The Hauntings of Colombia From Debut Horror Author Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro
Colombia’s stunning landscapes and rich cultural heritage mask a darker, more enigmatic side.
Nestled among its bustling cities, lush rainforests, and colonial landmarks, the country hides locations where the supernatural has left its unmistakable mark. From crumbling fortresses to haunted waterfalls, Colombia’s haunted places are infused with tragic, eerie, and unexplainable events. Each of these sites has its own spine-tingling backstory, told through whispers, ghostly apparitions, and unexplained phenomena. In short, if Colombia isn’t yet on your spooky-travel radar, it’s time to expand your options.
Here are five must-visit haunted locations for your next ghostly adventure in Colombia.
La Candelaria – Bogotá
Nestled in the heart of Colombia’s capital, La Candelaria is Bogotá’s historical epicenter, with roots that date back to the 16th century. The neighborhood is known for its cobblestone streets, colonial-era buildings, and vibrant culture—but it also carries a heavy legacy of violence and tragedy. La Candelaria was the site of many early battles during the struggle for independence, and over the years, its streets have witnessed executions, revolutions and untold hardships.
One of the most famous haunted locations here is the Luis Angel Arango Library, once a convent, where visitors frequently report strange occurrences. The ghosts said to roam its halls are thought to be spirits of the many souls who once lived and died at the convent during Colombia’s turbulent colonial period.
Today, the library is a place where history and the supernatural collide—where the weight of centuries can almost be felt in the air. Visitors have reported hearing soft whispers, the feeling of being watched and followed, chanting that starts of as soothing to then turn into something disturbing and obscure, and even the faint sound of someone running through the library when no one is there. On ghost tours, tourists can explore the hidden corners of the neighborhood, encountering stories of restless spirits who linger in the shadows of this storied district.
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas – Cartagena
The Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena, a monumental 17th century fortress built by the Spanish to defend the city against pirate invasions, is one of Colombia’s most historically significant—yet terrifying—locations. The fortress is riddled with underground tunnels, many of which were used for secret military operations during the colonial era. Many soldiers, prisoners, and slaves died within its stone walls, and their spirits are said to haunt the place.
One particularly eerie story tells of a soldier who was allegedly executed for treason, his ghost said to haunt the castle to this day. Visitors have reported hearing footsteps echoing through the castles dark, narrow passages. Others claim to hear disembodied voices, faint cries for help, scratching at the walls, and seeing shadows moving across the castle’s ramparts, which only seem to vanish when you approach. The spirits of soldiers long gone are said to wander the fortress at night, still guarding the city they gave their lives to protect. The frigid air that hits visitors while walking through the enclosed, suffocating space only adds to the growing sense that something—someone—still remains.
El Salto del Tequendama – San Antonio del Tequendama
The Tequendama Falls, just outside Bogotá, is one of Colombia’s most spectacular natural landmarks and a place of deep mythological significance. According to the legend of Bochica, a god revered by the Muisca people, natives who inhabit the land, the 505ft waterfall was created as part of an acti of divine intervention. The story goes that the earth was once plagued by a great flood that covered the land, threatening to drown the Muisca people. In response, Bochica descended from the heavens and used his golden staff to strike the land, creating the falls and opening a massive gap in the mountains, allowing the waters to flow freely and recede, saving the Muisca civilization from doom.
But despite it being a place of breathtaking natural wonder, they also hold a chilling legacy of despair. Throughout the years, many people have jumped into the abyss, ending their lives in the raging waters below. Some believe that the spirits of those who died at Tequendama Falls have been bound to the place, their souls trapped between the world of the living and the dead. But there’s more to this place than just a stunning landscape.
There perched into the mountain sits the falls companion, the five-story mansion Hotel Casa Museo El Salto del Tequendama, once a glamourous retreat for Colombian aristocrats in the early 20th century, abandoned in the 1950s, after a series of financial crises and tragic events, including the unexplained deaths of some of its guests. Some locals claimed to have seen figures in the windows at night, while others have heard footsteps inside the empty building. Whether it’s the spirits of the ill-fated hotel guests or the lost souls of those who leapt into the falls, El Salto del Tequendama, is undeniably haunted—an eerie reminder of the countless tragedies that have unfolded at this magnificent yet somber site.
Gorgona Island – Colombia’s Pacific Ocean
If you’re looking for an eerie and unforgettable experience, Gorgona Island is one of the most remote and haunting destinations in Colombia. Located off the Pacific coast, this small island was once a notorious prison from the 1960s to the early 1990s. It housed some of Colombia’s most dangerous criminals, and its harsh conditions were infamous. The island’s isolated location and the incredibly rugged terrain only added to its bleakness. With no escape from the oppressive jungle, poisonous snakes, and its haunting isolation, the island became a place where many of the prisoners either disappeared or died under mysterious circumstances.
Today, Gorgona Island is a national park, but it still carries an eerie energy from its grim past. The prison is now abandoned, and the site is left to rot under the constant assault of the jungle, which seems to reclaim every inch of the island. Visitors and tour guides claim to hear the echoes of screaming inmates and the rattling of chains in the overgrown corridors. Some have even described feeling a sudden chill or an overwhelming sense of being watched while walking through the remains of the prison cells.
Locals tell stories of strange lights on the water at night, and ghostly figures seen wandering the shore or standing in the windows of the crumbling prison buildings. It’s a place that seems to be frozen in time, haunted not only by the ghosts of criminals but also by the deep sadness of the many who never escaped its grasp.
El Cementerio Central – Bogotá
While most cemeteries are places of mourning, El Cementerio Central in Bogotá is believed to be much more than just a resting place for the dead. Established in the 19th century, this historic cemetery is the final home of many of Colombia’s most prominent figures, as well as countless ordinary people. The old cemetery’s graves and the eerie neo-gothic mausoleums and statues standing tall in the moonlight give off an unsettling feeling at night. Many visitors claim to hear footsteps behind them as they walk past certain graves, and some say they have seen shadowy figures darting between the tombstones.
The cemetery has also been the site of numerous paranormal investigations, with ghost hunters from all around the world claiming to have captured unexplained phenomena, such as apparitions and strange noises, on camera. Locals also claim that groups of satanists, cults and practitioners of dark magic are known to sneak inside late at night to perform all sorts of rituals, leaving traces of chicken blood, human hairs, bodily fluids, cracked eggshells, photos, dirty underwear, candle wax, and far more disturbing elements, as proof of their visits.
About the Author
Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro is a Colombian author of genre bending speculative fiction based in Bogotá, Colombia. She’s always been passionate about stories, whether her own, fictional or not, or those that belong to others. Her work is fueled by curiosity, her love of history and the supernatural, and the desire to give voice to traditionally marginalized perspectives. When she’s not writing, she can be found sipping black coffee, puzzling, and listening to audiobooks.
Three years later, haunted by disturbing dreams and cryptic journal entries from her late mother, Antonia is drawn back to her childhood home when it is converted into a luxurious hotel. As Antonia confronts her fragmented memories and the dark history of the estate, she wrestles with unsettling questions she can no longer ignore: Was her mother’s death by her own hands, or was it by someone else’s?
In a riveting quest for answers, Antonia must navigate the shadows of La Casona, unearthing its darkest secrets and confronting a legacy that threatens to swallow her whole.
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