Mountainous Purace National Park, south of Cali, encompasses an impressive collection of volcanoes, thermal springs, rivers and waterfalls accessible by hiking trails. It's a large park, covering some 320 sq mi/830 sq km.
Along the way you may encounter some of the rarest animals on the continent: Andean spectacled bear, mountain tapir and Andean pudu (rabbit deer). Purace National Park is also the home of three impressive, equally rare birds: the enormous condor, the iridescent quetzal, and the pompous and colorful cock-of-the-rock. Most visitors interested in seeing the animals stay in the town of Popayan, but there are also accommodations and camping areas in the park.
Check the conditions before you head out: FARC is rumored to still operate there, though tourists usually aren't targeted unless they are mistaken for members of the paramilitary forces (who can be just as dangerous).
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