Tatacoa Desert and Tierradentro
Emblematic Places
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Located in Huila department 45 km from its capital city Neiva, Tatacoa Desert is a place which will surprise the traveller for its peculiar landscape. You will find pillars and dry canyons, as well as gullies and caverns of up to 20 meters deep. Given the eroding conditions, high temperatures and low humidity, it is a large plain with little leaf vegetation and fauna where reptiles, birds, rodents and arachnids live. This place has an ideal location for seeing and photographing stars and celestial bodies. It should be noted that in Tatacoa Desert there is no noise or light pollution which makes this a perfect place to enjoy the silence and tranquility.
Tierradentro historical area is now a national archeological park which belongs to the municipality of Inza in Cauca department. It is very well known for its pre-Columbian hypogea, which were found in several excavations, and are divided in several archeological places like Alto del Aguacate, Alto de San Andrés, Alto de Segovia, Alto del Duende and El Tablón. Tierradentro culture is related to the neighboring San Agustín culture. This is less visited destination in Colombia due to its remote location and difficult roads which have been constantly improved.
Day 1: The tour starts in Neiva where your guide will pick you up from the hotel, airport or bus terminal. Transfer by private car to the small town of Villavieja. Here we will do a short tour of the town visiting the paleontological museum. Later we will catch a “mototaxi” in order to drive to the desert. Today you will visit the red part of the desert called “Labyrinths of Cusco”. At night we will visit the astronomical observatory (if it is cloudy, we will leave it for the next day). Rest in a local family inn in the desert (conditions are very basic, water is scarce, there is no electricity 24 hours, there is a bathroom and shower)
Day 2: During the day we will travel through different spots of tourist interest within the grey part of the desert. Places like “Ventanas”, Ghosts Valley, Valley of Xylopalos, Los Hoyos will not be missed. You will also have an opportunity to fresh up in a desert pool. During this tour we will use “mototaxi” transportation. Return back to the inn in the desert.
Day 3: Early in the morning we will start the journey towards Tierradentro. You will have to travel 210 km for about 5 hours till we arrive to the hotel El Refugio. After lunch we will head to the archeological and ethnographical museum of Tierradentro, here we will get some short insight in the history of the region. We will then continue to Alto de Segovia to get familiarize with the tombs. Return back to the hotel.
Day 4: Today we will have a half day in order to visit other archeological sites of Tierradentro. Furthermore we can’t miss to visit the small village of San Andres de Pisimbila which is famous for its particular church. After lunch we will return back to Neiva. End of the tour.
- If you do not stay the previous night in Neiva, arrive early on the first day so that you can have full day of activities
- In order to reach Neiva you can use public buses (about 6-7 hours) or flight (there are about 5 flights a day, please take the early morning one). On day 4, if you plan to fly out from Neiva to any other destination, please book a very late flight or ideally you would spend the night in Neiva and fly out the next day
- The family inn in the desert is very basic: the water is scarce, there is no electricity 24 hours, and there are some rooms with private and other rooms with shared bathrooms. The reason we use this accommodation is to support the locals since many of them live from tourism activities. In Tierradentro you will stay in a hotel, which is simple, nevertheless it is the best possible option in this area.
- The weather in Tatacoa Desert is very hot, in August you can expect quite strong winds. Tierradentro temperatures are a cooler, still warm.
- Walks in the desert are not difficult, what makes things difficult is the heat, so you need to be very well hydrated and prepared to protect your skin from the strong sun.