Colombia's untapped wonder: The Mavecure Mountains

The Americas Colombia's untapped wonder: The Mavecure Mountains Updated May 30, 20266:00 AM ET Originally published May 30, 20266:00 AM ET By  John Otis Sunset casts a warm glow over Colombia's remote Mavecure Mountains, where three towering rock formations rise above the Amazon jungle. John Otis/NPR hide caption toggle caption John Otis/NPR MAVECURE, Colombia – It's barely sunup in the Amazon rainforest but the sound of howler monkeys, parrots and frogs serve as nature's alarm clock. Along with a couple of friends from the U.S., I'm in eastern Colombia, a stone's throw from Venezuela. All around the landscape is green and pancake-flat to the horizon. Or so it seems. For as we start hiking, we spot three massive rock formations dramatically jutting up some 2,000 feet from the jungle floor. These are the Cerros de Mavecure, or the Mavecure mountains. They consist of three massive buttes of sandstone, shale and quartz that are barren and rounded at the top. They remind me of Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, but there's nothing sweet about the name. "Mavecure" refers to the poison-dart blowguns used by the Indigenous groups here for hunting. Sponsor Message Our guide, Ignacio Rodriguez, says the site is sacred for the area's Puinave and Curipaco Indians who often climb these ridges to leave offerings to the spirits. As she takes in the view, Marcela Sánchez, an industrial engineer from the Colombian city of Cali, says: "It's divine." Getting to the top of the smallest of the three peaks in the 90-degree heat takes a couple of hours and buckets of sweat. The route is rigged with guide ropes and ladders and there are scenic overlooks to stop for water. The climb turns out to be well worth it. To me, Mavecure seems as monumental as Machu Picchu. It's also a prime example of why Colombia holds so much potential for tourism. Besides the Amazon jungle, Colombia is home to Caribbean beaches and three Andean Mountain ranges. Such biodiversity makes it a bird-watcher'...