La Tigra Reserve

“Here we don't just plant trees: we cultivate future, memory and balance.”

In the mountains, at the gates of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, lies La Tigra Reserve: a space of conservation and restoration where every tree planted tells a story. It's not a theme park — it's a living forest in the process of healing.

Located in the Orinoco district, in the foothills of the Sierra, the reserve is a natural sanctuary where ecological restoration, regenerative tourism and biocultural education converge. For more than 13 years, this land has been cared for, healed and regenerated with love, community and purpose. Today, 14,280 trees have been planted, contributing to the return of biodiversity and the recovery of a key ecosystem between the tropical dry forest and the premontane humid forest.

What happens on the land: participatory reforestation with native and fruit species that nourish wildlife; living fences, seed banks and agroecological trials; ongoing work with children, knowledge-keepers, scientists, travelers and volunteers; the design of interpretive trails, regenerative gardens and environmental monitoring stations; and a spiritual connection to the Línea Negra and respect for sacred sites.

The restoration process formally began in 2012. Since then, native species from at least 35 local species have been planted, including caracolí, iguá and guayacán — always accompanying natural regeneration, not replacing it. The property borders the Orinoco creek to the north, a priority water source for the regional micro-watershed, and also has an internal creek that originates within the reserve; both have been the focus of riparian species planting and water-quality monitoring alongside educational and community institutions. The soil is loamy, with good water retention, which allows active restoration to be combined with agroforestry systems of cacao, mango, avocado, cashew, coffee and subsistence crops.

During the second half of 2025, the reserve got an extra boost: 500 trees planted through a partnership with Intrepid Travel, the international operator that works alongside CUCACO Travel on the Ciudad Perdida trek. It's a different funding mechanism from the trip-by-trip planting that already happens — proof that this forest can also grow with outside partners committed to regenerating the land.

Visiting La Tigra Reserve is for those who want to travel with purpose, learn from nature, and take home something deeper than pretty photos: an inner change.