TREKING TRIP 15D (A)

This tour is designed for people who want to explore the mountains of Colombia, its different ecosystems and experience the local culture of indigenous groups and farmers at these locations. Also during the tour you can see magnificent unspoiled landscapes and might have the chance to see some unique wildlife.

This itinerary is special and avoiding the most crowded mountains of Colombia. Instead, we have chosen some of the most special and untravelled mountain destinations nationwide, where you will get to visit off-the-beaten track destinations that are not in the books of regular adventure travels in our country.

Itinerary
Cost Info
Add-ons & optionals
What to take?
Recomendation
FAQ´s
Map
Gallery

Itinerary

Itinerary Expand All

WELCOMING IN SANTANDER
On this day, you will be received by the local team at the Bucaramanga airport. Then you will have a private transfer to the town of San Vicente de Chucuri, located 2-hrs. away from there. You will have a briefing and a talk by the local guides in order to have all the instructions for the trek. You will have the rest of the day at leisure to prepare yourselves for the next days of adventure and to enjoy the quietness and authenticity of this charming town.
S.V. CHUCURI – ZAPATOCA
On this day, you will start the first day of trek, that can have a length from 17 to 30 kms by ancient trails depending on the physical level of the hikers. Starting at 1.230 m.a.s.l. passing by the rainforest ecosystems of Yariguies National Park and heading to the town of Zapatoca located 1.700 m.a.s.l. Some initial and final parts of the trail can be done by car in order to make the trek easier, but 16 kms are unavoidable. There will always be an emergency car with the group.
ZAPATOCA – GUANE - BARICHARA
On this day, you can have a trek from 10 to 28.5 kms length, starting at Zapatoca town, where you will have a first nice view of Chicamocha canyon. You will walk by the “Lengerke” trails first descending 17 kms (12 kms can be done by car) to the Suarez River and then ascending 6.5 kms to the small town in Guane, where you will have a traditional lunch. You can either continue a 5 kms hike towards the town of Barichara or you can do this part by car.
BARICHARA - JORDAN
On this day, we can start the journey hiking or taking a car to Villanueva town, where you have a 10 kms hike down the canyon, in order to take advantage of the cool weather of the morning. We will descend more than 1.000 meters in order to reach the hotel in the town of Jordan, located next to the Chicamocha river where we will have lunch. In the afternoon you can cool down in the natural pools of the place and will have dinner at night.
JORDAN – LOS SANTOS – LA MOJARRA
On this day, we will start our ascent of 5 kms and 850 mts of elevation gain towards the town of Los Santos. We will visit its enchanted streets together before having lunch in the town. In the afternoon we will have the last 10 kms of hike to La Mojarra natural climbing wall, which is a famous destination for rock climbers. After that, you will cross the cable car of the Chicamocha canyon and will be taken by car to Barichara where you will spend the night
BARICHARA
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a free morning to enjoy by the cobblestone streets of Barichara, its museums and discover the colonial Spanish-heritage architecture of this beautiful town. In the afternoon, you will have a 4-hrs. transfer to the colonial town of Villa de Leyva, where we will drop you off at your hotel, which is one of the best in the entire area and can enjoy the night in this charming walkable town.
VILLA DE LEYVA
On this day, we will start a 9.5 kms hike to Sachica, recognized as one of the most beautiful towns of the region. You will ascend to the San Marcos viewpoint and the mountain of Iguaque, where the panorama opens to a beautiful landscape with the desert in the background mixed with the green of the mountains on the other side. Later on, you will have a 3.5-hrs. transfer to Bogota, where you will be dropped at your hotel.
SANTA MARTA
On this day, you will have a transfer to the airport of Bogota 2 hours before your flight to Santa Marta. Once you arrive, you will be taken to the hotel in the historical center of this city that offers great warm Caribbean weather. You will have the afternoon free to rest and prepare for the following journey in the mountains and you can optionally explore the main spots of the historical center, visit the Gold Museum among other possible activities in Santa Marta.
SACRED LAGOONS DAY 1
On this day, you will be taken in a 3-hrs transfer in 4x4 towards the town of San Pedro de la Sierra where you will have lunch. After that we will continue 1-hr in the 4x4 to the furthest point possible in according to the state of the road. Then we will start the trek to reach the first camp site at 2.300 m.a.s.l. At our arrival we will share moments with the Arhuaco indigenous community, having a ceremony with them to enter the territory.
SACRED LAGOONS DAY 2
On this day, we will do a hike of 15 kms to reach the next campsite at 3.700 m.a.s.l. This will be a challenging day, where you will have mules to carry the backpacks, passing by the cloud forest and paramo ecosystems, which are similar to the mountain ecosystems of Scotland, but close to the Caribbean Sea. You will arrive to the second campsite next to the Sacred Lagoons of Santa Marta, where we will have great views if the climate conditions are good enough.
SACRED LAGOONS DAY 3
On this day, we will visit the surrounding areas of the lagoons aiming to get to 4.300 m.a.s.l mainly by a rocky terrain, where you will get to a lookout where if the climate conditions are good enough, you will see the Colon and Bolivar snow peaks, which are the highest of the country and the highest of the world next to the ocean. It is common to observe Andean condors in this area and after some moments there we will get back to the campsite.
SACRED LAGOONS DAY 4
On this day, we will start the hike back to the starting point of the trek, having an 18 kms trek, descending 1.800 m.a.s.l. by the same path by that we took the first 2 days and then will be taken to your hotel next to Tayrona National Park arriving by 7:00 PM. If we have the previous approval of the indigenous authorities, we can do a loop and descend by another trail, having different landscapes, but for this, it is necessary to add one day more to the trek.
DAY 1 AT LEISURE IN TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK
On this day, you will have the entire day at leisure, where you can explore the Tayrona national park on your own, which offers several signalized trails where you will be able to appreciate its rocky landscapes and enjoy its beaches, where you can swim and also do snorkeling in order to discover the underwater biodiversity of the place or choose between several activities available in the surrounding area of the park.
DAY 2 AT LEISURE IN TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK
On this day, you will have your second entire day free in the Tayrona National Park area, where you can observe birds, walk along different trails, surf, visit indigenous communities that live in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, do a tubing activity or simply relax in the facilities of the hotel, which has a nice swimming pool with easy access to the park and therefore different nice beaches, being surrounded by great nature.
FLIGHT OUT
On this day, you will have breakfast at the hotel and will also have a transfer included to be at the airport of Santa Marta 3 hours before your flight out the country or 2 hours before flight connections within Colombia.

