Discover Providencia Ecological Park
-On World Animal Day, Providencia Ecological Park stands out as a space that allows for conscious interaction with nature.
-Its model combines active conservation and nature tourism in a guided environment accessible to the public.
A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that contact with nature improves mental health, reduces stress, and enhances overall well-being. However, for these environments to continue fulfilling that role, it is necessary to engage with them consciously, ensuring their protection. Therefore, on the occasion of World Animal Day, celebrated every October 4th, the conversation about human well-being also involves recognizing the value of conserving ecosystems and the species that inhabit them.
The benefits that natural environments offer to people are possible thanks to the ecosystems that sustain them and the biodiversity that inhabits them. Colombia, with its variety of climates, thermal floors, and ecological regions, concentrates a biological biodiversity that makes it a key territory for conservation. This wealth is not only an environmental asset, but also a responsibility for its protection.
In Valle del Cauca, one of the departments with the greatest ecosystemic diversity in the country, Providencia Ecological Park has become a space for active conservation of biodiversity and ecotourism. Created in 2016 by Providencia as part of its sustainability strategy, the park contributes to the conservation of the Amaime River basin and promotes a model that demonstrates that it is possible to responsibly inhabit nature through educational activities, guided tours, and experiences that strengthen the connection with the environment.
A space designed for conservation and education
Providencia Ecological Park spans 524 hectares divided into two areas: the Providencia Reserve (414 hectares), located in the upper part of the Amaime River basin, and the Piedechinche Hacienda (110 hectares), where public activities are held. While the Reserve focuses on the protection of strategic ecosystems, the Hacienda integrates actions of ecological restoration, wildlife monitoring, and programs for students, visitors, and organized groups.
The experience at the Park combines guided tours along ecological trails, birdwatching areas, and cultural activities that allow visitors to explore the environment safely and with guidance. Among the most visited spaces are the Bird Garden and the Caracolí Trail, where local species can be observed in an environment designed to attract them, as well as a shaded walk through native trees.
This tour, designed to strengthen people’s relationship with the natural environment without disrupting its balance, is not just recreational. By visiting the Park, people also connect with a conservation and restoration business project with concrete impacts on biodiversity. Since its creation, more than 380,000 trees of native species have been planted, focusing on the recovery of the Tropical Dry Forest and the High Andean Forest. These ecosystems, among the most threatened in the country, play a key role in climate and water regulation, soil protection, and habitat for sensitive species.
To date, more than 110 hectares of vegetation cover have been restored, and nearly 300 bird species have been recorded. Through monitoring with camera traps and scientific records, the Park has also documented the presence of species like the cane fox and the jaguarundi, which directly depend on these ecosystems for survival.
This project has been key to monitoring wildlife in restored areas. Thanks to this tool, the presence of mammals such as the puma (Puma concolor), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), and soche deer (Mazama rufina), as well as numerous species of birds and small nocturnal mammals, has also been recorded. These findings confirm the ecological value of the Park as a refuge for native wildlife, in addition to its contribution of technical information to guide conservation actions in the area.
Services, spaces, and visitor access
Providencia Ecological Park is open to the public through guided tours. These tours offer firsthand knowledge of the richness of the Tropical Dry Forest, birdwatching at various points on the property, and walking ecological trails. Additionally, there are complementary spaces such as the La Ramada restaurant, which offers typical dishes like valluna pork chop, empanadas, and sugarcane guarapo, alongside a store with local products and a meeting room for educational or corporate events.
Access is by prior reservation and in guided tour format. The general fee is $19,000 COP, with discounts available for school groups, senior citizens, international visitors, birdwatchers, and institutional guests. The parking area also has spaces for private vehicles, buses, and motorcycles.
A space designed for conservation and education
Providencia Ecological Park spans 524 hectares divided into two areas: the Providencia Reserve (414 hectares), located in the upper part of the Amaime River basin, and the Piedechinche Hacienda (110 hectares), where public activities are held. While the Reserve focuses on the protection of strategic ecosystems, the Hacienda integrates actions of ecological restoration, wildlife monitoring, and programs for students, visitors, and organized groups.
The experience at the Park combines guided tours along ecological trails, birdwatching areas, and cultural activities that allow visitors to explore the environment safely and with guidance. Among the most visited spaces are the Bird Garden and the Caracolí Trail, where local species can be observed in an environment designed to attract them, as well as a shaded walk through native trees.
This tour, designed to strengthen people’s relationship with the natural environment without disrupting its balance, is not just recreational. By visiting the Park, people also connect with a conservation and restoration business project with concrete impacts on biodiversity. Since its creation, more than 380,000 trees of native species have been planted, focusing on the recovery of the Tropical Dry Forest and the High Andean Forest. These ecosystems, among the most threatened in the country, play a key role in climate and water regulation, soil protection, and habitat for sensitive species.
To date, more than 110 hectares of vegetation cover have been restored, and nearly 300 bird species have been recorded. Through monitoring with camera traps and scientific records, the Park has also documented the presence of species like the cane fox and the jaguarundi, which directly depend on these ecosystems for survival.
This project has been key to monitoring wildlife in restored areas. Thanks to this tool, the presence of mammals such as the puma (Puma concolor), ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), and soche deer (Mazama rufina), as well as numerous species of birds and small nocturnal mammals, has also been recorded. These findings confirm the ecological value of the Park as a refuge for native wildlife, in addition to its contribution of technical information to guide conservation actions in the area.
Services, spaces, and visitor access
Providencia Ecological Park is open to the public through guided tours. These tours offer firsthand knowledge of the richness of the Tropical Dry Forest, birdwatching at various points on the property, and walking ecological trails. Additionally, there are complementary spaces such as the La Ramada restaurant, which offers typical dishes like valluna pork chop, empanadas, and sugarcane guarapo, alongside a store with local products and a meeting room for educational or corporate events.
Access is by prior reservation and in guided tour format. The general fee is $19,000 COP, with discounts available for school groups, senior citizens, international visitors, birdwatchers, and institutional guests. The parking area also has spaces for private vehicles, buses, and motorcycles.
A commitment that transcends the landscape
The commemoration of World Animal Day invites us to reflect on the need to protect not only species but also the spaces they inhabit. Nature offers real benefits to people: health, balance, and well-being. Therefore, protecting it is also a way of giving back what we receive from it. At Providencia Ecological Park, this task translates into concrete land management that promotes conservation, education, and responsible access to ecosystems.
“The existence of this Park demonstrates that the private sector can play an active role in the recovery and protection of biodiversity, in coordination with communities and the environment. At Providencia, we understand that conservation is a corporate responsibility, which is why we seek to create shared value by protecting biodiversity, educating from the land, and offering people a conscious and enjoyable way to inhabit nature,” said María Leonor Velásquez Rasch, director of Providencia Ecological Park.