Bogotá's Classic Theme Park

Salitre Mágico is Colombia's most popular theme park, located in the Salitre district of Bogotá, the Colombian capital, within the large Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar complex. Founded in 1994, the park is directly adjacent to Bogotá's major events venues and urban park, making it extraordinarily accessible to the city's 8 million residents.

Urban Accessibility

Salitre Mágico benefits from an unbeatable location in central Bogotá, surrounded by the Simón Bolívar park and close to major transport routes. For Bogotanos, the park is a natural choice for weekend family outings — no long journey required — which contributes to its consistently high visitor numbers.

Attractions & Rides

The park caters to all ages with a broad range of attractions:

• Roller coasters — including high-speed steel coasters for thrill-seekers
• Splash Zone — water ride attractions popular during Bogotá's warmer months
• Children's World — a dedicated zone with gentle rides for the youngest visitors
• Ferris wheel — a landmark offering views over the Salitre park and Bogotá
• Extreme rides — drop towers and inverting rides for the most daring visitors
• Live shows — theatrical productions and character experiences

Cultural Events

Salitre Mágico hosts major seasonal events including Halloween celebrations, Christmas festivities, and special programming during Colombian school holidays. These events are among the most popular family outings in Bogotá's annual calendar.

A Bogotá Institution

Since opening in the 1990s, Salitre Mágico has become an integral part of Bogotá's identity as a family city. Millions of Bogotanos have childhood memories tied to the park, and it continues to draw new generations of visitors.

Bogotá's Adventure Theme Park

Mundo Aventura is one of Bogotá's most popular amusement parks, located in the Kennedy district of the Colombian capital. As an urban theme park serving Bogotá's large working-class south and west districts, Mundo Aventura fills an important role in providing affordable family entertainment to a broad cross-section of the city's population.

Attractions & Rides

The park features a diverse mix of rides and attractions designed for all ages:

• Boomerang — the park's signature inverting steel coaster
• Kamikaze — a suspended thrill ride
• Water World — splash rides and water attractions
• Drop Tower — a free-fall experience
• Children's area — a full range of junior rides and activities
• Arcade zone — indoor games and redemption attractions

Family Focus

Mundo Aventura is specifically designed to be a complete family destination, with rides calibrated for children, teenagers, and adults. The park's pricing is positioned to be accessible to Bogotá's broad middle and working-class population, giving it a democratic character that makes it popular across the city's diverse communities.

Events & Celebrations

The park is a popular venue for birthday parties and school group visits. Seasonal events during school holidays, Christmas, and Halloween attract large crowds from across the Kennedy and surrounding districts.

Southern Bogotá's Entertainment Hub

Located in the Kennedy district, Mundo Aventura serves the densely populated south and west of Bogotá — areas that between them house more people than many major South American cities. The park's location makes it the default amusement destination for millions of Bogotanos.

Colombia's Finest Zoo

Zoológico Santa Fe is Colombia's most celebrated zoo, located in the heart of Medellín, the capital of Antioquia and Colombia's second-largest city. Founded in 1960, it is one of the oldest zoological institutions in South America and is widely regarded as the benchmark for zoo excellence in Colombia.

A Zoo in the Urban Jungle

Zoológico Santa Fe is located in the Laureles neighbourhood of Medellín, embedded within the residential fabric of one of Latin America's most dynamic and transformed cities. The zoo's lush tropical vegetation, fed by Medellín's year-round spring-like climate (known as the "City of Eternal Spring"), creates an extraordinarily verdant setting.

Animal Collection

The zoo houses over 2,500 animals representing approximately 200 species, with exceptional depth in Colombian and South American species:

• Hippopotamus — the zoo houses one of South America's most famous hippo populations, descended from animals that escaped Pablo Escobar's private zoo
• Jaguars and pumas — Colombia's native big cats
• Giant anteaters and tapirs
• Amazon river dolphins (boto) — extraordinarily rare in captivity
• Spectacled bears — the only bear species native to South America, found in the Colombian Andes
• Andean condors — Colombia's iconic high-altitude bird
• Primates — over 15 species including spider monkeys, howler monkeys, and endemic Colombian species
• Reptiles — caimans, anacondas, and the Orinoco crocodile

The Escobar Hippo Connection

Zoológico Santa Fe is connected to one of the most unusual wildlife stories in the world. Pablo Escobar imported hippopotamuses to his Hacienda Nápoles estate in the 1980s. After his death, the hippos escaped into the Magdalena River, where a wild population has since established itself. Santa Fe Zoo has been involved in study and management of this extraordinary phenomenon.

Conservation Excellence

The zoo is a leader in conservation of Colombian endemic species, with particularly significant programmes for the spectacled bear, Andean condor, and Colombian spider monkey. It collaborates extensively with Colombian government agencies and international organisations.

Colombia's Most Innovative Wildlife Park

Bioparque La Reserva is one of the most modern and ethically progressive wildlife parks in South America, located in Cota, Cundinamarca, approximately 20 kilometres northwest of Bogotá. Opened in 2007, it was designed from the outset as a next-generation biopark — prioritising naturalistic habitats, conservation science, and immersive education over traditional zoo display.

