La Cañada

For centuries Tetela was known as Tetela del Oro, and the gold behind that name came from La Cañada, a small settlement in a narrow valley a few kilometers south of town. Mining here goes back to the colonial period, and at one time gold from the area was even minted into coins in Tetela.

Today La Cañada is a quiet hamlet, but the mining past is still in plain sight. Old industrial buildings, tunnels and heaps of waste rock remain along the valley, and in places you can still smell the sulfur that came out of the ground along with the gold. It is an unpolished place rather than a museum, which is part of its appeal for people interested in industrial history.

The setting is the other reason to come. The valley is framed by steep, forested mountains and crossed by a river, and the dirt roads and paths around it are good for a half day of walking, a bike ride or a picnic. Combine it with the plaza in Tetela, where the Los Tres Juanes museum tells the story of the town and its generals.