Quick Guide to Visiting: The Colombian National Aviary
Entrance to El Aviario
If you’re in Cartagena and have a half day to spare be sure to visit the recently opened Colombian National Aviary (Aviario Nacional, in Spanish). It has taken 10 years to build, with four years of negotiating with the Chilean Government for a pair Andes Condors, the symbols and crown jewels of the whole park.
Generally, when people think about Colombia birds are probably the furthest thing from their minds, unless you count Sofia Vergara (Sorry, I had to). But with 1,903 different species of bird registered in the country, that's almost twice as many as the entire continental US, Colombia holds the world record for bird diversity. This establishes it as the world’s most bio-diverse country. So it comes to no surprise that the largest Aviary in South America is located here, and lucky for me (and anyone else visiting Cartagena) it’s only a 30 min drive from the city.
The whole property is roughly 7 hectares and at first it feels like you’ve been dropped in the middle of Jurassic Park. Thankfully, instead of pterodactyls you see over 1,800 birds, 138 different species including beautifully colored parrots, elegant flamingos, sassy toucans, a scary looking harpy eagle and a pair of Andes condors among others.
Harpy Eagle, Aviario Nacional de Colombia
Some Tips for your visit:
Cartagena is HOT, as in 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit year round so dress comfortably and consider the timing; I stupidly went at noon and had a rough time because of the heat. I suggest either waking up early for the trip (they open at 8 am) or arriving around 2:00pm when the sun has gone down a bit (the Aviary closes at 4pm so this may cut it a little close). It takes about 2 hours to cover the whole park.
Bring Cash: when I visited they were not accepting credit cards so always have cash on you for the entrance fee and any snacks you may want. Entrance was $35.000 pesos per adult and snacks were not more than $5.000, plan accordingly.
Selva Húmeda Tropical (Tropical Rainforest), Aviario Nacional de Colombia
In the first bird enclosure (the tropical rainforest, or "Selva Humedad Tropical") sit still and quiet for a bit, the birds in this area are small, curious creatures that will come up to you if they feel safe enough. They are observing you as much as you are them!
Staring Contest, Aviario Nacional de Colombia
Try the mango biche frappé: it’s like a frozen lemonade but with unripened mango and lime making it a savory not sweet drink but it is every bit delicious and refreshing, adding salt and pepper is optional (I totally recommend it).
Be aware of your surroundings, there are peacocks, parakeets and swans roaming freely around the park so you don’t want to miss them!
Most importantly, have fun, take lots of pictures and learn a little bit about Colombia’s rich ecosystems, this is definitely a one of a kind experience!
