Discover the Heart of the World
Sierra Nevada Niwi Umukin (Colombia) is a majestic mountain range where the wisdom of indigenous peoples closely converges with ecological nature.
It is considered the pyramid of the Caribbean. With each step you climb up these sacred mountains, you will find an exuberant and beautiful ecological forest that is unique to the world. Visitors walking these lands have spoken of incredible experiences and spiritual renewal.
A natural pilgrimage with ancient tribes
Sierra Nevada Niwi Umukin is inhabited by four pre-colonial indigenous peoples that all are descendants of the Tayrona Chibcha culture. These tribes are the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa and Kankuamo.
The Sierra Nevada region has all types of climatology and rises to a height of 5,000 meters above sea level. Sierra Nevada’s indigenous cultures have lived there from time immemorial, safeguarding balance and universal harmony as a way of life. Life in these deeply spiritual cultures has an intimate relationship with the environmental nature.
According to their origin story, descendants of the Tayrona Chibcha are the elder brothers of Humanity. Each community is led by spiritual guides called “Mamo” or “Mama” who possess a deep knowledge of natural life. As bearers of the laws of nature, Mamos cultivate Sierra Nevada to be a pharmacy of tranquility and share their knowledge with visitors as a way to care for the heart of the world.
A natural pilgrimage with ancient tribes
Sierra Nevada Niwi Umukin is inhabited by four pre-colonial indigenous peoples that all are descendants of the Tayrona Chibcha culture. These tribes are the Arhuaco, Kogui, Wiwa and Kankuamo.
The Sierra Nevada region has all types of climatology and rises to a height of 5,000 meters above sea level. Sierra Nevada’s indigenous cultures have lived there from time immemorial, safeguarding balance and universal harmony as a way of life. Life in these deeply spiritual cultures has an intimate relationship with the environmental nature.
According to their origin story, descendants of the Tayrona Chibcha are the elder brothers of Humanity. Each community is led by spiritual guides called “Mamo” or “Mama” who possess a deep knowledge of natural life. As bearers of the laws of nature, Mamos cultivate Sierra Nevada to be a pharmacy of tranquility and share their knowledge with visitors as a way to care for the heart of the world.
Indigenous owned and operated
Our vision is to build an organization that defends the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. We are focused on indigenous issues and environmental preservation. We aim to raise the consciousness of our human brothers and sisters by sharing our spiritual wisdom.
My name is Asdrúbal Torres (left) and I am a member of the Tayrona Arhuaco people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. While studying human rights in Geneva, I began to think about the need to defend the territory of Sierra Nevada. From there the concept of Ywawika was born.
Experience Sierra Nevada
Hike the jungles and mountains
Stay with indigenous communities
Learn about Arhuaco cacao production
Participate in traditional ceremonies
Grow the heart with ancient wisdom
Support native arts and crafts
Deepen your relationship with ceremonial cacao
For thousands of years, ceremonial cacao has been an important part of spiritual life in Sierra Nevada. It is said that ages ago the Tayrona people used cacao to strengthen their visionary abilities while building sacred sites such as the Lost City.
Although cacao cultivation was interrupted when Spanish conquistadors forced our ancestors high into the mountains, as we recover our ancestral lands we are also restoring our long-standing relationship with this sacred plant. Over the past decade, we have begun to master once again the cultivation, fermentation, and preparation of traditional cacao. Owing to the powerful energy of Sierra Nevada, Arhuaco cacao is already considered among the best in the world.
Ywawika invites visitors to participate in this revival as we prepare cacao using traditional techniques, visit cacao plantations, learn about the fermentation process, and drink cacao together.
Carry the weavings of ancient wisdom
The indigenous women of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta are visionary artists. The process of creating traditional crafts such as “mochila” shoulder bags is deeply meditative and tightly woven into their day-to-day lives.
Mochilas are made from virgin sheep wool and creating them is a spiritual process that has a philosophical and cosmogonic relationship to the creation of the universe. The women weave their thoughts, which they call “tutu”, into evocative designs that illustrate a cultured history and memorialize feminine laws that have been transmitted from generation to generation.
Handmade crafts represent a significant share of economic product for most indigenous communities in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Testimonials
According to native legends, as Sierra Nevada is the Heart of the Earth, we have the mission of maintaining balance and harmony for Humanity. That is why we sought to make an association with the word “heart”, which translates to “Ywawika” in the Arhuaco language. We want to share this heart wisdom with the world.
