WILDLIFE A (DRY SEASON) 15D

This tour is designed for wildlife lovers by some of the best spots in Colombia to observe fauna & flora. Our country is known for being the 2nd most biodiverse country in the world, and the first if we measure it per square kms. This is not very demanding physically, but has some hikes, and you need to be prepared to different boat and 4×4 transportations.

Here you can expect to see great wildlife, some of it endemic. The destinations chosen are normally away from mass tourism and you can get a deeper contact with rural communities, visit different ecosystems that range from the high Andes, passing by the eastern flatlands, the Amazon jungle, and the Caribbean Coast of Colombia, also helping the wildlife and ecosystems preservation efforts in the regions to visit.

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

Itinerary

Itinerary Expand All

WELCOMING IN BOGOTÁ

A person from our team will be waiting for you at your arrival time at El Dorado Airport in Bogota and will take you to the hotel. On the way, he will give you a briefing of the whole experience with some advice and recommendations for a pleasant trip. Subsequently, you will have the rest of the day free at leisure, having time to recover from the flight or explore the city by yourself.
BOGOTA FREE DAY OF ACCLIMATIZATION
On this day, you will have a free day in Bogota in order to recover from your international flight and acclimatize to the weather of the Andean region. Your hotel is located the most modern area of the city, close to great restaurants. You can explore the city on your own, or hire a tour with us, which can be a graffiti, a fruit or a city-tour, a visit to Monserrate church, or to a hummingbird reserve among other options.
HATO LA AURORA DAY 1
On this day, you will fly to the city of Yopal, where you will be received at the airport and then will have a 3-hours transfer to Hato La Aurora in 4x4 cars passing by marvelous landscapes and observing different birds along the way. You will have lunch at this place, which is known for its wildlife conservation efforts and its endemic species. You will have an afternoon tour in canoes to watch aquatic fauna in the rivers of the reserve.
HATO LA AURORA DAY 2
On this day, we can start the tour very early in the morning in order to have a better chance to see birds and wildlife. Or optionally, we can start after breakfast. You will have a full day Safari in 4x4 cars searching the big-5 of the reserve: Capybara, Anaconda, Anteater, Puma & the Jaguar. The guides will advise you about the best spots, moments and strategy to spot wildlife without disturbing it at this immense wildlife sanctuary.
FULL SAFARI
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a second full day Safari in 4x4 cars looking for the big-5 of the reserve: Capybara, Anaconda, Anteater, Puma & the Jaguar. The guides will advise you about the best spots, moments and strategy to spot wildlife without disturbing it at this immense wildlife sanctuary by the same or different path depending on how successful were the sightings on the day before and guides criteria.
HATO LA AURORA DAY 3
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a horse-back riding activity, where you can experience the local culture and see some fauna along the way, you will also learn about the conservation balance between the cattle and the ecotourism activities. In the afternoon, after lunch, you will have a 4-hrs. transfer in 4x4 towards towards the city of Yopal, where you will be dropped in your hotel.
FLIGHT TO SANTA MARTA
On this day, you will have a flight to Santa Marta, with a connection through Bogota. Once there, you will be received and taken in a 1.5-hours transfer from the airport to your ecolodge located inside Tayrona National Park. Your hotel has great facilities and it is next to a pristine beach that you can enjoy in the afternoon at leisure. You will be surrounded by great nature and the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea.
TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK
On this day, you will have a guided tour by the National Park with a naturalist guide, starting very early in the morning in order to have more chances to see the birds and continental wildlife in general of this protected area, with 59 species of mammals, more than 300 species of birds, different reptiles and amphibians. In this full day the focus will be wildlife observation, trying to avoid the busiest trails with regular tourist, that is why starting early is important.
TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK FREE DAY
On this day, you will have your breakfast and then the rest of the day free day at leisure, where you can explore the national park by yourself, that offers several signalized trails where you will be able to appreciate its rocky landscapes and wild beaches where you can also do some snorkeling in order to discover the underwater biodiversity of the place.
MINCA DAY 1
On this day, you will be picked up at 9:00 AM and will have a 2-hrs. transfer to your lodge which is located at 1.500 m.a.s.l. in the rural area of Minca, which is a town in the outskirts of Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta that has the highest mountains next to the ocean in the world. You will have an expert guide the whole day in order to do wildlife observation along the way from the sea level to the elevation of the reserve.
MINCA DAY 2
On this day, we will wake up at 5:30 AM in order to do a birdwatching activity in the surroundings of the reserve, where you can see different bird species according to the elevation of the route taken. During the rest of the day, we will continue exploring the very well-preserved jungle with several butterflies, reptiles, birds, waterfalls and pristine nature in this special biodiversity spot between the snow-capped tropical mountains and the ocean.
STILT TOWNS + CARTAGENA
On this day, you will be picked up at 6:00 AM and will have a 2-hour transfer to Nueva Venecia, which is a stilt town declared world heritage by UNESCO located in Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta. There you can see how locals have lived for centuries with a very close relationship with the water and nature there. You can see some wildlife and also see how fishermen and the communities live in stilt houses before having a 3-hours transfer to Cartagena.
CARTAGENA
On this day, you will have a 4-hours city-tour starting at 9:00 AM, visiting the main spots of the city of Cartagena, which has a strong heritage of Spanish architecture mixed with the colors and vibes of Caribbean vibes. You will have a free afternoon and night in order to discover the secrets of the walled city by yourself, walk by its cobblestone streets, watch its colorful balconies and enjoy the Caribbean atmosphere of the place.
ROSARIO ISLANDS
On this day, you will take a shared boat at 8:30 AM, heading to a private beach of one of the Rosario Islands. You can enjoy its crystal-clear waters and will have time for lunch. You can also use the available kayaks, snorkels and paddle boards or hire motor activities there, before going back to Cartagena at 3 PM. We can optionally help you to make a reservation in advance for this day for a farewell dinner at one of the great restaurants of the city.
FLIGHT OUT
On this day, you will have breakfast at the hotel. You will have a transfer included to take you to the international airport of Cartagena in order to be 3 hours before your flight out the country or 2 hours before flight connections inside Colombia.

