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NATURALIST'S GUIDE TO THE AMERICAS 



(CDE.) Points from which mountain 

 forests, mountain sabanas, and paramos 

 may be advantageously studied. Unless 

 the purpose of an expedition requires 

 otherwise, the ascent of mountain trails 

 should be undertaken during the months 

 of least rain, January and February, 

 July and August. 



a. For the Western Cordillera: Fron- 

 tino in western Antioquia to be reached 

 by trail from Medellin, or via boat from 

 Cartagena up the Rio Atrato and Rio 

 Sucio to Pabarandocito in the Choc6, 

 thence by trail; Santuario in western 

 Caldas, to be reached by trail from 

 Medellin (5 days), Manizales (two days), 

 or La Virginia (one day), the last acces- 

 sible by steamboat down the Rio Cauca 

 from Call; La Cumbre in El Valle, 

 on the railroad from Buenaventura to 

 Cali. 



b. For the western slope of the Cen- 

 tral Cordillera: Pereira and Manizales in 

 Caldas, Pereira to be reached by railroad 

 from Cali and Buenaventura, Manizales 

 to be reached by trails from Medellin (5 

 days), San Francisco (1 day) and Mari- 

 quita (3 days) — from either are trails and 

 paths up into the Quindio; Salento in 

 Caldas on the Old Quindio Trail two days 

 from Cartago on the Rio Cauca and two 

 daj^s from Ibague in Tolima (probably 

 now best reached from Ibague by cross- 

 trail from Armenia on the New Quindio 

 Trail) — an excellent point for working 

 in the Quindio; Palmira and Buga in 

 EI Valle, reached by railroad from 

 Cali — from whence trails go up into the 

 Cordillera; Popaydn in El Cauca, to be 

 reached from Cali by the recently con- 

 structed railway' — from Popayan are 

 trails into and over the Coconucos; 

 Pasto in Nariuo, to be reached by trail 

 from Popaydn (7 days) or from Quito 

 in Ecuador (7 days) — eastward and 

 southward are trails into and across 

 the Cordillera. 



c. For the eastern slope of the Central 

 Cordillera: Mariquita, San Lorenzo, and 

 Ibagu6 in Tolima, all to be reached by 

 railroad from the Rio Magdalena — 



• Present activity in construction will soon make 

 many remote places accessible by rail. 



from these towns are many trails into 

 the Cordillera; from Popaydn in El 

 Cauca over the Central Cordillera to its 

 eastern slopes in Huila and Caquetd. 



d. For the Eastern Cordillera: Ocana 

 in Norte de Santander, to be reached 

 by trail from Gamarra on the Rio 

 Magdalena — from Ocana, just over the 

 divide toward the valley of the Cata- 

 tumbo, a trail continues to Cucuta; 

 Bucaramanga in Santander, to be 

 reached by trail from Puerto Wilches on 

 the Rio Magdalena or by boat up the 

 Rio Lebrija and thence by trail — the 

 best point for reaching the Pamplona 

 highlands; Bogota in Cundinamarca, 

 to be reached by railroad from Girardot 

 on the Rio Magdalena — from the capital 

 are railroads across the Sabana de 

 Bogota north to Zipaquira and Nemo- 

 con, connecting with auto-bus for 

 Tunja in Boyacd, and south to Sibat6, 

 while trails radiate through the high- 

 lands of Cundinamarca and Boyaca and 

 cross the eastern Cordillera to Cdqueza 

 on its eastern slope and Villavicencio 

 at its eastern base; Neiva in Huila, 

 to be reached by trail (5 days) from 

 Girardot on the Rio Magdalena — from 

 whence are trails into the Cordillera 

 and from slightly to the south across to 

 Florencia in Caquetd. 



e. For the Sierra Nevada de Santa 

 Marta: Santa Marta in Magdalena — 

 giving ready access by trails to the lower 

 slopes but only with much difficulty 

 to the upper highlands; Valle de Upar, 

 to be reached by trail from the Carib- 

 bean port of Rio Hacha, or from El 

 Banco on the Rio Magdalena by steamer 

 (except in dry season) up the Rio Cesar 

 to El Paso, thence by trail — giving 

 access by trails up the gentler south- 

 eastern slopes of the Sierra to its upper 

 levels and to snow. Also from Valle 

 de Upar the ascent of the Sierra de 

 Perijd (properly a part of the Eastern 

 Cordillera), lying to the southeast, 

 may be made. — F. W. P. 



Santa Marta. An area 60 by 250 mi., 

 the altitude ranging from sea level to 

 19,000 ft. Dry savannahs exist on the 

 west, east, and south sides, and rain 



