The Paramillo Massif (''Nudo de Paramillo'') is a mountain range of the

Tropical Andes The Tropical Andes is northern of the three climate-delineated parts of the Andes, the others being the Dry Andes and the Wet Andes. The Tropical Andes' area spans . Geography and ecology file:Andes_clima.png, 200px, Map of the climatic regions ...

System, located at the northern end of the Cordillera Occidental (West Andes) range in

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 ...

Geography

Administratively, the Paramillo Massif is located in the municipalities of

Ituango Ituango is a town and municipality in 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 Pac ...

and Peque in

Antioquia Department ) , anthem = Himno de Antioquia , image_map = Antioquia in Colombia (mainland).svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Antioquia shown in red , image_ma ...

; and Puerto Libertador and Tierralta in Córdoba Department. The municipalities that surround this

massif In geology, a massif ( or ) is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole. The term also refers to a ...

are

Chigorodó Chigorodó () is a town and municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia. Residents * Jaime Castañeda, cyclist Climate Chigorodó has a tropical rainforest climate A tropical rainforest climate, humid tropical climate or equatorial clim ...

Mutatá Mutatá is a municipality in the Colombian department of Antioquia. Climate Mutatá has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist a ...

, Tarazá, Cáceres and Caucasia in Antioquia. This massif is intervisible with several peaks in the

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

, e.g.

Pico Simón Bolívar Pico Simón Bolívar is the second highest mountain in Colombia, with an estimated height of . Pico Bolívar and the neighbouring summit of Pico Cristóbal Colón are the two highest peaks in Colombia and are very nearly equal in elevation. The ...

5,700 m (18,700 ft) in the north of Colombia. This implies a theoretical direct line of sight of just over 500 km (310 mi), reported to be the longest between any two points on the surface of the Earth.

Subranges

This mountainous region gives rise to three smaller ranges that spread northward and recede into the Caribbean plain. *The Abibe Mountains (''Serranía de Abibe'') form a natural border between the

Antioquia Department ) , anthem = Himno de Antioquia , image_map = Antioquia in Colombia (mainland).svg , map_alt = , map_caption = Antioquia shown in red , image_ma ...

and

Córdoba Department Córdoba most commonly refers to: * Córdoba, Spain, a major city in southern Spain and formerly the imperial capital of Islamic Spain * Córdoba, Argentina, 2nd largest city in the country and capital of Córdoba Province Córdoba or Cordoba may ...

. *The San Jerónimo Mountains (''Serranía de San Jerónimo'') separates the watersheds of the San Jorge River and

Sinú River Sinú River (), is a river in northwestern Colombia that flows mostly through the Córdoba Department and into the Caribbean. The river is the third most important river after the Magdalena River and the Cauca River in the Caribbean Region. It ...

. *The Ayapel Mountains (''Serranía de Ayapel'') divides the watersheds of the San Jorge and Cauca Rivers, as well as forming a natural border between Antioquia and Córdoba Departments.

Paramillo Natural National Park

Most of the area is within the Paramillo Natural National Park, which extends from the massif into the lowlands of the Caribbean Plain. The ecosystems found within the massif are characteristic of the

which include

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 ...

and

mountain forests Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

. It is one of two regions where the bird Paramillo tapaculo (''Scytalopus canus''), an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

, is found. One of the massif's highland mammal species is the vulnerable Spectacled bear (''Tremarctos ornatus'').

References

{{Mountain Ranges of Colombia Mountain ranges of Colombia Tropical Andes Geography of Antioquia Department Geography of Córdoba Department Mountain ranges of the Andes