Cost Info

Included

ACCOMMODATION 4+ stars hotel, boutique hotels and ecolodges in double and twin rooms.
ACTIVITIES All the activities mentioned in the plan, all in private tours and transportations, except when necessary.
MEALS 11 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches and 3 dinners
TRANSFERS All land/sea transportation in private vehicles or shared, when strictly necessary.
GUIDANCE Spanish speaking guides throughout the trip for all activities.
Full 24/7 concierge available for monitoring the whole experience and solving requests and comments from the passengers.

Not included

Activities or elements not described in the plan.
Additional drinks.
Tips, snacks and souvenirs.
Personal items not described in the itinerary.
National or International flights.

Add-ons & optionals

What to take?

- Clothes according to weather in each destination:
• Bogotá and: Long pants, closed shoes, jacket or cardigan.
• The rest of the destinations: Light clothes.
• Long-sleeved shirts to avoid sunburn and mosquito bites during outdoor activities.
- Bring waterproof clothing and/or rain poncho, especially in the rainy season.
- Appropriate footwear for the hikes (trekking boots are advisable and at least one pair of sneakers or several pairs for change (they might get wet during the treks).
- Swimming suit, towels and shoes for the water.
- Protection for electronic devices since they may be susceptible to damage due to humidity and/or rain in the area to visit.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent for the trails.
- Cap and/or sun protection for the head.
- Non-disposable rigid container to refill water (canteen or thermos).
- Flashlight.
- Special personal medicines.
- Personal medical insurance.
- Personal documents.

Recomendations

WEATHER CONDITIONS, CONNECTIVITY & BILINGUALISM
It is necessary to be properly prepared for the weather conditions on the travel dates, which are detailed below and also you need to take into account that not everywhere you can find bilingual staff or people at the destinations:
Bogotá D.C. (days 01-03 & 06):
Temp. Min: 6ºC Max: 14ºC, slightly humid climate / (3000-3600 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and broken wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.

Hato La Aurora (days 03-05):
Temp. Min: 22ºC Max: 32ºC, very humid climate / (340 m.a.s.l.)
No phone signal and broken wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide but locals do not speak English.

Tayrona National Park & surroundings (days 06-09):
Temp. Min: 17ºC Max: 27ºC, slightly humid climate / (0-100 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 to communicate in english.

Cartagena (days 09-12):
Temp. Min: 24ºC Max: 32ºC, humid climate / (0-100 m.a.s.l.)
Good phone signal and good wi-fi.
You will have a bilingual guide and many locals speak fluent English.

FAQ´s

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

CURRENCY
Colombian Peso (COP) 1 USD = 3.800 COP aprox.
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.

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.

VACCINES
Currently, there is no major outbreak of contagious disease or mosquito transmission in the areas to be visited. However, if there is an outbreak or important biological risk in the destinations to be visited, it will be informed in a timely manner prior to the trip.
Vaccines are not mandatory, but in the case of traveling to the jungle regions of the Pacific and the Amazon it is advisable to have the yellow fever vaccine at least 10 days before the trip: https://colombia.travel/en/practical-information/health-and-vaccines

TIPPING
- Tipping is not mandatory, but if you consider you can tip the guides with an amount from 20.000 to 50.000 COP (5 to 12 USD aprox.) per day of service.
- At the restaurants the suggested tip is 10% of the service.

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 the activities.
- Blood type.
- Special requirements for the trip within the reach of our logistics.
- Inform us if you don’t know how to swim.
- Shoe size for borrowing the rubber boots at the Hato La Aurora & Calanoa lodges.