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Overview

Highlights:

  • We will explore one of the geological Colombian wonders; wonderful formations and “moonscapes” with amazing colors.
  • Spectacular sights from the “Snake Canyon”, “Xilopal Valley” and “The Holes” with its “ghosts”, also the Martian “Cuzco” and the Natural Pool.

Tour details:

  • Duration of the trip: 3 days and 2 nights
  • Do you also want to know Saint Augustine? click here: Tatacoa and San Agustín Expedition
  • Trekking time: 2 and 4 hours daily
  • Distance: 3 to 8 kms each day
  • Ecosystem: Desert, very dry tropical forest
  • Climate: Warm and dry
  • Elevation above sea level: 500 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l)

We will explore, doing short walks between 2 to 3 hours, the Tatacoa Desert; one of the geological wonders of Colombia – a must to see place, where we will find formations and “moonscapes” with amazing colors. We will trek across the “Snake Canyon” and the “Xilopal Valley” (fossilized tree trunks). In addition, we will explore “The Holes” with their “ghosts” and also “El Cuzco” with its red Martian-like landscape. During this day we will also take a swim in a natural pool in the middle of the desert. Lastly, we will watch through powerful telescopes, under a professional astronomer’s direction, the astonishing Milky Way; our sister planets and nebulas deep in the depths of the galaxy.

Ubication

 

Dates

  • March 23 to 25, 2024
  • May 11 to 13, 2024
  • June 1-3, 2024
  • June 8 to 10, 2024
  • June 29 to July 1, 2024
  • August 17-19, 2024
  • October 12-14, 2024
  • November 2-4, 2024
  • November 9 to 11, 2024

Do you also want to know Saint Augustine? click here: Tatacoa and San Agustín Expedition

Price

Price valid until January 25th, 2023

COP $1.190.000.oo per person

How to book

For bookings, please email us at info@ecoglobalexpeditions.com

What's included

  • Express transportation
  • Accommodation in hotel in Villavieja in multiple accommodation (2 or 3 people per room depending on availability
  • Meals
  • One (1) entrance fees for swimming in the mineralized natural pool.
  • Admission to the Paleontological Museum  “La Victoria”.
  • Professionally presented experience explaining the stars, guided by a professional astronomer.
  • Expert guides
  • Local guides (EcoGlobal Expeditions supports green initiatives and eco-tourism in the regions we visit)
  • Insurance

What's not included

  • Breakfast day 1
  • Hydration
  • Personal expenses
  • Souvenirs
  • Tips

Itinerary

Note:
*The following itinerary is informative and may vary without prior notice in accordance with weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances.

Tatacoa Desert meeting point: Avenida Calle 85 with Autopista Norte, two blocks above the parallel on Cl 85 See map…

Meeting day and time: Day 1 at 5:00 a.m.

Day 1

We meet on Avenida Calle 85 with Autopista Norte, two blocks above the parallel on Cl 85 See map… at 5:00 a.m. to go to the city of Neiva, the municipality of Villavieja and El Desierto.

We will stop for breakfast on the way (at the expense of each participant)

Arrival in the desert and lunch at a country inn restaurant. After lunch we will enjoy a swim in the natural pool and when the sun falls a little we will take a walk of approximately one hour and a half through the Los Hoyos sector to visit the “gathering of ghosts” and other magical formations in the gray sector. of the desert.

After this walk we will go in our transport to the “Window of the Desert” sector to see “the zoo of formations” and the sunset. *La Ventana” is the highest place in the desert and allows a privileged 360-degree panoramic view.

At the end of the afternoon we will go to the astronomical observatory for a spectacular talk and stargazing (sky permitting), then we will return to the hotel.

Day 2

After breakfast we will take a walk of approximately 3 to 4 hours through the sector of the Xilópalos (fossilized trees) and the canyon of La Culebra. We will return to the hotel to have lunch and rest.

In the afternoon, after the sun goes down a bit, we will go to the Cuzco sector where we will make a 2 or 3-hour tour through one of the most beautiful places in the desert.

Return to the hotel and dinner.

Day 3

Breakfast and departure to Villavieja to visit the paleontological museum.

After the museum we will depart for Bogotá by a different route. We will visit the amazing Natural History Museum of La Victoria where the Second Paleontological Laboratory of Colombia is located, called Valerie Anders, created by the Fundación Vigías del Patrimonio Paleontologico La Tatacoa (FVPPT).

We will then continue along a remote road that requires us to cross the Magdalena River over an old railway bridge and tunnel.

We will be arriving in Bogotá at approximately 5 or 6 in the afternoon (lunch on the way).

Travel tips

  • As far as possible take the least amount of wrappers, cans or glasses and please, let’s return home all the inorganic waste that we carry in our backpack «if you carry it in your backpack, you can return in your backpack»
  • Please do not leave trash in the desert and I hope we don’t leave trash in the cabin.
  • Be previously vaccinated against yellow fever and tetanus.
  • Don’t bring items that are typically used by the military (i.e. camouflage clothing).
  • Don’t bring or take toxic, psychoactive or hallucinogenic and alcoholic substances.
  • Don’t bring jewelry or valuables – Rolex watches and Cartier earrings; please leave them at home!
  • During the trek, don’t separate from the group and don’t remain alone at any time.
  • Bear in mind that we will be staying in a very remote place and our hosts will do everything for us as best as they can, given the local conditions and culture.
  • We want that during our visit to these remote, remote and often forgotten territories, all: guides, coordinators and tourists, we contribute to the economy of these regions and small towns, buying in the stores, stores, bakeries and restaurants, their products and merchandise (such as sweets, chocolates, soft drinks, sweets, fruits, etc.) and acquiring local handicrafts. It is a small support through which we include these communities in the tourism value chain. If you like to consume very sophisticated foods or special diets (almonds, sugar-free chocolates, dried seeds or dehydrated fruits, for example), which you will not be able to get in the shops of the villages, we recommend you take them with you. Thank you for joining this initiative, this is called sustainable tourism!

Each participant should bring:

  • Water canteen, Thermo or Camelback, let’s avoid plastic or PET bottles and if we buy or take them we return them to our house!
  • Cotton clothes for warm weather, light colors, shirts with long-sleeves
  • Bathing suit
  • Towel
  • Hiking boots or tennis shoes with good grip
  • Additional tennis shoes or sandals
  • Cap or hat
  • Water bottle or Camelback
  • Torch and extra batteries
  • Sunglasses
  • A small backpack for use while trekking
  • Poncho (rain cape) – waterproof
  • Personal hygiene items in small quantities
  • First aid kit (personal medicines)
  • Insect repellent
  • Sun block
  • Cash for tips, souvenirs and personal expenses
  • Personal documents (identity papers, ID cards, health cards)
  • Camera