Colombia
WILDLIFE 15 D (A)
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
Itinerary Expand All
WELCOMING IN BOGOTÁ
On this first day, a person from our team will be waiting for you at your arrival time at El Dorado Airport in Bogotá and will take you to the hotel. Afterwards, you will have the rest of the day free, having time to recover from the flight, enjoy the hotel facilities or explore the city on your own.
MONSERRATE & HUMMINGBIRDS
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a half-day tour, starting at 9:00 AM in the lobby of the hotel (the time can change if you need more recovering from the international flight), where you will get by cable car Monserrate Mountain located at 3.100 m.a.s.l. where you will visit a hummingbird trail with feeders, where you can observe some endemic species of the region with an expert. Later on, you will be taken back to the hotel.
HATO LA AURORA DAY 1
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a half-day tour, starting at 9:00 AM in the lobby of the hotel (the time can change if you need more recovering from the international flight), where you will get by cable car Monserrate Mountain located at 3.100 m.a.s.l. where you will visit a hummingbird trail with feeders, where you can observe some endemic species of the region with an expert. Later on, you will be taken back to the hotel.
HATO LA AURORA DAY - 2
On this day, we can start the tour very early in the morning in order to have better chances to see birds and wildlife, or optionally, we can start after breakfast. You will have a full-day Safari in 4x4 cars looking for the reserve's Big 5: capybaras, anacondas, anteaters, alligators and with great luck the jaguar. The guides will advise you on the best places to observe wildlife without disturbing it. Later on, you will return to the lodge and will have a cultural activity.
HATO LA AURORA - DAY 3
On this day, after breakfast, you will have a second full day Safari in 4x4 cars looking for the reserve's Big 5: capybaras, anacondas, anteaters, alligators and with great luck the jaguar. The guides will advise you on the best places and strategy to observe 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 4
On this day, after breakfast, you will be able to see the forest surrounding the lodge either on horseback or by walk, where you might see some fauna along the way, while learning about the conservation balance between the cattle and ecotourism activities. In the afternoon, you will have a 4-hrs transfer in 4x4 to the city of Yopal and you will be dropped off at your hotel, where you can sleep comfortably.
FLIGHT TO SANTA MARTA
On this day, you will have a transfer to the airport of Yopal to be 2 hours before your flight to Santa Marta with a connection in Bogota. Once there, you will have a private transfer to your ecolodge located inside the Tayrona National Park, where you will be surrounded by great nature. You will have a free afternoon to enjoy the ocean view, the wild beaches and the warmth of this great place where you will spend the nights in the region.
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 better chances to see the birds and continental fauna of this protected area, that is home of 59 species of mammals, more than 300 species of birds, different reptiles and amphibians. On this day the focus will be wildlife observation, trying to avoid the busiest trails with regular tourist.
DAY AT LEISURE IN TAYRONA PARK
On this day, you will have breakfast and then the rest of the day at leisure, where you can explore the national park on your own, which offers several signalized trails where you will be able to appreciate its rocky landscapes and wild beaches where you can 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.
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 located at 580 m.a.s.l. in the town of Minca, which is a destination in the lower part of the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta, which has the highest mountains next to the ocean in the world. You will have an expert naturalist guide the whole day in order to observe wildlife along the way from the sea level to the elevation of the accommodation and its surroundings.
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 Minca, where different bird species can be observed according to the elevation and the route taken. For 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 biodiverse place between the snow-capped tropical mountains and the Caribbean Sea.
TRANSFER TO CARTAGENA
On this day, you will have a 5-hrs approx. private ground transfer to your hotel located inside the walled city of Cartagena. Once there, you will have the afternoon free in order to walk by the streets of the walled city, discover its secrets and enjoy this colonial city that has a strong heritage of Spanish architecture mixed with the colors and vibes of Caribbean culture. The city also offers several museums and great restaurants.
ROSARIO ISLANDS - DAY 1
On this day, you will take a shared boat at 8:00 AM, heading to one of the Rosario Islands. You will be welcomed with a local cocktail and will have the day completely free to enjoy its crystal-clear waters of a private Caribbean beach and will have time for lunch. Your hotel is located in Isla Grande, which is the largest of the Rosario Islands, where can hire activities like snorkeling, diving, kayaking, hiking, bioluminescence plankton activity among others.
ROSARIO ISLANDS - DAY 2
On this day, you will have free time to enjoy the private Caribbean beaches of the island. You will have kayaks available or you can hire activities at the island such as snorkeling or different options at the place. In the afternoon you will have a shared boat transportation back to Cartagena. We suggest you to book in advance a dinner at one of the many great restaurants of the city in order to have a perfect farewell from Cartagena.
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
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
Add-ons & optionals
What to take?
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
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
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.
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