Furatena Airport (ICAO: SKFR) is an airport serving the emerald region of the western emerald belt and town of Quípama in the Boyacá Department of Colombia. The airport is four nautical miles west of Muzo Airport.[4]

Furatena Airport
IATA: none ICAO: SKFR
Summary
Airport type	Public
Serves	Quípama, Colombia
Location	Boyacá
Elevation AMSL	3,850 ft / 1,173 m
Coordinates	5°31′17″N 74°10′55″W
Map
SKFR Location of the airport in Colombia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 16/34 870 2,854 Gravel
GCM[1] Google Maps[2] OurAirports[3]

The town and airport are on the side of a steep mountain slope, 2,200 feet (670 m) above the Quebrada Sonadora in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. The runway sits on a narrow shelf next to the town, with dropoffs on both ends and the west side. Mountainous terrain exists in all quadrants.

Etymology

The airport is named after Furatena, a cacica of the Muzo and the double mountain peak close to the airport, Fura and Tena. The mountains, separated by the Minero River and located in the San Pablo de Borbur and Pauna respectively, were considered sacred by the Muzo.[5] According to the Muzo legends, the tears of Fura turned into emeralds and butterflies.[6] The Muisca performed secret pilgrimages to Fura and Tena, avoiding the Muzo warriors to discover them. In his work Compendio historial de la conquista del Nuevo Reino de Granada, Lucas Fernández de Piedrahita tells about the existence of a cacica named Furatena. Furatena was the owner of the finest emeralds of the Muzo territories and in the early years of the Spanish conquest, zipa Sagipa wanted to see Furatena.[7]

See also

• Transport in Colombia
• List of airports in Colombia

References

Bibliography

• Ocampo López, Javier. 2013. Mitos y leyendas indígenas de Colombia - Indigenous myths and legends of Colombia. Plaza & Janes Editores Colombia S.A..

External links

• OpenStreetMap - Quípama
• Colombian emerald mining
• Colombian emerald mining