The Salto de Tequendama—Ongoing Efforts to Restore What Was Once Colombia’s Greatest Natural Wonder

Abstract:The Tequendama Falls is perhaps the most striking example of Colombia’s diverse natural environment. Created by the Bogotá River, it is a majestic waterfall of 130 meters located in a wooded area of the municipality of Soacha, 32 kilometers southwest of Bogotá. Until the mid-twentieth century it was a popular attraction for both Colombians and foreigners, but after the 1960s, the diversion of the river to generate electricity, as well as its use as a landfill for industrial waste, contaminated the waterfall and devastated its surrounding cloud forest. The object of this work is fivefold: Beginning with a brief review of the development of environmental history of Colombia, it traces the history of the Salto from pre-conquest times to the mid-20th century. It outlines the reasons for its decline; and evaluates the efforts that are being made to restore the site to its former glory. It concludes by placing these efforts within the context of the development of tourism in 21st Colombia.