Hotel del Salto

Tequendama Falls (or Salto del Tequendama) is a major tourist attraction about 30 km (18 miles) southwest of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. The thousands of tourists who visit the area to admire the 157 meters (515 feet) tall waterfall and the surrounding nature, make a stop at another nearby landmark as well, the abandoned Hotel del Salto.

The river surges through a rocky gorge that narrows to about 60 feet at the brink of the falls. During the month of December, the falls become completely dry.

The falls may be reached by road from Bogotá via car or bus

The legend about Hotel del Salto

According to Muisca legend, the waterfall was created by Bochica, who used his staff to break the rock and release the water that covered the Bogotá Savannah. According to another legend, during the Spanish conquest in South America, in order to escape slavery the indigenous people of the area would jump off the Salto Del Tequendama and become eagles to fly to their freedom.

Hotel del Salto in the Past

Circa 10000 BC, El Abra, and Tequendama were the first permanent settlements in Colombia.

In 1924, the then-luxurious Hotel (Refugio d)el Salto opened on the cliff facing the waterfall to welcome wealthy travelers visiting the Tequendama Falls area.

The hotel closed down in the early 90s, thought to be linked to contaminated river water.

There has been talk of reopening it and restoring it to its former glory which might help rid the place of its apparent ghosts. They are said to haunt the hotel and according to the caretaker, are believed to be from the old days when bar fights on the second story would end up on its balcony, sometimes resulting in a drunk patron losing more than the fight.

On the other hand, there are stories of those who checked out (of life) by jumping off the cliff. That’s right, despite its beauty or perhaps because of it, the falls is a place where people have been known to say their goodbyes. When one would find a letter or some sort of personal item without an owner, it was thought to have been left behind.

The hotel has now been turned into a museum

Beautiful and majestic, would love to see it someday!!

via: nitronews, eyesoncolombia, desertedplaces

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