Guavio Reservoir

Greetings, intrepid traveler. We find ourselves deep in the eastern ranges of the Andes, standing on the precipice of a monumental feat of human engineering: the Embalse del Guavio, pronounced Em-bahl-seh del Gwah-vee-oh. …

Before we reach the water's edge, we must traverse the fascinating and somewhat eerie access tunnels carved directly into the heart of the mountain. Standing here at the entrance, you can feel the sudden drop in temperature and…

We have arrived at the Puerto Fluvial Las Palmas, the bustling little river port that serves as the launching point for our exploration of the waters. Notice the colorful local boats, known as lanchas, bobbing gently against the…

We are now floating near the mouth of the Río Batatas, pronounced Ree-oh Bah-tah-tahs, one of the five vital tributaries that continuously feed the immense appetite of the Guavio reservoir. Observe the turbulent currents where…

Our boat now idles in the very center of the reservoir, suspended over the deepest point of the flooded valley. Beneath our hull, the water plunges to an astonishing depth of approximately two hundred and thirty meters. …

Rising from the water before us is the Presa, the massive containment wall of the Guavio reservoir. It is a staggering wall of rock and concrete, engineered to hold back millions of cubic meters of water. …

As we head back toward the shore, look up at the high ridges that encircle the dam. You will notice several strategic concrete outposts and communication towers dotting the peaks. …

We conclude our exploration standing once again on the firm ground near the docks, watching the sun begin to dip behind the jagged peaks of the Andes. The sky transforms into a canvas of vivid oranges and deep purples, colors…