Biopark Philosophy

La Reserva takes its mission seriously: animals are housed in large, landscaped habitats modelled on their natural ecosystems, and conservation education is woven into every aspect of the visitor experience. The park collaborates closely with Colombian government wildlife agencies and international conservation organisations.

Animal Collection

The park focuses on species native to Colombia and the broader Neotropical region:

• Spectacled bears — the only bear species in South America, found in the Colombian Andes
• Jaguars and pumas — Colombia's apex predators
• Giant anteaters and giant armadillos
• Tapirs — the largest land mammal in South America
• Andean condors — among the most significant birds in all of South America
• Capybaras, peccaries, and marsh deer
• Primates — spider monkeys, howler monkeys, and woolly monkeys
• Birds of prey — harpy eagles, king vultures, and Andean hawks

Conservation of Colombian Species

Bioparque La Reserva runs Colombia's most important captive breeding programme for the spectacled bear, and contributes significantly to Andean condor conservation in partnership with the Colombian Ministry of Environment. The park has been involved in successful condor reintroduction programmes in the Colombian Andes.

Location & Access

Located in the Sabana de Bogotá plateau near Cota, the park is easily reached by car from Bogotá in under 30 minutes. Its rural setting provides fresh highland air and beautiful savannah landscapes as a backdrop to the visit.

One of South America's Finest Zoos

Zoológico de Cali is consistently ranked among the best zoos in South America and is the most visited zoo in Colombia, located in the heart of Cali, the country's third-largest city and the capital of Valle del Cauca. Founded in 1969, the zoo occupies a 10-hectare site on the banks of the Cali River and has received numerous international awards for animal welfare, education, and conservation.

Award-Winning Institution

Zoológico de Cali has been recognised by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) and consistently earns top ratings in South American zoo rankings. Its combination of high-quality animal care, naturalistic habitats, and conservation programming sets it apart from most zoos on the continent.

Outstanding Animal Collection

The zoo houses over 2,400 animals representing 238 species, with exceptional depth in Colombian and Neotropical fauna:

• Jaguars — housed in one of the finest jaguar exhibits in South America
• Spectacled bears — Andean bear species with an active breeding programme
• Manatees — extraordinarily rare in captivity; Cali Zoo runs a pioneering manatee rescue and rehabilitation programme
• Giant river otters — the world's largest otter, endangered in the wild
• Anacondas — massive exhibits for Colombia's largest snake
• Orinoco crocodile — one of the world's most endangered reptiles
• Primates — over 20 species including woolly monkeys, spider monkeys, and night monkeys
• Birds — over 150 species including harpy eagles, scarlet macaws, and Andean condors

Manatee Conservation Programme

The zoo's manatee rescue and rehabilitation programme is internationally recognised as one of the most successful in the world. Cali Zoo has rescued, rehabilitated, and returned dozens of Amazonian manatees to the wild — a genuinely extraordinary conservation achievement.

Location in Cali

The zoo's central location on the Cali River makes it easily reachable from across the city. It is surrounded by the tree-lined Avenida Roosvelt and serves as a green oasis in the urban centre of one of South America's most vibrant cities.

Colombia's Caribbean City Zoo

Zoológico de Barranquilla is the zoological garden of Barranquilla, Colombia's fourth-largest city and the country's principal Caribbean port. Founded in 1978, the zoo is located in the Jardín Botánico de Barranquilla and serves as the primary wildlife and environmental education institution for Colombia's Caribbean coast region.

Tropical Caribbean Setting

Barranquilla's tropical Caribbean climate — hot, humid, and vibrantly colourful — shapes the zoo experience. The grounds are lush with tropical vegetation, and the animal collection reflects the extraordinary biodiversity of Colombia's Caribbean lowlands, the Ciénaga Grande wetlands, and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains nearby.

Animal Collection

The zoo houses a diverse range of Colombian and international species:

• Jaguars and pumas — Colombia's native big cats
• Manatees — the zoo participates in Caribbean manatee conservation, one of the most endangered marine mammals in the region
• American crocodiles and caimans — from Colombia's Caribbean wetlands
• Flamingos — the Caribbean flamingo, found naturally along Colombia's coast
• Capybaras and tapirs — large mammals of the Colombian interior
• Spider monkeys and howler monkeys
• Scarlet macaws and Amazon parrots — birds of the tropical north
• Anacondas and boa constrictors

Botanical Garden Integration

The zoo is integrated with the Jardín Botánico de Barranquilla, creating a combined natural history destination. The botanical gardens contain hundreds of tropical plant species from the Colombian Caribbean region, and the combination of flora and fauna makes a visit to this institution a comprehensive encounter with Caribbean Colombian biodiversity.

Caribbean Coast Cultural Hub

Barranquilla is the home of Colombia's most famous carnival — the Carnaval de Barranquilla, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. The zoo reflects the city's vibrant, colourful Caribbean character and is a popular destination for the millions of residents of the Barranquilla metropolitan area.