Serranía de Manacacías

Serranía de Manacacías National Natural Park protects roughly 68,031 hectares (about 680.31 km²) in the department of Meta, in the Orinoco region of eastern Colombia, near the towns of Puerto Gaitán and San Martín de los Llanos. ^[1] Declared on 2 December 2023—and announced at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai—it became Colombia's 61st national park, safeguarding a distinctive mosaic of Orinoco llanos (tropical savanna) and gallery forest. The park preserves 12 strategic ecosystems including open grasslands, seasonally flooded plains, morichales and forested watercourses that are characteristic of the wider Orinoco basin but underrepresented in Colombia's protected-areas system. Its creation marked a significant step in conserving the biodiversity of the eastern plains.

The park's savanna-and-gallery-forest mosaic supports the rich fauna of the Orinoco llanos. Mammals include jaguars, pumas, giant anteaters, giant armadillos, capybaras, deer and various monkeys in the forested corridors, while the rivers and wetlands sustain caimans, river turtles, fish and abundant aquatic life. Birdlife is especially notable, with the open plains and gallery forests hosting a quarter of Colombia's known bird species, including raptors, waterbirds, parrots and grassland specialists—as well as 51 migratory species. ^[1] The seasonal flooding of the llanos drives strong cycles of abundance, concentrating wildlife around water in the dry season. As a newly protected area, the park provides important refuge for species threatened elsewhere in the heavily ranched and increasingly cultivated eastern plains.

Vegetation is dominated by tropical savanna (llanos) grasslands interspersed with gallery forests that line the rivers and streams, along with patches of woodland, morichales and seasonally flooded grassland. ^[1] The open savannas are characterised by grasses and scattered, fire- and drought-tolerant trees and shrubs, while the gallery forests form ribbons of taller, denser vegetation that follow watercourses across the plains. These forested corridors are crucial for biodiversity, providing shade, food and movement routes for wildlife within the open landscape. The interplay of grassland, woodland and riverine forest, shaped by seasonal flooding and fire, defines the park's characteristic Orinoco-basin flora, with 1,093 flowering plant species recorded.

The park lies within the Orinoco llanos, a vast expanse of low-lying sedimentary plains east of the Andes that slope gently toward the Orinoco river system. The terrain consists of flat to gently undulating savanna underlain by ancient sediments, dissected by rivers and streams—including the Manacacías drainage for which the area is named. Low rises and well-drained terraces alternate with seasonally flooded depressions, producing the subtle topographic variation that governs where savanna gives way to gallery forest and wetland. This flat, sediment-filled landscape reflects the long-term deposition that has built the eastern plains of Colombia.

The park has a hot tropical savanna climate with a pronounced wet and dry seasonality typical of the Orinoco llanos. During the rainy season, heavy rains swell rivers and flood broad areas of the plains, while the dry season brings receding waters, drier grasslands and an increased risk of fire. Temperatures remain high year-round, generally warm to hot, with strong sun over the open savanna. This seasonal alternation between flood and drought is the central force shaping the landscape, driving plant growth, wildlife movements and the concentration of animals around remaining water sources during the dry months.

The eastern plains of Meta have long been inhabited and used by Indigenous peoples of the Orinoco region and, since the colonial era, shaped by the llanero cattle-ranching culture that defines much of the Colombian and Venezuelan llanos. The towns of Puerto Gaitán and San Martín de los Llanos reflect this history of frontier settlement, ranching and, more recently, agriculture and resource extraction. The traditional livelihoods of the plains revolve around cattle and the rhythms of the wet and dry seasons. The establishment of the park within this working landscape represents an effort to reconcile conservation with the long human presence and economic activity of the region.

Serranía de Manacacías was declared a National Natural Park on 2 December 2023, with its creation announced at the COP28 climate conference in Dubai by President Gustavo Petro and Environment Minister Susana Muhamad, making it Colombia's 61st—and at the time newest—national park. ^[1] Its designation responded to the longstanding underrepresentation of the Orinoco llanos within Colombia's protected-areas system and to the need to conserve savanna and gallery-forest biodiversity in a region facing growing pressure from agriculture and land-use change. The park is administered by Colombia's national protected-areas authority, and its recent establishment means that management, research and infrastructure are still in early stages of development.

As a very recently established park, Serranía de Manacacías has minimal developed infrastructure, and its appeal lies in its wild Orinoco savanna landscapes, gallery forests and abundant wildlife rather than in formal trails or facilities. The sweeping plains, seasonal wetlands, rivers and the chance to observe llanos fauna such as capybaras, anteaters, caimans and a wealth of birds are the park's defining features. Wildlife viewing is shaped strongly by season, with the dry months concentrating animals around water. Visitor access and activities are expected to develop gradually as management planning advances.

Visitor facilities are very limited given the park's recent creation in late 2023. Access is via the Meta region, with San Martín de los Llanos and Puerto Gaitán serving as nearby reference points, typically reached overland from Villavicencio and other towns of the eastern plains. Travel within the llanos is strongly affected by season: rains can flood roads and tracks, while the dry season improves access. Prospective visitors should coordinate with the national parks authority for current information on permitted access, as formal tourism infrastructure and routes are still being established for this new protected area.

The park's central conservation purpose is to safeguard 12 strategic ecosystems of the Orinoco savanna and gallery-forest that had been largely absent from Colombia's protected-areas network, and to protect the biodiversity and water resources of the eastern plains—including providing approximately 30% of the flow of the Manacacías River. ^[1] Key challenges include pressure from cattle ranching, expanding agriculture, land-use change and fire management across the surrounding llanos. As a new park, its long-term success depends on building effective management, monitoring and community engagement with the ranching and rural populations of Meta. Its December 2023 establishment, highlighted at COP28, positions it within broader national and international commitments to expand protected areas and conserve threatened ecosystems.