sunny days.Wills et al., 2001, p.116 Foggy blankets are common in the area.Objeciones del páramo más lindo del mundo
- Universidad Sergio Arboleda Páramos are "sponges"; sources of water for lower lying terrains and the Ocetá Páramo is no exception.Factores de formación de los suelos de páramo
-

Banco de la República The Bank of the Republic ( es, Banco de la República) is the central bank of Colombia. It was initially established under the regeneration era in 1880. Its main modern functions, under the new Colombian constitution were detailed by Congress a ...

In the upper part of the páramo, marshes and small lakes exist. The biggest waterbody is the Laguna Negra and the Calicanto, Tejar and Morro Rivers as well as numerous creeks (''quebradas'') have their origin on the Páramo de Ocetá. The Penagos waterfall feeds the Laguna Negra.Páramo de Ocetá
/ref> File:Boyaca Topographic 2.png, Topography of Boyacá File:Fog - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Fog at the Ocetá Páramo File:Creeks - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Creeks on the páramo File:Marshes - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Marshes in Ocetá File:Laguna Negra - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Laguna Negra File:Cascada Laguna Negra, Mongua, Boyacá.JPG, Penagos waterfall

Geology

The Ocetá Páramo is part of the El Cocuy sub-basin, an inverted basin in the Eastern Ranges.Sarmiento Rojas et al., 2006, p.384 During the

Hauterivian The Hauterivian is, in the geologic timescale, an age in the Early Cretaceous Epoch or a stage in the Lower Cretaceous Series. It spans the time between 132.9 ± 2 Ma and 129.4 ± 1.5 Ma (million years ago). The Hauterivian is preceded by the Va ...

, the El Cocuy and Tablazo sub-basins formed a continuous basin due to the flooding of the Santander-Floresta paleohigh.Sarmiento Rojas et al., 2006, p.390 The main uplift in the Eastern Ranges occurred between the late

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but the ...

and

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

, with increased tectonic uplift in the Plio-Pleistocene.Hoorn et al., 1995, p.238 The

Neogene The Neogene ( ), informally Upper Tertiary or Late Tertiary, is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period Mya. ...

compression led to the formation of

alluvial fan An alluvial fan is an accumulation of sediments that fans outwards from a concentrated source of sediments, such as a narrow canyon emerging from an escarpment. They are characteristic of mountainous terrain in arid to semiarid climates, but a ...

s in the intermontane valleys of the Eastern Cordillera.

Pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophyt ...

analysis has shown the transition from lowland tropical forests to colder mountainous vegetation over the last 5 million years.Hoorn et al., 1995, p.239 The youngest uplifted eastern chain of the Colombian Andes formed the provenance area for the

Magdalena River The Magdalena River ( es, Río Magdalena, ; less commonly ) is the main river of Colombia, flowing northward about through the western half of the country. It takes its name from the biblical figure Mary Magdalene. It is navigable through much of ...

.Hoorn et al., 1995, p.240 In the vicinity of the area of Ocetá, to the southwest in Iza and

Paipa Paipa is a town and municipality in the Tundama Province, a part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Paipa borders Duitama, Firavitoba, Tibasosa, Sotaquirá and Tuta.Paleocene The Paleocene, ( ) or Palaeocene, is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 66 to 56 mya (unit), million years ago (mya). It is the first epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), E ...

sandstones and shales of the

Socha Formation Socha is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Boyacá, part of the Valderrama Province, which is a subregion of Boyacá. It borders Socotá in the east, Sativasur in the north, Tasco in the south and in the west Paz de Río ...

in the ''Peña de Ortí'', and the

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', the ...

Guadalupe sandstone and shale formations,

Guaduas Formation The Guaduas Formation ( es, Formación Guaduas, K2P1G, K2E1G, KPgg, KTg, TKg, Ktg) is a geological formation of the Middle Magdalena Basin and the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The predominantly shale with coalb ...

, and the organic shales of the

Chipaque Formation The Chipaque Formation ( es, Formación Chipaque, K2cp, Kc) is a geological formation of the Altiplano Cundiboyacense, Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The formation is also described as Gachetá Formation, named after Gachetá, in the area o ...