Cost Info

Price includes

LODGING Hotels of different categories depending on the destination in double occupancy and professional camping equipment of the Nevado del Huila summit.
ACTIVITIES All the activities mentioned in the plan, in private tours & transportations.
MEALS 20 breakfasts, 17 lunches and 14 dinners.
TRANSFERS All the transfers between cities and hotels are private.
GUIDANCEEnglish speaking guides/translators throughout the trip for all activities.
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE CARD The tour includes a travel assistance card for all the days that covers possible accidents, medical attention and emergency transportations for a quick response in case of being necessary according to the evacuation time during the activities and level of medical attention at the destination.

Price excludes

International flights.
Activities, additional drinks or elements not described in the plan./li>
Tips, snacks and souvenirs.
Personal items not described in the itinerary.
Other languages speaking guides/translators.

Add-ons & optionals

- Other languages speaking guides/translators, according to availability of guides for the desired date, in this case it is advisable to book in advance.
- Private tours for smaller groups that don’t want to have shared activities and transportations.
- Private single rooms for just one person (price under request).
- Upgrade to a higher accommodation that can be quoted upon request and confirmation of availability in that hotel.

What to take?

- Hat and/or other sun protection for the head and neck.
- Long-sleeved shirts to avoid sunburn and mosquito bites during outdoor activities.
- Wear comfortable pants and avoid wearing jeans.
- Bring waterproof clothing and/or rain poncho.
- Appropriate footwear for the hikes, trekking boots are necessary and several pairs for change as footwear can get wet during the hikes.
- Swimming suit, towels and water shoes, as there will be chances to swim in different water bodies along the trip.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
- Personal binoculars are mandatory and cameras are highly recommended.
- Protection for electronic devices since they may be susceptible to damages due to humidity and/or rain.
- Non-disposable rigid container to refill water (canteen or thermos).
- Personal documents and count with your own medical insurance.
- Personal medicines and first aid kit.

