An unforgettable road to El Silencio-Nevado del Tolima parking lot

El Silencio is a high mountain parking lot at an elevation of 2.585m (8,480ft) above the sea level located in Tolima Department, Colombia, within the Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados, on the way to Nevado del Tolima, a stratovolcano at an elevation of 5.276m (17,303ft).

The road to the parking is totally unpaved but navigable by all passenger vehicles in dry conditions. It’s called Vía al Nevado del Tolima. This is a maintained road where a high clearance 2WD vehicle is able to travel safely at low speeds on long dry straight-of-ways, without losing control due to wash boarding, ruts, or dips. Anyways, this track can get very muddy and slippery after rain making it challenging to get through.

During and after a storm the road may be impassable, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Starting from Ibagué, the road to the Nevado del Tolima, one of the most beautiful volcanoes in Colombia, is 27.1km long. It’s very steep and narrow. The road is difficult and it’s a nightmare in the wet or dark (or both). There is little room for error on this road.