.Ulloa et al., 1998 The Guaduas Formation contains

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...

seams that are mined in the area.N.N. - Monguí - resumen esquema ordenamiento territorial, s.a., p.7 The Cretaceous-Paleocene Guaduas Formation is the most important source for the rich coal deposits in the Andean interior of Colombia.Amaya et al., 2010 During the

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recen ...

, establishing the current ecosystem in the

Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58frailejones, that are plants of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Espeletia ''Espeletia'', commonly known as 'frailejones' ("big monks"), is a genus of perennial subshrubs, in the family Asteraceae. The genus, which is native mainly to Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, was first formally described in 1808. The genus was n ...

''. The lower altitude parts of the páramo are characterised by '' Espeletia barclayana'', '' Espeletia jaramilloi'', '' Espeletia congestiflora'' and '' Espeletia argentea'', while '' Espeletia grandiflora'' is growing in a wider altitude distribution. '' Chusquea tessellata'' is characteristic of the Eastern Ranges.Los páramos de Colombia - Chapter 4 - Zonas altitudinales del páramo
/ref> On the Ocetá Páramo, formerly written as Oseta, various species have been described by

Thomas van der Hammen Thomas van der Hammen ( Schiedam, Netherlands, 27 September 1924 - Chía, Colombia, 12 March 2010) was a Dutch palaeontologist, botanist and geologist. He had published more than 160 works in five languages.Bryum argenteum ''Bryum argenteum'', the silvergreen bryum moss or silvery thread moss, is a species of moss in the family Bryaceae. It is one of the most common mosses of urban areas and can be easily recognized without a microscope. Description The species i ...

'', '' Breutelia polygastrica'', '' Calamagrostis effusa'', '' Ceratodon stenocarpus'', '' Didymodon laevigatus'', '' Leptodontium flexifolium'' and '' Sphagnum sancto-josephense''.''Sphagnum sancto-josephense''
-

Tropicos Tropicos is an online botanical database containing taxonomic information on plants, mainly from the Neotropical realm (Central, and South America). It is maintained by the Missouri Botanical Garden and was established over 25 years ago. The data ...

Other flora occurring on the páramo are '' Pentacalia vernicosa'', ''

Ageratina tinifolia ''Ageratina tinifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is found in the Andes from southern Colombia (departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Caldas, Cauca, Cesar, Cundinamarca, Huila, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Sant ...

'', '' Bidens andicola'', '' Lupinus luisanae var. ocetensis'', '' Viola sp.'', '' Arnica sp.'' and various types of

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

es and

lychen Lychen (), also known as ''Flößerstadt'' (raftsman city), is a town in the Uckermark district, in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated southeast of Neustrelitz, and east of Fürstenberg/Havel. This is the town where the thumbtack was created. ...

.Barney Duran, 2011, p.9Páramo Ecosystem
/ref> File:Pentacalia vernicosa - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Pentacalia vernicosa'' File:Ageratina tinifolia - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Ageratina tinifolia'' File:Calamagrostis effusa - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Calamagrostis effusa'' and ''Espeletia'' File:Bidens andicola - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Bidens andicola'' File:Lupinus alopecuroides 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''L. luisanae'' File:Gentianella - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Viola'' sp.

Fauna

Among the fauna that can be observed on the páramo are

Andean condor The Andean condor (''Vultur gryphus'') is a giant South American Cathartid vulture and is the only member of the genus ''Vultur''. Found in the Andes mountains and adjacent Pacific coasts of western South America, the Andean condor is the larg ...

black agouti The black agouti (''Dasyprocta fuliginosa'') is a South American species of agouti from the family Dasyproctidae. Distribution and habitat It is found in the northwestern Amazon in southern Venezuela, eastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, western ...

eastern cottontail The eastern cottontail (''Sylvilagus floridanus'') is a New World cottontail rabbit, a member of the family Leporidae. It is the most common rabbit species in North America. Distribution The eastern cottontail can be found in meadows and shrubby ...

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...

mountain paca The mountain paca (''Cuniculus taczanowskii'') is a small burrow-dwelling rodent whose habitats are high altitude South American forests. Pacas are nocturnal, sedentary, and solitary animals with territorial tendencies. It eats mostly fruits and ...

, spectacled bear,

white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...

