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The city was founded with the name of San Miguel de Agreda de Mocoa on September 29, 1563 by Captain Gonzalo H. de Avendaño under the orders of Pedro de Agreda, then Governor and Captain General of the Province of Popayán.

In 1683 the town was attacked by the Andaquí Indians, who burned it almost completely. Due to frequent attacks against the population, it was determined that it was transferred to its current location on the banks of the Mocoa River at the mouths of the Mulato and Sangoyaco rivers.

By 1841 the town had 36 houses. In 1876 Mocoa became a trading center for Quina and Rubber.

In 1958 the population was elevated to the category of municipality. In 1968, when the Putumayo mayor was created, segregated from the department of Nariño, Mocoa became its capital.

The 1991 constitution made it the capital of the Putumayo department.





Mocoa is a Colombian municipality, capital of Putumayo.

The foothills of the Andean mountain range surround the city of Mocoa, capital of the Putumayo department in the Republic of Colombia. Founded on September 29, 1563 by Captain Gonzalo H. de Avendaño, its economy is based on agriculture and commercial activities. The city is also a point of social reference for settlers who come to departmental lands, attracted by oil exploitation.

The surface area is 24,885 km2 and is bordered to the north by the departments of Nariño, Cauca and the Caquetá river that separates it from the department of Caquetá, to the east with the Department of Caquetá, to the south with the department of Amazonas and rivers Putumayo and San Miguel that separate it from the republics of Peru and Ecuador, and to the west with the department of Nariño.

Their lands are bathed by the Putumayo, Caquetá, Mocoa, Mecaya, Caucayá, Sencilla, Guamuéz, San Miguel, Sabilla, Orito, Mulato, Rumiyaco, La Quebrada Concepción rivers and numerous smaller streams.

The plain is characterized by high temperatures above 27ºC.

The hamlets and small towns are located on the banks of the rivers that are used as the main communication routes. It has two important river ports, one in Puerto Asís; the other in Puerto Leguízamo. The Department has a highway that connects Puerto Asís and Mocoa with the interior of the country; another small stretch of road appears in the middle of the jungle between Taquín and Puerto Leguízamo, which joins the Caquetá and Putumayo rivers; There are 4 airports in Puerto Asís, Orito, Puerto Leguízamo and Villagarzón.

The Department has the La Paya National Natural Park; with attractive landscapes and great diversity in flora and fauna; There are also ethno-cultural diversity, which allows activities of ecological conservation, management of natural settings, attractions for ecological, scientific, sports, recreational and social tourism. Annually celebrates festivities typical of indigenous groups.

The most important economic activities are agriculture, livestock and mining. Corn, banana, cassava, pineapple, chontaduro fruit and palm hearts, sugar cane and to a lesser extent rice, yams, vegetables and beans stand out. Livestock has large dairy surpluses, mainly in the Sibundoy Valley. Oil fields have been discovered in the municipality of Orito, considered among the largest in the world. There are vein and alluvial gold deposits in the geological formations of the so-called Colombian Massif, especially in the Central-Eastern mountain range; At the moment it is exploited in the Curiyo and Cascabel rivers, tributaries of the Caquetá, and even in it; It is also extracted in the San Pedro River, a tributary of the Putumayo in the Sibundoy Valley. There is a great variety of woods for construction, medicinal plants, oleaginous, fibrous, resinous such as rubber, balatae, incense.



tourism

It is the door of the great Amazon and lung of the world, its friendly and cordial people welcome all visitors from different parts of the world, Mocoa has become the home of thousands of tourists who visit the region for the wonderful natural parks that surround it.

Population growth

The construction of the Bogotá - Pitalito - Mocoa highway took the municipality out of the geographic isolation in which it had been plunged since its creation; This has generated during the last decade an increase in the number of immigrants from other regions of the country. One consequence of this growth has been the development of trade and the transport of products from Mocoa to the capital of the country.

Communication channels

Terrestrial

To the north, from Bogotá, El Espinal, Neiva, passing through most of the municipalities of Huila, Pitalito, and two hours away is Mocoa.

In the south, from the border of Ecuador, passing through the municipality of La Hormiga, Puerto Caicedo, Villagarzon and finally Mocoa, some of the roads in the south of the department are currently paved.

To the south west, from Pasto, El Encano, Colon, San Francisco and 3 hours away in a poor state road is Mocoa.

Tourist attractions

Mocoa is characterized by its particular beauty, among the tourist attractions are Santander Park, surrounded by palm trees brought from Africa by Father Jaime Igualada. La Loma is another place highly appreciated for having panoramic views of the city.

Near the mouth of the Mandiyaco River and the Caquetá River, on the departmental border between Putumayo and Cauca, along more than 500 meters above the Mandiyaco River, there are immense rock masses that form strange and capricious labyrinths and tunnels that barely allow the passage of the waters that descend with intensity.

Churumbelo Hill

El Churumbelo is a mountain range located near Mocoa, it has an area of ​​approximately 12,000 hectares. About the Churumbelo many stories and myths have been described. The rivers and the vegetation transform it into a mysterious place.

Churumbelo waterfall

It is located east of Mocoa, in the mountains that bears his name. In the area there are a large amount of vestiges of ancient civilization corresponding to a family of the Ingas, who lived many years ago.

Jonquil

To the north of Mocoa there is an indigenous population of the Inga people. Those who visit this community will appreciate the colonial chapel located in a square surrounded by houses, constituting a cultural attraction of the community.

Rumiyaco River

It is located south of Mocoa, it is composed of several wells where bathers can enjoy its waters. You can reach this site by car in 6 to 10 minutes, or on foot in half an hour.

Mandiyaco River

It is located to the northwest of Mocoa, on the border with Baja Bota Caucana, near the bridge that connects Putumayo with Cauca, on the road to Pitalito, 15 minutes from it, then a 30-45 minute walk.



It is a natural beauty, there are long and narrow strips with a series of entrances and exits through which the Mandiyaco River flows. At the mouth 500 meters from it, there are huge rock masses that form labyrinths or tunnels.

Hornoyaco

It is located east of Mocoa, in the Churumbelo mountain range, on the way you can see diverse vegetation in a 5-minute journey by car and later a walk of around 90 minutes to the Hornoyaco ravine. You can see the 60-meter-high waterfall in the middle of the ravine, falling with intensity, forming a beautiful lagoon.

To get to the base, you have to travel a narrow path, then enjoy the warm waters of the Hornoyaco stream.

Cultural events

Mocoa Carnival

The Mocoa carnival, the highest cultural expression, is a tradition of southern ancestry. The settlers that populated the city of Mocoa, were mostly of Nariño origin and brought their traditions and customs such as Christmas celebrations and the Black and White carnival of the department of Nariño.

Since those times these customs were practiced; It was only in 1970 that a series of successive carnivals organized by the board of directors began.



Ten years later it was called the Mocoa Folk Carnival, it preserves the cultural identity of the inhabitants, at the same time preserving the Nariñense roots. Today it is necessary to strengthen the carnival, taking into account the multiculturalism of the people without neglecting its roots. Thus, in 2002, the Mocoa Culture, Tourism and Carnival Corporation was created.

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