Colombia has three major sites for those interested in pre-conquest archaeological tours - Ciudad Perdida, San Agustin and Tierradentro. There are also scatterings of other sites of archaeological interest throughout the highlands and lowlands (sites in the highlands are generally the best preserved. In addition, there are numerous dinosaur fossils near Villa de Leiva and Guane (Santander).
Colombia's archaeological highlight are the stone statues of San Agustin. There are numerous stone statues that date back as far as 3000 BC, though archaeologists have been able to discover very little about the cultue that produced them - it's all a big mystery. There are about 20 archaeological sites to explore on a tour of the 2Vallrey of the statues", which is often done on horseback.
The tombs at Tierradentro are another archaeological highlight of Colombia. The archaeological park has various tombs and funeral complexes that were produced as long ago as the 6th Century AD - again, little is known about the pre-colombian culture that produced them.
Those seeking adventure archaeological tours, Indiana Jones style, should head to Ciudad Perdida ("the Lost City"), in the north of Colombia. It's a five day hike through the rainforest to ruins that were only rediscovered in 1975. The local indigenous tribes claim they have known of the ruins for much longer than that, but kept their existence a secret from the rest of the world. It is belived that Ciudad Perdida was founded in 800 AD, and the ruins consist of numerous terraces carved into the mountainside, tiled roads and small plazas. As with all of Colombia's archaeological sites, it's a mysterious and enchanting place to visit.