. The spectacled bear is very rare and possibly extinct.Ocetá, una de las últimas maravillas ambientales
- El Tiempo The white tailed deer, the main ingredient of the diet of the Muisca and pre-Muisca, has been extensively hunted and captured over time. File:Colca-condor-c03.jpg, Andean condor File:Dasyprocta fuliginosa2.JPG, Black agouti File:CottontallRabbit.jpg, Eastern cottontail File:()Guagua.jpg, Mountain paca File:Oso andino Porcon.jpg, Spectacled bear File:Whitetail-deer-1 - West Virginia - ForestWander.jpg, White-tailed deer

History

The Páramo de Ocetá was a

place for the

, who inhabited the Altiplano Cundiboyacense and surrounding areas before the

Spanish conquest The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its predece ...

.Páramo de Ocetá - the world's most divine and sacred natural beauty
/ref> The region of Monguí was populated by the Sanoa tribe.

Sights

Along the route from Monguí to the highest point of the Ocetá Páramo, a series of sights are present. From most of the route, to the (south)west, a view of the Duitama-Sogamoso Valley, especially the settlements of

Tibasosa Tibasosa () is a municipality in the Sugamuxi Province, part of the Colombian department of Boyacá. Tibasosa borders Duitama and Nobsa in the north, Nobsa and Sogamoso in the east, Firavitoba in the south and Paipa in the west.

Nobsa Nobsa is a town and municipality in Sugamuxi Province, part of Boyacá department. The urban centre is situated on the Altiplano Cundiboyacense at from the national capital Bogotá at an elevation of . Other parts of the municipality range in ...

and

Duitama Duitama () is a city and municipality in the department of Boyacá. It is the capital of the Tundama Province. Duitama is located northeast of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia and northeast of Tunja, the capital Boyacá. Duitama has ex ...

, is visible. From the ''Mirador de Cóndores'' and the ''Cerro de Águilas'' on clear days it is possible to see the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy and even the Llanos Orientales.Wills et al., 2001, p.118

Tortolitas

The ''Tortolitas'' (English: "Sweethearts") are oval-shaped depressions that were made by the Muisca. They served as "baths" where the Muisca women bore their babies. Close to the Tortolitas, Muisca petroglyphs have been found. File:Tortolitas - Páramo de Ocetá - Mongui - Colombia.jpg, Rock formation where the ''Tortolitas'' are made File:Tortolita 1 - Páramo de Ocetá - Monguí - Colombia.jpg, ''Tortolita'' File:Tortolita 2 - Páramo de Ocetá - Monguí - Colombia.jpg, ''Tortolita'' File:Muisca Petroglyphs - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Muisca petroglyphs File:Muisca Petroglyph 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Muisca petroglyph File:Muisca Petroglyphs 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Muisca petroglyphs

Peña de Otí

The ''Peña de Otí'' (English: "Rock of Otí") is an

outcrop An outcrop or rocky outcrop is a visible exposure of bedrock or ancient superficial deposits on the surface of the Earth. Features Outcrops do not cover the majority of the Earth's land surface because in most places the bedrock or superficial ...

of alternating

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

s and

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...

s of the

. It is observed to the southwest from the main trail leading to the ''Mirador de los Cóndores'' on the páramo. The rocks of the ''Peña de Otí'' were used to construct the churches and convent in Monguí. Legends about the Peña include tales of witches dancing with the devil on October 31, the origin of the scratches on the rock face from the devil who was riding a donkey on the hilltop and fell down, when the hoofs created the scratches and that the hill opened one day revealing the Calicanto Bridge and church made of gold. The end of the world would come when the hill closed again.Recursos y reservas naturales - Monguí
/ref>

Caja del Rey

The ''Caja del Rey'' (English: "The King's Box") is a

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive rock (geology), stone or rock, such as some mountains. For instance, Savandurga, Savandurga mountain is a monolith mountain in India. Erosion usually exposes the geological for ...

of about high, wide and long. Legend says it is a box of rock with a lid on top where the ''

cacique A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...

'' Sanoha hid a fifteen-year-old girl inside, who during a night in April exited naked. The monolith contains an upper part where a natural fractured zone has been excavated more by humans. The rock is also a viewpoint for the western area.

