Mavicure: A Journey to the Ancestral Heart of Guainía
By Tierra Querida
A woman sits at the edge of the world, facing a landscape that seems torn from the dream of a god. The scene is real: she gazes upon the Mavicure Hills, three dark granite colossi rising from the jungle heart of Guainía, as if they were the echo of an ancient force still whispering through the wind and stone.
Far from conventional routes and the noise of crowds, this corner of Colombia remains nearly untouched. It is a natural, cultural, and spiritual sanctuary that connects us to the Earth and to ourselves. For the Piapoco, Curripaco, and Puinave Indigenous peoples, the hills are not just rock formations—they are sacred beings, living spirits that protect their cosmology and territory.
Mavicure is not a place you “visit.” It is a place you listen to, respect, and feel.
How to Get to Mavicure
The journey to this magical enclave begins with a flight from Bogotá to Puerto Inírida, the capital of Guainía. From there, a 2 to 3-hour boat ride along the Inírida River takes you to the base of the hills. The journey itself is an experience: the river cuts through endless jungle, reflecting the sky like a liquid mirror.
In the distance, like an apparition, rise Mavicure, Mono, and Pajarito, silhouetted against the horizon. Access is regulated and only allowed with authorized Indigenous guides, as this is sacred territory.
What to Do in Mavicure
- Climb Cerro Mavicure
A demanding hike over living rock that ends with a breathtaking view. From the summit, the river winds like a golden thread through the untouched forest. - Explore a living culture
Sleep in traditional malokas, listen to myths around the fire, and share with communities who have protected this land for centuries. - Spot pink dolphins at dawn, in one of the places where the Inírida River turns into poetry.
- Visit the Southern River Star, where the Guaviare, Atabapo, and Inírida Rivers merge to form the majestic Orinoco.
Mavicure is not a destination. It’s a calling.
Traveling to Mavicure is not just tourism—it’s making contact with something greater. Here, nature doesn’t shout; it whispers. That’s why it’s essential to go with responsible local operators who work directly with the communities and protect both their economy and spiritual heritage.
This experience goes beyond admiring the landscape. It’s about transformation. About leaving behind the rush and reconnecting with what truly matters.
The river’s elders say Mavicure is a sleeping spirit.
And those who visit never return the same.
Because deep in the heart of Guainía, Colombia still holds a living heart of jungle, stone, and ancient wisdom.
💚 Have you packed your backpack yet?
Mavicure is waiting—not as a tourist, but as a witness to the sacred.
A calling that comes from the soul of our Tierra Querida.