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ᐈ What to do in the Tatacoa Desert, Colombia
Colombia is a country full of contrasts, both cultural and natural, and a good example of the latter are the curious landscapes of the Tatacoa Desert. Located in the department of Huila, south of Bogotá, this desert was a tropical forest full of life thousands of years ago. However, today offers a unique desert landscape in Colombia which attracts travelers, photography lovers and astronomy fans from all over the world. In this article, we tell you what to do in the Tatacoa Desert, how to get there and where to stay.
WHAT TO DO IN THE TATACOA DESERT
We traveled to the Tatacoa Desert in February 2022 during our 45-day tour of Colombia before crossing Ecuador. We spent two days there and took good notes on what to do in the Tatacoa Desert and other tips, so I'll tell you!
Stargazing
The Tatacoa Desert is famous for being one of the best places in Colombia for stargazing. Due to its distance from the city lights and a dry climate with rare rains, it becomes a sanctuary for both amateur astronomers and curious tourists.
You can join stargazing tours that will allow you to see all kinds of wonders, including constellations, nebulae, and planets. To do this activity, the ideal is to coincide your visit with the new moon. because there will be less light and visibility will be greater, although it is not an essential requirement.
You don't need to be an astronomy expert or have professional photography equipment to enjoy this experience.
At the observatory they usually have a couple of experts who can explain things to you.carThey will tell you lots of interesting facts about the universe while pointing out the constellations in the sky with a laser. Through its telescopes you can see planets, curious stars or the moon. They will also help you adjust the camera on your phone or your camera to capture the stars well and at the end of the activity They will send you some examples of photographs with the telescope that they have been able to take.
Tour the labyrinth of Cusco, the Red Desert
The Cusco Labyrinth, also known as the Cusco Trail, is a formation of canyons and eroded ridges that It offers landscapes with reddish tones and very curious textures that remind us of Mars.. This trail is located in what is popularly known as the Tatacoa Desert and it is a simple and not very long path. It took us about two hours to do it, going very slowly and stopping to take photos.
To get to this area you will need to hire a motorbikecarIn Villavieja, they are set up in the main square and you can't miss them. Although we pay 20 thousand COP just for the one way, if you book a round trip it is possible that they will charge you a little more for the time spent waiting there.
Whether it's him or a friend, they'll never miss an opportunity to go on the buscarWe did it this way. to later go to the observatory, which is located about 15 minutes walk from the Cusco trail. There were some ladies selling some beers, so a perfect plan to wait for night to fall.
When you explore this place you start with impressive panoramic views where you can take spectacular photographs like the one below. As you follow the path you immerse yourself in a kind of brown labyrinth with formations of all kinds that are reminiscent of movie sets. In addition, the little vegetation you find are cacti and some small trees that immerse you much more in the landscape and make you feel in an infinite desert. The trail is marked.
Yo I recommend you visit it shortly before sunset so that the colors are much more intense reddish and the landscape is more spectacular if possible. Also don't forget to bring water and sunscreen, as the sun can be intense and you will find almost no shade.
Discover the gray desert
Another of the natural treasures of the Tatacoa Desert are the formations known as Gray Desert or Hoyos sector. It is very curious that being separated by a few kilometers they have such different formations. Although in both the erosion of wind and water in such a fragile terrain has been responsible for sculpting them, creating unique landscapes that seem from another planet.
This place is further away from Villavieja, approximately one hour. So he motorcyclecarbut it is more caror, starting from 40 thousand COP/journey, about €19 in total for a round trip.
Within the gray desert there are also some natural waters in which to take a soak, although the pool itself is not very pretty, it can be a good idea if it is very hot. The price is about €3.
Spend a night in the desert
One of the best things to do in the Tatacoa Desert is to spend the night in a lodge in the middle of the desert instead of in the nearby town of Villavieja. A different experience and a starry sky just by opening the door.
You can stay in the cabins Star Hotel or if you prefer a cheaper option ticampaign launch Pachingo the Spring, Both sites offer dinner and breakfast.
The downside is that You'll need a motorcyclecarro for all journeys, that's why I recommend going late in the day after visiting the Red and Gray Desert. You can even agree with the driver to take you there first to leave your luggage and to pick you up the next day.
Walk through Villavieja
Villavieja is not a very charming town, but it doesn't hurt if you stay there, instead of in the desert, take a walk to its Main Square, walk its streets and have a drink. A typical Colombian drink made with Lulo (a fruit) that is delicious!
HOW TO GET TO VILLAVIEJA
El closest town to the Desert Tatacoa is Villavieja. To get to it you will have to go through the city of Neiva, which has good land connections from the large Colombian cities. We went by night bus from Pereira (city in the Coffee Region) for 70 thousand COP/pax (€16).
Once in Neiva you have to take a shared van or pickup They start operating at 6 in the morning and leave once they are full, taking 45 minutes to reach Villavieja.
WHERE WE TO STAY
IN THE TATACOA DESERT
For me, the best option is for you to live the experience of sleeping in the "middle of nowhere" in a aaccommodation near the Tatacoa Desert. Like in the Star Hotel that I already recommended above.
One of the best hotels in Villavieja la Casa Hotel Estelar, modern, clean accommodation with a pool to cool offcarsAnd (very important!). It also includes a delicious traditional breakfast.
If you travel on a backpacker budget you can stay where we stayed, the Hostel Villa Cecilia, un humble and very economical place Owned by a lovely family. We arrived very early and they let us check-in so we could sleep for a while.
I hope this article about what to do in the Tatacoa Desert helps you organize your trip to this unique small desert. Remember that we have many other items from Colombia which could be interesting if you are organizing your trip or looking for inspiration. And for any questions you can contact us and we will try to help you in any way possible.