Ciudad de Piedra

''Ciudad de Piedra'' or ''Ciudad Perdida'' (English: "The Stone or Lost City"), not to be confused with its famous counterpart in the

Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: ''Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha'') is an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia, separate from the Andes range that runs through the north of the country. Reaching an elevation of ...

, is a series of rock formations of high, wide and long.Visita el Páramo de Ocetá
/ref> In the ''Ciudad de Piedra'', a tabular stone, thought to have served for

human sacrifices Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more humans as part of a ritual, which is usually intended to please or appease gods, a human ruler, an authoritative/priestly figure or spirits of dead ancestors or as a retainer sacrifice, wherein ...

, called ''Mesa de los Sacrificios'' is present.Monguí - caravana de comercio, industria y turismo
/ref> ''El Pulpito del Diablo'' (English: "The Devil's Pulpit") is a raised mesa-type hill to the south of the main hiking trail on the Páramo de Ocetá. File:Ciudad de Piedra Entrance - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Ciudad de Piedra'' File:Ciudad de Piedra - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Ciudad de Piedra'' File:Ciudad de Piedra Moss - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Moss at the ''Ciudad de Piedra'' File:Ciudad de Piedra Moss 2 - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Moss at the ''Ciudad de Piedra'' File:Mesa de los Sacrificios - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Mesa de los Sacrificios'' File:El Pulpito del Diablo - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''El Pulpito del Diablo''

Playa de los Frailejones

The ''Playa'' or ''Valle de Frailejones'' or ''Jardines de Ocetá'' (English: "Frailejon Beach or Valley" or "Ocetá Gardens") is a relatively flat portion on the páramo where a large quantity of frailejones are growing. The frailejones grow a year.

Cerro de Águilas

The ''Cerro de Águilas'' (English: "Eagles Hill") is a hill on the páramo consisting of alternating shales and sandstone formations of the Guadalupe Group.

Mirador de Cóndores

The ''Mirador de Cóndores'' (English: "Condor Viewpoint") is the highest point of the páramo and offers a view on the Laguna Negra.

s can be sighted from this viewpoint.

Laguna Negra

''Laguna Negra'' (English: "Black Lake") is a permanent lake on the páramo that can be viewed from the ''Cerro de Águilas'' or the ''Mirador de Cóndores''. The lake drains towards Mongua and it is possible to reach from that village. Legend tells that a young boy is living in the lake, whose singing can be heard close to the Penagos waterfall.Hurtado Caro, 2012

Tourism

The Ocetá Páramo is mostly accessed from Monguí along the ''Camino de la Otra Vida''; a full-day hike, ascending and back descending , that takes between six and eleven hours. A steep and pebbly access to the Ocetá Páramo is indicated with a gate called ''Portal de la Gloria''. It is possible to access the páramo by horse and do

wild camping Wild camping or dispersed camping is the act of camping in areas other than designated camping sites. Typically this means open countryside. This can form part of backpacking (hiking), or bikepacking, possibly along a long-distance trail. Cou ...

on the páramo. The use of a trained guide is recommended, as the journey contains many paths and the sudden mist can be cold and dangerous due to the loss of orientation.Hiking the most beautiful páramo of Colombia
/ref> The best months to visit the páramo are November and December. An alternative route towards the Ocetá Páramo starts in Mongua and reaches the Laguna Negra first. File:La Otra Vida - Access to Páramo de Ocetá - Monguí.jpg, Camino ''La Otra Vida''; access from Monguí to the Páramo File:Portal de la Gloria - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, ''Portal de la Gloria'' File:No hunting or making fires - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Hunting and making fires is forbidden File:Wild Camping - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Wild camping on the Ocetá Páramo File:Parque de Mongua 4.JPG, Mongua gives an alternative access to the Páramo File:Cabalgata - Páramo de Ocetá.jpg, Horseriders on the Páramo

Named after Ocetá

* A hotel in the town of Monguí * A hotel in

, the capital of Boyacá

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * *

External links

*
Páramo de Ocetá: le plus beau désert du monde
{{DEFAULTSORT:Oceta Paramo Páramos Geography of Boyacá Department Tourist attractions in Boyacá Department Muisca and pre-Muisca sites