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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

Schedule your expedition to the Tatacoa Desert from Neiva:

This expedition can be done at any time of year with your family or friends, forming a private group. In this case, the price will depend on the number of people in your group. Contact us at info@ecoglobalexpeditions.com for advice.

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

Price

Price valid until January 25th, 2026

* Single room supplement $190,000

NOTE:

  • Price does not include the following admissions:
  • Admission to the natural mineral pool $10,000 per person
  • Ghost Tour $2,000 per person
  • Desert Windows Lookout $3,000 per person
  • Stargazing guided by a professional astronomer $10,000 per person
  • Xylopalos Tour $3,000 per person
  • Navigation on the Magdalena River $30,000 per person
  • Admission to the Villa Vieja Paleontological Museum or the La Victoria Paleontological Museum

How to book

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

What's included

  • Express transportation from Neiva
  • Accommodation in hotel in Villavieja in multiple accommodation (2 or 3 people per room depending on availability
  • Local guides (EcoGlobal Expeditions supports green initiatives and eco-tourism in the regions we visit)
  • Insurance

What's not included

Our Tatacoa Desert Expeditions program from Neiva does not include:

  • Admission to the natural mineral pool $10,000 per person
  • Ghost Tour $2,000 per person
  • Desert Windows Lookout $3,000 per person
  • Stargazing guided by a professional astronomer $10,000 per person
  • Xylopalos Tour $3,000 per person
  • Navigation on the Magdalena River $30,000 per person
  • Admission to the Villa Vieja Paleontological Museum or the La
  • Victoria Paleontological Museum
  • Meals
  • Hydration.
  • Tips.
  • Expenses not specified.

Itinerary

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

Day 1

  • Pickup at Neiva Airport at the time indicated. We recommend arriving around midday.
  • You can stop at one of Villavieja’s restaurants for lunch (traveler’s expense).
  • Then, transfer to the desert for the ghost walk (admission is not included; you pay $2,000 per person there) and end at the pool (admission is not included; you pay $10,000 per person there).
  • Continue with your local guide to the observatory (admission is not included; you pay $10,000 per person there). The guide’s wife makes some super-delicious fast food, such as stuffed arepas, salchipapas, and hamburgers. You can arrange with him to take you to the observatory and have dinner before attending the talk.
    NOTE: If the weather doesn’t allow for this tour, it can be arranged for the next day.
  • Return to the hotel.

Day 2

  • Early breakfast at the hotel, leaving between 8:00 a.m. and the latest. 8:30 a.m.
  • This day, accompanied by our local guide, we’ll take the Xilópalos tour. This is a beautiful, approximately 4-hour hike. (Admission is not included; you pay $3,000 per person there.)
  • Then you can visit the La Ventana viewpoint. (Admission is not included; you pay $3,000 per person there.)
  • Lunch is at the expense of each participant.
  • In the afternoon, a stop will be made for tasting typical products at a place that sells goat’s milk and its derivatives, and you can visit the handicraft shop.
  • At the end of the afternoon, around 3:30 p.m., a visit to Cusco, the red zone of the desert.
  • Return to the hotel and dinner (traveler’s own expense).

Day 3

  • Breakfast and visit to the museum (admission is not included; there is a $10,000 pesos fee per person). Depending on your return flight schedule, a short cruise along the Magdalena River can be arranged with our guide.
  • Return to Neiva

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