San Agustín () is a town and municipality in the southern
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
n
Department of
Huila. The town is located 227 km away from the capital of the Department,
Neiva. Population is around 34,000.
The village was founded in 1752 by Alejo Astudillo but attacks by indigenous people destroyed it. The present village was founded in 1790 by Lucas de Herazo y Mendigaña.
The mean temperature year round is 18 °C.
Climate
San Agustín has a
subtropical highland climate
An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring c ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
: ''Cfb'')
with warm temperatures and frequent rainfall.
San Agustín Archaeological Park
The area is very well known for its
pre-Columbian
In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European col ...
archaeological sites belonging to the ancient
San Agustin culture. These sites comprise the
San Agustín Archaeological Park, which generates significant revenue to the economy due to the high volume of tourists, both Colombian and foreigners. This site was declared a
UNESCO World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
in 1995.
Gallery
File:Iglesia de San Agustín, San Agustín, Colombia 01.jpg, Church of San Agustín
File:La Chaquira, San Agustín.JPG, Stone carving
File:Fruits au marché de San Agustin.JPG, Market
File:Alto de las Piedras-Mound IV Dolmen III 04.jpg, San Agustín Archaeological Park
See also
*
List of megalithic sites
This is a list of monoliths organized according to the size of the largest block of stone on the site. A monolith is a large stone which has been used to build a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. In this list at l ...
External links
Video and downloadable GPS Track of a loop hike in San Agustinto the ruins of El Tablon, La Chaquira, El Purutal, and La Pelota.
*
*
Unesco's website on San Agustin
References
Municipalities of Huila Department
Archaeological parks
Archaeological sites in Colombia
Populated places established in 1752
1750s establishments in the Viceroyalty of New Granada
1752 establishments in South America
Populated places established in 1790
1790s establishments in the Viceroyalty of New Granada
1790 establishments in South America
Tourist attractions in Huila Department
World Heritage Sites in Colombia
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