Beyond the classroom

Do you know Soacha? This is a question most people would answer yes to; however, many are unaware that the municipality has almost 901% rural areas, leading to significant agricultural activity and green spaces. Yolanda Giraldo Cárdenas, leader of the Soacha Identity Cultural Learning Field, and engineer Karin Stefanny Mesa, from the Environmental Management System at the Soacha extension, tell us about the richness found in the municipality.

“At the CAC, we are taking a tour of the different tourist sites in the municipality. It is important that students get to know them and take ownership of them and their protection. They are great treasures in terms of environment and history,” Giraldo explained.

Among the most popular spots in the town center is the main park, which retains its small-town atmosphere and transports visitors to a bygone era. "You can also visit some haciendas like Logroño, Terreros, and Canoas, as well as green spaces such as the Indian Stones, the Neuta Wetland, and the Tierra Blanca Wetland," the professional added.

“These are valuable ecosystems that allow the climate we experience in the municipality to be preserved and the pollution generated in the urban area to decrease, also generating well-being for those who visit them, which seeks to promote the articulation of the Soachuna Identity Learning Field and the Environmental Management System,” added engineer Karin.

Places to explore in Soacha:

• Salto del Tequendama is probably the biggest attraction in the municipality due to its strategic location, a 157m waterfall, recognized as a natural heritage of Colombia, which feeds different municipalities with water resources and is home to a large amount of fauna and flora, just 8 minutes from the main entrance of Soacha, and will offer you a varied gastronomy, while you enjoy this landscape.

• Boquemonte Archaeological Park is located in the Salto de Tequendama and Cerro Manjuí ecological reserve, Km 5 via Soacha Mondoñedo. It is recognized as an indigenous settlement area, characterized by its ecological and landscape diversity, offering ecological and educational walks around the Muisca culture, as well as the practice of adventure sports such as rappelling and paintball.

• La Poma Ecological Park is the municipality's commitment to the restoration of natural areas and ecosystem services, conserving the biodiversity and landscape of the cloud forest and Andean forest. Its main attractions include a concentration of rock art, viewpoints, a plant nursery, an orchid garden, and more.

• Laguna Los Colorados is located on the outskirts of the municipality and is considered a natural beauty situated in the Eastern Cordillera, in the páramo ecosystem. It is known for its use in various rituals by indigenous ancestors.

For her part, engineer Sandra León, Coordinator of the Environmental Management System, explains that these types of activities are supported by the Environmental Management System, within the broader nature dimension of MEDIT, due to the importance of environmental conservation and its connection to ancestral traditions. Knowing our past helps us to have a more conscious relationship with our present and our future in relation to caring for nature and life itself.

The UCundinamarca Soacha Extension, through the CAC – Cultural Learning Field of Soachuna Identity and the Environmental Management System, invites you to discover these beautiful places in this municipality rich in culture and nature, and through it, the ancestral roots and the diversity that surrounds us, living in balance with nature.

More news from the Soacha Extension at the News Agency