Nocaima brings together cultural themes and a landscape shaped by panela production and waterfalls. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between features of the town and natural attractions in the surrounding area: Laguna El Vergel and Cascada quebrada el Vergel are near Nocaima, while other attractions belong to the municipality. This gives you a choice of distinct themes: local culture, views and different types of water landscapes.
Culture and Local History
Nocaima’s notable features include the Church of Nuestra Señora de Chiquinquirá and the chapel in the Vereda Tobia. Trapiches, or sugarcane mills, shape the panela-producing landscape. Religious buildings and agricultural processing thus stand side by side as distinct facets of the town.
The “Paseo por Nocaima” walking tour introduces visitors to the town’s cultural roots. It presents the lives of the first families, the first houses and anecdotes, and also covers Nocaima’s distinctive landscape and major natural attractions.
During the 2004–2007 diagnostic period, dance and theater performances and appearances by the municipal youth band were planned every 20 days in the main park as activities organized by the Casa de la Cultura. They were intended for the general public and were planned to be free of charge. A 2002 article also lists the Encuentro Departamental Estudiantil de Teatro as a cultural event in Nocaima.
Landscape in the Municipality and Nearby
The El Mirador summit is located at an altitude of about 1,750 meters and offers expansive views over the municipality. A 2004 municipal diagnostic describes the summit as being covered mainly by secondary forest and temporarily cultivated plots. The Moyas y cascadas Natautá comprise six waterfalls. A 2004 municipal diagnostic describes the landscape as being predominantly covered by secondary forest and the cascades as generally about ten meters high.
Laguna El Vergel is near Nocaima and covers 3,200 m². A 2004–2007 municipal inventory describes the surrounding area as a mix of pastureland and secondary forest, with birds as the predominant animal group. Cascada quebrada el Vergel is also nearby. The inventory gives its height as approximately 15 meters and estimates its flow at 0.6 liters per second. Secondary forest shapes the vegetation there, complemented by some areas of scrub.
Within the municipality, La Rochela is considered a flora and fauna reserve, with predominantly shrubby vegetation, mature trees and habitat for some wild animal species. The municipality’s warm climate and mountainous landscape are considered suitable for agrotourism and ecotourism. The Río Negro and panela farms are also among the municipality’s attractions.
Possible Activities and Past Uses
During the 2004–2007 diagnostic period, passive recreation, swimming and ecological hikes were listed as possible activities at the Moyas y cascadas Natautá. During the same period, a water area for limited swimming had been set up at Cascada quebrada el Vergel; use was restricted to a small number of people. The 2004–2007 inventory also lists ecological hiking as a possible activity on a walking route near La Rochela.
A July 20, 2002 article described sport fishing for cachama at the Balneario San Cayetano in Nocaima and mentioned a restaurant and a swimming pool. If you are planning a visit, check the current availability of the walking tour and access to the natural sites.
Discover more destinations: Pantano Redondo, Girardot, Polinesia, Cachipay, Pacho, La Palma, La Mesa, Chia.
For the broader travel guide: Cundinamarca.
