When planning a trip to Los Curos, it is worth including the cultural and landscape highlights of the municipality of Mongua. There, a stone church, Indigenous archaeological remains and rock art sit alongside mountain landscapes, lagoons and páramo ecosystems. The Laguna Negra hiking trail also passes through veredas in Mongua and the municipality of Monguí. Together, architectural history, archaeological heritage and highland nature offer distinct points of interest.

Architectural history and archaeological heritage

In Mongua, the Church of San Jerónimo was built of stone in 1942; Father José Lisandro Cely is associated with its construction. The year it was built and the named attribution offer a concrete introduction to architectural history. The municipality’s archaeological museum brings together several Indigenous archaeological remains. Significant rock art can be found at Las Piedras de Santo Domingo, including a depiction of a deer hunt. The church, museum and rock art offer different cultural highlights: at San Jerónimo, the focus is on the year it was built and the person credited with its construction; at the museum, on its collection of Indigenous remains; and at Las Piedras, on the deer-hunting motif.

Mountains, lagoons and views

Mongua is surrounded by mountains. The surrounding ranges include Nuevo Mundo, Periquila and Novaca; the Cravo River and the lagoons La Estrella, Negra, Candelaria, Guevara and Hato are also part of the landscape. The municipality is considered particularly rich in species. From Morro de Use, views extend to the eastern plains, the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy and the valleys of Tundama, Sogamoso, Duitama, Paipa and Monguí. The mountain ranges, river and lagoons describe Mongua’s landscape, while Morro de Use draws the eye to the plains, the Sierra and several valleys. The forest reserve in the Río Cravo Sur watershed is also among the natural destinations to explore in Mongua.

The Laguna Negra hiking trail

The Laguna Negra hiking trail offers a different perspective on the landscape. It runs through Vereda Duce in the municipality of Mongua and Vereda Monguí in the municipality of Monguí. Along the route, views extend to the páramo landscapes of Siscunsí and Ocetá; the trail also passes through stands of frailejones and through páramo and subpáramo ecosystems. Unlike the view from Morro de Use, which takes in the eastern plains, the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy and valleys, this trail focuses on highland vegetation and ecosystems along the route.

Culture and nature as distinct highlights

There are several different perspectives to choose from: San Jerónimo, the museum and Las Piedras offer insights into architectural history and cultural heritage. The landscape highlights different aspects at Morro de Use and Laguna Negra: the former offers views of plains, the Sierra and valleys; the latter, of páramo, subpáramo and frailejones. This makes it possible to distinguish the cultural highlights from the landscape experiences, and to further group the natural highlights by views and vegetation.

Discover more destinations: Guateque, Susacón, Chivor, Ramiriquí, Cienega, La Suiza, Mongua, Tinjacá.

For the broader travel guide: Boyacá.