Colombia Wildlife
Colombia – a country associated with color, beauty, tropical warmth, and endless bounty. The natural riches found within its borders aren’t found here by chance, however. It’s Colombia’s rugged, broken and unique geography that makes it one of the world’s most diverse countries, a literal treasure trove of biological evolution, where this same geography has created many restricted-range species, found across Colombia’s 5 main geographical regions – Andean, Pacific, the Caribbean, Llanos (plains) and Amazon.
WHAT MAKES THIS TRIP EXTRAORDINARY
- Explore Bogota in full, including the Gold Museum, and a welcome dinner at Cerro Monserrate, overlooking the city, during sunset.
- Travel deep, by plane and 4×4, to the heart of the Colombian Llanos in search of South American mammals, reptiles, amphibians and birds by boat, 4×4 and on horse (Optional).
- Return to Bogota for a deeper immersion in the Colombian culture. Gourmet coffee tasting included.
- Climb to the recently-opened-to-travelers Santa Marta Highlands for superb panoramas, a coffee plantation experience, and to bird watch at one of the most important habitats on earth.
- Travel down to the Caribbean coast, to the beautiful Tayrona National Park, for more impressive birding, and to interact with the Kogi tribe. Leisure time on this remote piece of paradise is included.
- Spend three amazing days in colonial Cartagena, one of the greatest UNESCO sites in South America.
Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, please let us know. We are here to help you!
Itinerary in Brief
Day 1
Arrive in Bogota.
Upon arrival in Bogota (2,600 masl / 8,530 ft), an NPE representative will meet you, greet you and transfer you to your hotel.
After check-in (around 12:30 pm), you will have a briefing in the hotel roof pool area to review the finer tour details. In the afternoon, visit Catacion Publica, a boutique coffee science and tasting experience in Usaquen. Afterward, a walking tour of Usaquen. Welcome dinner at Club Colombia or Andres D.C, a typical Colombian restaurant.
Overnight at BOG Hotel (D)
Day 2
Explore Bogota City.
After breakfast, you will explore Bogota on a city tour and visit Bogota’s Gold Museum.
In the afternoon, Head up to Cerro Monserrate via funicular railway or cable car with panoramic views of the city for lunch at San Isidro restaurant. Descend from Monserrate for La Candelaria walking tour through Bogota’s Spanish colonial sector – historical buildings, plazas, and museums abound in the center. Visits will be made to the Botero Museum and the central Plaza de Bolivar. Back to the hotel to freshen up before heading to Andres D.C, for a memorable dinner.
Overnight at BOG Hotel (B, L, D)
Day 3
Flight to Yopal, wildlife watching, and sunset over the Llanos.
Today you will depart from the hotel early in the morning for a scheduled flight to the city of Yopal.
Upon arrival in Yopal, you will be transferred (5hr) onto the 16,000-hectare reserve and Hato La Aurora cattle ranch in the Llanos of Casanare department. A short stop or two will be made for wildlife watching, and a drinks and pit stop will be made in Paz de Ariporo.
You will stop for a typical ‘a la Llanera’ lunch at the Hato residency of Juan Solito.
After lunch, you will have time to rest before heading out for some late afternoon birding, returning to Juan Solito via boat. Capybara, Anaconda, and riparian birdlife are all possible to spot in the area.
Optional trip to the lake to view the legendary sunset over the Llanos. Short introductory talk about the Hato.
Overnight at Juan Solito Lodge. (B, L, D)
Day 4
Sunrise over the Llanos and wildlife viewing.
On this day, you can go for a walk to see the stunning sunrise over the Llanos or birding around the lodge to see local endemics before breakfast.
After breakfast, you will go on a fantastic Safari all morning to witness Llanos wildlife, including the typical bird species of the Llanos. Giant Anteater, critically endangered Orinoco Crocodile (one of the rarest reptiles on Earth), Spectacled Cayman, Scarlet Ibis, Orinoco Goose, Roseate Spoonbill, amongst many others.
4x4s will do this safari. Snacks and drinks at the lake before heading back to the lodge for lunch. The various elements of Llanos ranch life will be explained during this journey around the Hato.
In the afternoon, you can relax with some nearby birding or an optional outing to the wetland to look for Ananconda and other riparian wildlife. Guests will meet at the small lake by the Hato to witness the return to the roost of hundreds of Scarlet Ibis.
Return and do a night-time safari looking for Crab-eating Fox.
After dinner, folklore, songs, musical instruments, and stories will all be shared with the guests before bed.
Overnight at Juan Solito Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 5
Fishing, Jaguar Corridor presentation and Flight to Bogota.
Morning birding around the various trails that encircle the house and that lie next to the Airport River or an optional horse ride around the area local to the lodge. Early lunch at Juan Solito’s residence or one of the sites by the river should the clients want to do some fishing and catch their lunch!
In the afternoon, before heading to the cars, a presentation will be made by Don Jorge Barragan regarding Fundacion Jaguar’s work with Panthera, which is part of Panthera’s larger regional project, the ‘Jaguar Corridor,’ which reaches the southern states of the US down to northern Argentina.
Afterward, transfer to Yopal for a scheduled flight to Bogota.
Overnight at BOG Hotel (B, L)
Day 6
Santa Marta, Coffee Haciendas, and drive to El Dorado Reserve.
In the morning, transfer to El Dorado airport for a scheduled flight to Santa Marta. Upon arrival, Transfer to a coffee hacienda in Minca (1hr 30mins) in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Mountains.
