The memorial center of the Sierra Nevada

The memorial center of the Sierra Nevada

Why a museum in Minca?

Everyday, people from all over the world arrive in the Sierra Nevada. They come for the natural beauty, the waterfalls, the coffee, birds, and laid back energy. The Sierra Nevada’s growing popularity is well deserved. It is a phenomenally beautiful place: the heart of the world.

Tourism is rapidly changing the town, not always for the better. Most people arrive, tour, party and leave without thinking twice about the other dimensions at play.

The Sierra Nevada exists at the intersection of stories and cultures. It is the home of 4 indigenous groups, it was where Simon Bolivar lived the last of his day, where some historians believe that the first coffee beans arrived in South America, and was strongly affected by both sides of the armed conflict.

Just in the last decade of so people have been returning to their homes and lands, taking back family property and trying to start anew. The families that were here before and during this time period have poignant stories of loss, fear, heartbreak and hope. These stories deserve to be told and the people deserve to be remembered.

Before it was a tourist destination Minca had a history...
Experience it at the museum

The MEMORIAL CENTER OF THE SIERRA NEVADA is located in the oldest house in Minca, owned by one of the oldest families in town, and serves as a center of collaboration between tourists and locals.

It shares some of the forgotten stories of the Sierra Nevada with the aim of creating a sense of unity and respect within the community and ensuring that everyone benefits from the opportunities that tourism has provided.

It is our hope that the more tourists understand about the rich culture and history of the region, the more respect they will have for it, and the more power we will all have to preserve what makes this beautiful place special.