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Beautiful green canyon with a large mountain in the background

The Central Andes of Colombia (Cordillera Central )

The Central Andes is one of three branches of the Andes mountain range, which traverse Colombia from the south to the north. It is 500 miles long and is home to some of the highest and most prominent peaks in Colombia, including Nevado del Ruiz (17,457 feet), Nevado del Tolima (17,060 feet), and Nevado de Santa Isabel (16,240 feet). These glaciated volcanoes are part of the Los Nevados National Natural Park, a high-altitude ecosystem known for its páramo landscapes, glaciers, and endemic species. Among them, Nevado del Ruiz remains active and dangerous—its 1985 eruption triggered a lahar (volcanic mudflow) that buried the town of Armero and killed over 23,000 people, making it one of the deadliest volcanic disasters in the 20th century.The Cordillera Central also supports one of Colombia’s most vital agricultural regions. Its slopes and valleys are world-renowned for producing high-quality Arabica coffee, and form the core of Colombia’s “Eje Cafetero” or Coffee Axis, a UNESCO-recognized Cultural Landscape. Departments like Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda make up this coffee heartland, where small and medium farms cultivate beans on steep, fertile terrain nourished by volcanic soil and ideal microclimates.

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Rolling green hills in the Central Andes with Nevado del Ruiz volcano visible in the distant background under clear blue skies

Steep green hills and deep valleys covered in pasture and forest dominate this Central Andes mountain landscape

A panoramic view of forested islands and winding lakes nestled in the Central Andes near Guatapé, Colombia

A wide-angle perspective of lush green hills and blue lakes in the Colombian Andes surrounding the town of Guatapé

A picturesque mosaic of forested peninsulas and sparkling lake inlets across the mountainous landscape of Guatapé

A golden-lit pasture descends toward a densely forested valley in the central Andes, with rugged, tree-lined ridges in the background catching soft morning light

Dense tropical forest covering steep hillsides in the central Andes of Colombia, framed by bright grass in the foreground and distant peaks lined beneath thick clouds

A layered landscape of wooded Andean mountains under dramatic white cloud cover, with a patchwork of cultivated hills and deep green valleys

A panoramic view of lush forested slopes and patchwork farmlands stretching across the central Andes Mountains under a dynamic sky with low-lying clouds

Deep gorges and ridges cut through the Andes of central Colombia, with steep green slopes and cliffs rising toward blue peaks under a clear sky

Pastureland and forest mix in the foothills of the central Andes of Colombia, with fences lining the grass and mountain ridges fading into mist and cloud

A tall flowering tree with pale golden blooms stands at the edge of an Andean hillside, with sweeping views of the green valleys and blue mountain ridges beyond

A wide pastoral valley in the Andes Mountains of Colombia, with rolling green hills in the foreground and forested ridges fading into deep blue ranges beneath a sky of cumulus clouds

A wide view of the Central Andes mountains with layered green hills, dense forests, and cloud-covered peaks under a vivid blue sky

A vibrant landscape in the Central Andes showing steep green hills, scattered farms, and forested ridges beneath a dramatic sky

Expansive pasturelands and terraced hills stretch across the Central Andes, dotted with trees and backed by tall mountain ridges

A lush, green mountainside in the Central Andes with multiple narrow waterfalls cascading down a rocky slope covered in dense vegetation

A rural landscape near the foothills of the Andes in Colombia with blooming trees, distant farms, and expansive views of the central mountain range

A dense cloud forest in the Central Andes of Colombia with deep green tree canopies and mist-covered mountains in the distance