In the heart of the Colombian jungle, farmers have traded coca production and deforestation for tourism, which provides work for hundreds of locals.

Tourists can now visit attractions in San Jose del Guaviare such as Cerro Azul, where a series of ancient cave paintings depicting animal and human forms remain well preserved, or the beautiful pink water plants that decorate Cano Sabana.

“This is a wonderful job because some of the people who are local guides today were great deforesters,” said Joaquin Vargas, the operational director of Fantasias del Cerro Azul Puerta del Chiribquete tourism farmer organization.

The region was unaccessible due to the presence of armed groups and drug production, but it started opening to the world in 2017, after the peace agreements between FARC and the Colombian government in 2016.

Although many locals regret their past involvement in drug production, they are now eager to share their cultural heritage with visitors. - Report from Reuters