The coffee process from seed to cup will be shown during the tour at this hacienda that dates back to the late 19th century, which employs unique British-inspired hydraulic engineering methods to move the large quantities of coffee around the plant.
In the afternoon, you will enjoy lunch at the farm. After leaving the farm, the 4×4’s will take the group up to El Dorado Reserve, stopping at Palo Alto farm for a quick leg stretch and looking around the beautiful garden there, potentially spotting Santa Marta Blossomcrown (endemic). Check-in. Afterward, you will do some birding in El Dorado Reserve.
Overnight at El Dorado Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 7
Cuchilla de San Lorenzo.
Morning drives up to the Cuchilla de San Lorenzo to observe most of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta’s astonishing 21 endemic species. Options will be available to walk the road down the ridge or stay at El Dorado, enjoying the various feeders where birds abound. Lunch at El Dorado Lodge.
Afternoon birding around El Dorado Lodge. Evening wildlife watching next to the lodge to look for Kinkajou and Lemurine Night-Monkey. Dinner at the lodge.
Overnight at El Dorado Lodge (B, L, D)
Day 8
Drive to Maloka Barlovento.
Optional pre-breakfast birding at El Dorado Lodge and leisurely breakfast. Transfer to Maloka Barlovento for check-in.
Lunch at the hotel. Afternoon and evening at leisure at the hotel with a private beach.
Overnight at Maloka Barlovento (B, L, D)
Day 9
The Kogi Tribe.
After breakfast, you will have an optional morning birding around the hotel and surrounding jungle.
Return to the hotel for an early lunch. Leave hotel for transfer to local Kogi village ‘TBC’ to learn about the Kogi way of life, their customs, why they consider themselves our ‘Big Brother’ and how they interact with the ‘Mother Earth. Return to hotel for dinner.
Overnight at Maloka Barlovento (B, L, D)
Day 10
The Caribbean Coast and Cartagena
7:30am transfer to Cartagena (5hrs). Check-in at the hotel and lunch in the walled city.
Arrive at the hotel and check-in. Lunch at the hotel. Dinner is on your own to explore the city and discover many of its beautiful corners.
Overnight at Casa San Agustin (B, L)
Day 11
Cartagena
Cartagena City Tour (9 am) – Barrio Manga, Saint Philip Castle, The Vaults, and various battalions.
After lunch in the old town, enjoy a free afternoon to photograph the city, shop, or just soak up the Caribbean atmosphere. Say goodbye to your Colombia expedition friends tonight during a festive farewell dinner at a local restaurant.
Overnight at Casa San Agustin (B, L, D)
Day 12
Fly Home
Morning at leisure in the Walled City. Depending on flight times, transfer to CTG airport for the flight to the US. (B)
Lodgings
Bogota: The B.O.G. Hotel
A new and very stylish luxury hotel located in the heart of Bogota’s Chico sector and between the Zona ‘T’ and Zona ‘Rosa’ nightlife districts which o er the very best regarding restaurants, bars, and shopping centers.
Your comfortable room offers a wide space including a work desk, hydro-massage shower, 500 thread count bedding, and subtle details that help create the perfect balance to live the B.O.G. Hotel experience. Wi wireless is available from the commodity of your room.
La Aurora: Juan Solito Lodge
The Juan Solito Ecolodge is located on the banks of the Ariporo River, north of Hato La Aurora, one of the most recognized ranches in Colombia’s «llanos.» This superb lodge is known for maintaining the area’s architectural character and environs, ensuring more intimate interactions with people and unique wildlife encounters.
Santa Marta: El Dorado Lodge
This is Colombia’s most beautiful location for a lodge. We have selected rooms, which are small and basic, but clean and with great views. Rooms are in a wood cabin type building with amazing views over the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, and the Caribbean Sea can be seen on a clear day. The rooms are cool, given the lodge’s altitude.
They also have “The Kogihabs” their new constructions with morning panoramic views of the Sierra Nevada itself. Even though we love the Kogihabs, they are located at about a 15 minutes inclined walk from the main house of the lodge. Because of this, we have only blocked 4 of the Kogihabs. Please let us know if you would like to enjoy the beautiful Kogihabs (If you are a hiker, this rooms would be perfect for you)
Free wi-fi access is available in the social parts of the Lodge, though service could fail.
Tayrona Park: Marloka Barlovento
At the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta’s foothills, Finca Barlovento humbly submits to nature while embracing the privilege of its exceptional location.
Cabaña and Maloka offer the necessary amenities and the ideal environment for a unique immersion into the Parque Tayrona region. Nature’s abundant generosity is ever-present.
Cartagena: Casa San Agustin
A luxurious small hotel carefully restored and reimagined for the new generation of travelers, the exquisite Casa San Agustín reflects Cartagena’s fresh contemporary style and colorful Caribbean sensibility.
Refined and relaxed, its trio of whitewashed colonial-era buildings exudes the warmth of a lavishly appointed private residence.
The art and architecture of Casa San Agustin highlight the city’s rich history as a 17th-century Spanish bastion, from the original frescoes in the library to the centuries-old wood-beamed ceilings in the apartments.
When to go
The best time for the country as a whole is between December and March as it rains the least during these months, especially in the Andean regions. The rainy season hits the Andes between May to July and October to December when heavy rains can fall on a daily basis though they’re usually followed by bright sunshine. Elsewhere, the Caribbean coast experiences its heaviest rainfall in September and October, and is relatively dry for the rest of the year while the lowlands experience little variation with a tropical climate.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, please let us know. We are here to help you!
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