The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (English: Snow-Covered Mountain Range of Saint Martha) is a mountain range in northern Colombia that is separate from the Andes range found in the north of the country. It reaches an elevation of 5,700 meters (18,700 feet), just 42 kilometers (26 miles) from the Caribbean coast. This makes the Sierra Nevada the highest coastal range in the tropics and one of the highest coastal ranges in the world, only 250 meters (820 feet) shorter than the Saint Elias Mountains in Canada. The Sierra Nevada covers about 17,000 square kilometers (6,600 square miles) and is the source of 36 rivers. It is located in the Departments of Magdalena, Cesar, and La Guajira.
The highest point in the Sierra Nevada (and in Colombia) may be either Pico Cristóbal Colón or Pico Simón Bolívar, both in the municipalities of Santa Marta and Aracataca. It has not yet been confirmed which peak is higher. Data from SRTM and local maps show their true elevations are approximately 5,700 meters (18,700 feet), which is lower than the commonly reported elevation of 5,775 meters (18,947 feet).
The Sierra Nevada is a small mountain range surrounded by areas with elevations below 200 meters (660 feet). Although it is connected to the Tropical Andes, the main part of the Andes cannot be reached from the Sierra Nevada without going below this elevation. This makes the Sierra Nevada’s highest point the fifth most prominent mountain peak in the world.
Several peaks in the Sierra Nevada can be seen from Cerro Paramillo, a 3,730-meter (12,240-foot) peak in the Antioquia Department. This means there is a direct line of sight between them of more than 500 kilometers (310 miles), which is reported to be the longest line of sight between any two points on Earth.
Climate
Scientists have found that the average rainfall each year is 4,000 mm (157.5 in) at heights between 500 and 1,500 m (1,640 and 4,921 ft). The temperature rises to 27 °C (81 °F) and drops to 0 °C (32 °F).
Biodiversity
The tropical rainforest contains long-lasting trees, with a canopy that reaches between 30 and 40 meters (98 and 131 feet). There are many types and large numbers of epiphytes and lianas, and more than 3,000 species of vascular plants live in the area. Indigenous people made an alcoholic drink from the fruit of the palm Attalea maripa, which grows at lower elevations.
Of Colombia’s 340 species that are found only in this area, 44 are in the park, such as seven types of hummingbirds that are unique to this region. Of the 3,057 species at risk of disappearing, 44 are in the park. The area is home to 440 bird species, including black-fronted wood-quail, king vulture, Andean condor, Santa Marta warbler, and Santa Marta parakeet. Mammals living in the park include tapir, cougar, jaguar, squirrel, Transandinomys talamancae, otter, and brocket deer.
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta has several ecoregions that change with elevation.
The Guajira–Barranquilla xeric scrub region is near the Caribbean coast to the north of the range. The Sinú Valley dry forests cover the lower slopes of the range, up to an elevation of 500 meters (1,640 feet).
The Santa Marta montane forests are found above 500 to 800 meters (1,640 to 2,625 feet). These forests are separated from other moist forests by the lower-elevation dry forests and xeric shrublands. They have many species that are unique to this area. The montane forest ecoregion has different plant communities, based on altitude and rainfall. Moist lowland forests cover the windward northern and western sides of the range between 500 and 900 meters (1,640 and 2,953 feet), while drier eastern and southern sides range from 1,000 to 5,800 meters (3,281 to 19,029 feet). Above 900 meters (2,953 feet) is a transitional forest zone with smaller trees and palms. Cloud forests are found above 1,000 meters (3,281 feet). The Sub-Andean forests, from 1,000 to 2,500 meters (3,281 to 8,202 feet), have a canopy 25 to 35 meters (82 to 115 feet) tall. The higher-elevation Andean forests, between 2,500 and 3,300 meters (8,202 to 10,827 feet), grow to 15 to 20 meters (49 to 66 feet) in height.
The Santa Marta Páramo, a high-altitude area with grasslands, shrublands, marshes, and acid bogs, is found between 3,300 and 5,000 meters (10,827 and 16,404 feet). The Santa Marta Páramo is the northernmost area of Páramo in South America, which are found along the Andes. Above 5,000 meters (16,404 feet) is a permanent snow cap.
National Natural Park
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park (Spanish: Parque Nacional Natural Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta) is Colombia’s second-oldest national park, created in 1964. It is located in the Cordillera Oriental range, between the departments of La Guajira, Magdalena, and Cesar, within the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range. The park is a protected area and a place for visitors because it has many different climates, landscapes, plants, and animals, from beaches to snowy mountain peaks. This park is unique because it is far from the Andes mountain range, and its highest peak, which is 5,700 meters (18,701 feet) above sea level, is only 42 kilometers (26 miles) from the ocean.
All rivers and streams that begin in the park flow into the Caribbean Sea either directly, such as the Ranchería, Don Diego, Palomino, Buritaca, Guachaca, and Cañas rivers, or through the Magdalena River system, which includes the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, such as the Cesar, Ariguaní, Fundación, Frío, and Aracataca rivers. About 1.2 million people rely on the freshwater from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta rivers. Approximately 30,000 indigenous people from the Koguis, Arhuacos, Kankuamos, and Wiwa ethnic groups live in the area. The park also contains traces of the Tairona Culture. In 1979, the park was named a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. A 2013 report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature listed the park as the most important protected area in the world for protecting endangered species.
Geology
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is made up of rocks formed during the Cretaceous period, mostly schists and gneisses, along with quartzdioritic rocks that formed during the Tertiary period. During the Quaternary period, the area has deposits of colluvial and alluvial sediments filling valleys, as well as recent beach materials. The northern and western coasts of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta have irregular shapes, with alternating rocky headlands and deep bays that run in a north-northwest direction. These headlands are usually steep cliffs, about 100 to 150 meters (330 to 490 feet) high, carved into schists and granites. The bays are bordered by deposits from alluvial valleys. The shores of the bays are typically steep and made of very coarse sand or granules eroded from nearby cliffs and valley deposits. Along sections with many rocky remnants and sea stacks, wide pocket beaches and tombolos are common.
Fauna
Three reptile species found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are named after the area: Anolis santamartae, a lizard; Atractus sanctaemartae, a snake; and Lepidoblepharis sanctaemartae, a lizard.
The area is home to about 20 bird species that are found only there.
Inhabitants
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is where the remains of the Native American Tairona Culture are found. Today, the Arhuacos, Koguis, Wiwas, and Kankuamos people live in Resguardos Indigenas, which are protected areas in the mid-highlands.
For the past ten years, reaching the highest peaks has been very difficult, and this challenge still exists. However, there is a record of a successful climb to Pico Cristóbal Colón in December 2015. This difficulty is partly because some local people on the southern side of the mountain have refused to help or allow climbers to explore the area. Their support is necessary for reaching the summit. Armed conflicts have also made access to the region difficult, even though efforts to achieve peace began in 2016. The only safe and relatively easy way to reach the area is from Santa Marta city to Cuchillo de San Lorenzo, but this route only goes to 2,800 meters (9,200 feet), even though it offers great views of the peaks.