[1] The village was founded in 1752 by Alejo Astudillo but attacks by indigenous people destroyed it.

The present village was founded in 1790 by Lucas de Herazo y Mendigaña.

San Agustín has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: Cfb)[2] with warm temperatures and frequent rainfall.

The area is very well known for its pre-Columbian archaeological sites belonging to the ancient San Agustin culture.

These sites comprise the San Agustín Archaeological Park, which generates significant revenue to the economy due to the high volume of tourists, both Colombian and foreigners.