Recomendation

"WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONNECTIVITY & BILINGUISM
It is necessary to be properly prepared for the weather conditions on the travel dates, which are detailed below, but as this is an approximation, please note that they may vary. You will visit several rural areas, where communications might be difficult and also you need to take into account that not everywhere you can find bilingual staff or people at the destinations.
San Vicente de Chucuri (Days 01-02):
Temp. Min: 21ºC Max: 31ºC, dry climate / (693 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel with just to communicate in English.

Zapatoca (Day 02-03):
Temp. Min: 14ºC Max: 25ºC, dry climate / (1676 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel with just to communicate in English.

Barichara (Days 03-04 & 06):
Temp. Min: 18ºC Max: 27ºC, dry climate / (1336 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel with just to communicate in English.

Jordan (Days 04-05):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 33ºC, dry climate / (425 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel with just to communicate in English.

Mesa de Los Santos (Days 04-06):
Temp. Min: 20ºC Max: 30ºC, dry climate / (1700 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel with just to communicate in English.

Villa de Leyva & Surroundings (Days 06-07):
Temp. Min: 14ºC Max: 23ºC, slightly humid climate / (2150 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel with just to communicate in English.

Bogotá D.C. (Days 07-08):
Temp. Min: 8ºC Max: 16ºC, slightly humid climate / (2600 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and Wi-Fi.
Some locals and people at the hotel speak fluent English.

San Agustin (Days 08-11):
Temp. Min: 19ºC Max: 28ºC, slightly humid climate / (1730 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English, having staff at the hotel with just to communicate in English.

La Magdalena Lagoon trek (Days 11-13):
Temp. Min: 19ºC Max: 28ºC, tropical climate / (2.800-3.700 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and acceptable Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.

Popayan (Days 13-14):
Temp. Min: 16ºC Max: 26ºC, slightly humid climate / (1760 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and acceptable Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.

Belalcazar (Days 15 & 19-20):
Temp. Min: 13ºC Max: 21ºC, slightly humid climate / (2156 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.

Nevado del Huila (Days 16-19):
Temp. Min: -8ºC Max: 1ºC, slightly humid climate / (2150-5364 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and no Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.

Neiva (Days 20-21):
Temp. Min: 23ºC Max: 32ºC, slightly humid climate / (442 m.a.s.l.)
Appropriate phone signal and good Wi-Fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.
"

FAQ´s

"PLUG TYPE
• Voltage: 110V
• Frequency: 60 Hz
• Plugs: Type A / B

CURRENCY
Colombian Peso (COP) 1 USD = 3.800 COP approx.
It is advisable to carry cash for extra expenses during the trip since in some areas access to ATMs and dataphones may be limited or non-existent:
- La Magdalena Lagoon Trek
- Nevado del Huila

REDUCTION OF WASTE GENERATION
We promote the reduction of waste generation from single-use plastics, so we recommend bringing your own non-disposable rigid container to refill water in hotels, especially for days when outdoor activities are planned.

TIPPING
- Tipping is not mandatory, but if you consider you can tip the guides with an amount from 50.000 to 100.000 COP (12 to 25 USD approx.) per day of service.
- At the restaurants the suggested tip is 10% of the service.

SEASONS
- It is very much advisable to visit this destination in the dry season, as during the rainy season the challenge is bigger due to the extremely muddy and difficult conditions of the trails.
- The dry season in Colombia ranges from Mid-November till March, in this period of the year you can expect to have easier hikes and less rain in general.
- Getting by car to off the road paths will be easier, making the transportation times shorter to those spots in very rural areas.
- The rainy season starts in April and ends in mid-November, being May and October the rainiest months in Colombia and from June to September a softer rainy period.
- If you decide to attend this trip in the wet season you need to take into account that the conditions will be very tough in general and the probability to get to the summit or see it without clouds will be much lower.

PLEASE INFORM IN ADVANCE ABOUT
- Food restrictions and/or preferences.
- Important illnesses to take into account, disabilities, allergies and/or other medical conditions that may affect the development of activities.
- Blood type.
- Special requirements for the trip within the reach of our logistics.
- Inform us if you don’t know how to swim.
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