Characteristics of the Colombian relief

If you want to travel to Colombia it is necessary that you take into account its entire territory to know how far you want to go or what places you want to visit. Colombia has some fantastic places that are worth knowing, for that reason it is necessary that you be aware of the places that exist in Colombia.

In addition, if you are a person who likes mountains and relief, then do not miss the Colombian relief to enjoy all its beauty.

The Colombian territory

The Colombian territory is divided into a mountainous and spectacular region to the west and a more plant region to the east. Both regions have many charms so It is worth knowing them all to enjoy them and that you can choose the one you like the most to visit it more than once.

Mountainous region

The Colombian mountainous region constitutes the Andes mountain range that enters Colombia through the department of Nariño. At this point, the Massif de los Pastos is formed where a branch emerges to the left –that is why it is called the Western Cordillera. Towards the right follow the departments of Cauca and Huila, where the Colombian Massif is formed and forks into the Central and Eastern mountain ranges.

These three mountain ranges, together with Sierra Nevada de Marta and Sierra de la Macarena, as well as other smaller ones, are those that define the topographic characteristics of the country. Without a doubt, each and every one of them is very beautiful and has incredible landscapes that allow you to see and enjoy nature in all its splendor.

Three distinct zones of Colombian relief

Ultimately we can say that the Colombian relief is made up of three zones different:

• The mountainous area. This area has a mountain range with the Andes and the flat relief that borders as well as the peripheral relief.
• The Andean system. The Andean system is the result of the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is characterized by being a place on our planet that has volcanoes or earthquakes.
• Los Andes which are divided into three different mountain ranges: the Central Cordillera, the Western Cordillera and the Eastern Cordillera.

The three mountain ranges

The Western Cordillera

The Western Cordillera is the smallest of the three mountain ranges. It is 1200 kilometers long and it is the one that separates the Cauca River from the Pacific plain, which has a maximum altitude of more than 4000 meters.

The Central Mountain Range

The Central Mountain Range is the oldest of all, from it the others and the orographic branches were formed. It is 1000 kilometers long and is in charge of separating the Cauca and Magdalena valleys. It has a great volcanic activity and has some very important elevations such as the Nevados de Huila or Tolima.

The eastern mountain range

The eastern mountain range it emerges from the Colombian Massif and has a length of 1300 kilometers. It has different plateaus of great width and is in charge of separating the Andean system from the eastern plains. It has very important elevations such as the Nevado de Cocuy.

Lowlands

We can also find the lowlands such as the plains of Amazonia, the Caribbean, the Orinoquia and the Pacific.

The Orinoquia

The Orinoquia is a very extensive plain that is stepped and has many rivers that run towards the Orinoco. It has a lot of savanna vegetation but it ends in the Macarena mountain range, which is no less than 2000 meters high.

The Amazon

Towards the southwest we can find the Amazon, which is a plain where it is quite hot and a very humid environment, something that causes large jungles and many rivers that flow into the great Amazon.

The Caribbean plain

To the north we can find the Caribbean plain, which has as its main elevation and as I mentioned before, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which is the mountain that is closest to the sea in the world. This image is spectacular and without a doubt it is worth traveling to see it with your own eyes.

The rest of the territory is a plain that is lower and that is why it tends to have floods throughout the year caused by different rivers.

The Pacific Plain

If you go further west you can find the Pacific plain where you will also find covered with jungles that have a lot of rains –more than in the whole world-. Several mountainous areas such as Darién stand out with heights of about two thousand meters.

The flat region of the Colombian relief

In short, it deserves to mention all the geographic regions of Colombia which are flat in addition to those discussed above. The flattest lands are located east of the Eastern Cordillera, west of the Occidental Cordillera in the north of the country. In addition, it is also made up of the inter-Andean valleys and highlands, which are made up of various territories:

• The Eastern Plains (Orinoquia and Amazonia)
• The Orinoco Apoporis region of the precambrian
• The inter-Andean valleys of the Magdalena and Cauca rivers
• The Aburra valley
• The Sinu valley

In addition, the main highlands are in the valleys of:

• ubate
• chiquinquira
• Sogamoso
• La Sabana de Bogotá, and other minors

As you can see, the Colombian relief has a lot to show the world because it has corners that are really incredible. It is worth taking a trip just to get to know it and enjoy nature in all its splendor. Although I advise you that if you decide to go visit the Colombian reliefThe best thing you can do in any case is to hire the services of a guide, especially if you don't know the area. In this way, it can show you all the best parts of the areas you want to know. Although it is true that hiring the services of a guide can be quite expensive, the reality is that it is worth it because you will make sure you do not get lost, that you always go the right way and that you get to know every corner of this wonderful area of ​​the world.

Have you ever traveled the colombian relief? And what was the part that you liked the most of all? Tell us!