About 25 km from Palomino, 30 minutes by bus, is the Quebrada Valencia park, where bamboo forests, enormous banyan trees and an impressive series of cascades provide shade from the oppressive heat.

BBC: Colombia��s virtually vacant paradise

Ornamental tree varieties like Jacaranda were also planted on the terraces to provide shade, as well as palm trees and fruit trees like papaya.

UNESCO: Ecological Sciences for Sustainable Development