Off the beaten track Colombia: San Agustin and the Amazon

Day 1

Arrive in Bogotá, connect to Neiva and continue by road to Villa Vieja.

The early morning flight to Neiva takes an hour. On arrival you’ll be met by our representative and driven to Villa Vieja (37km). This town epitomises Latin American Spanish colonial towns with a grid of quiet streets lined with one storey buildings and a large and leafy square. It prides itself on the remains of prehistoric creatures found in the vicinity and there is a small Paleontological Museum on the main square. The town, which sits on the banks of the Magdalena River, is a pleasant place to wander around with flowers, mango trees, a pretty colonial church and chapel, a few shops and bars.

It is a surprise to come across what appears to be a desert in the context of the Andean tropical rain and cloud forest. It’s a scorchingly hot region, with towering red rocks spliced through by dry canyons, and sun-bleached lava flows, dotted with cacti.  This ‘desert’ is a result of particular meteorological conditions; the area is not huge but big enough for you to feel overwhelmed by the extremity of the place.

It’s a short drive from Villa Vieja to the Tatacoa Desert. You’ll have a gentle sunset stroll through an area of bright rust red rock (Laberintos de Cusco), undulating with canyon-like rucks over which short walking trails have been devised. You may also be attracted by an optional visit to the Astronomy Observatory 6km from Villa Vieja as star-gazing in the unpolluted skies can be rewarding on a clear night. (July-October best).

Day 2

Boat trip on the Magdalena River, continue by road to San Agustin.

The Magdalena River is one of Colombia’s great waterways, and for centuries boating along it was the only means of transport between isolated communities. The river slices northwards through the Andes for over 1,500km to the Caribbean Sea. It’s no surprise that it’s much loved, visited and respected by Colombians.

The Magdalena is navigable by small craft here, and a motorised canoe ride from Villa Vieja is a pleasant way to familiarise yourself with the river as here the waters are tranquil and the young river is not too wide. Along the banks are fields of crops such as sugar cane and pasture fringed by tropical vegetation. It’s a peaceful ride along one of the world’s greatest rivers more than a wildlife spotting expedition but you may spot iguanas, birds such as fish eagles, cormorants, orioles, garzas, swallows, and fishermen.

Continue by road to San Agustin (5 hours): the verdant landscape becoming increasingly hilly and scenic. San Agustin is a typical Spanish colonial style town, centred on a small leafy main square with a brick church and a bustling market on Sunday and Monday. Architecture follows the usual attractive colonial pattern of whitewashed facades, tiled roofs and overhanging wooden balconies.

Stay at - Monasterio San Agustin Boutique Hotel

Day 3

Explore San Agustín Archaeological Park.

With your expert guide, you’ll visit the archaeological park of San Agustín, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has the largest group of religious monuments and megalithic statues in South America. Gods and mythical animals, represented in styles from abstract to realist, were created by a mysterious Andean culture between the 1st and 8th centuries. The site, which includes an excellent museum, is spread out over a wide area of green, forested hillsides, with impressive views. You will also visit the statues at El Tablón, as well as La Chaquira, a towering rock face onto which deities have been deeply carved. The views from here stretch over the Magdalena River and are truly spectacular.

Stay at - Monasterio San Agustin Boutique Hotel

Day 4

Optional excursions in San Agustín.

There are several optional activities you can do today, such as visiting the Magdalena Gorge, a coffee farm or a sugarcane plantation. For those with a particular interest in archaeology, we can arrange for you to visit Alto de los Idolos, a group of 23 statues, some as tall as 5m, and with arguably the most dramatic and scenic location of the lot. Nearby is another interesting site, Alto de las Piedras, which comprises a huddle of statues some of which still sport the colours they were originally painted in.

Stay at - Monasterio San Agustin Boutique Hotel

Day 5

Drive to Popayán via Purace National Park

A beautiful and varied road climbs from San Agustin to Purace National Park (3,000m) which has as its focal point the domed volcano Purace, before descending to the city of Popayán, the cultural Mecca of the south.

Popayán is a stately colonial city where the centre, restored following earthquakes, manifests a pleasing uniformity of whitewash and Spanish baroque style. Grandiose two storeyed, Andalusian-style edifices line the cobbled streets connecting attractive squares. Historic institutions add to the town’s gravitas and the cathedral has been beautifully restored.

But it is not an overly serious town: the people are friendly and there is a love of song and dance. You’ll see many students hanging around (there are several universities, art and music colleges) which creates a youthful and vibrant feel. For many years during the troubles the city was off limits; now it is safe but still relatively undiscovered by tourists, a pleasant change from other very popular colonial cities in Latin America.

Stay at - Hotel La Plazuela

Day 6

Visit Guambiano communities; walking tour of Popayán.

The Guambiano Indians still wear their colourful costume, a traditional, dark blue poncho and distinctive black hats. The kaleidoscopic colours of the traditional Tuesday market at Silvia will dazzle you but it’s definitely worth visiting the area on other days to observe the Guambianos going about the business of their daily lives in gorgeous landscapes of bright green craggy hills, lakes and waterfalls.

Return to Popayán in the afternoon for a walking tour around the city’s historic core. You will visit cloisters in former religious buildings now occupied by colleges, public offices and even prisons: you can’t go in on your own to look, the guide gains you entry which is a good reason for taking an official tour rather than exploring independently. There is also an option to climb Morro Tulcán for views over the city, and visit a famous biscuit factory, whose elderly owner is a local celebrity.

Stay at - Hotel La Plazuela

Day 7

Fly to Bogotá.

Fly to Bogotá (1 hour). Founded in 1598, the effervescent capital sits on an upland Andean plateau. It’s a city of striking contrasts; skyscrapers and colonial single-storey houses, fast highways and cobbled lanes with chaotic traffic and the occasional mule cart. There are humble homes clinging to the mountain-sides and affluent tree-lined residential boulevards; crowded alleys and large parks; a cultured middle class jostling with workers and their families from all over Colombia. The night scene is lively with music clubs, bars and cafés spilling out on to the pavements. There is a cable car to the peak of Monserrate which glowers over the city and offers panoramic views.

Stay at - La Opera

Day 8

Walking tour of Bogotá and Gold Museum.

Your walking tour begins in the vast Plaza de Bolivar (the city’s main square), which features contemporary government buildings dwarfed by the imposing cathedral. Lying off the square is a grid of streets constituting the Spanish colonial part of the city known as ‘La Candelaria’. White and colour-washed buildings have tiled roofs and attractive overhanging balconies. Many now also host trendy coffee bars and restaurants, as well as many of the city’s museums.

Your tour also includes time at the Museo del Oro (gold museum), recognised as being one of the best in Latin America and a must even for those who don’t usually love museums. The collection is staggering in its opulence, there are more than 35,000 well displayed exhibits all fashioned with immense skill by pre-Columbian craftsmen.

Stay at - La Opera

Day 9

Fly to Leticia and continue by boat to your jungle lodge.

Fly to Leticia (2 hours), a port on the Amazon River and on the border with Brazil and Peru, offering the opportunity to visit three countries in one day.

Your lodge is 60km upriver from Leticia and the journey by public boat takes about 1½ hours. Shared with members of the local community the boats will make several stops en route offering glimpses into life in these tiny villages. It’s a scenic journey, and while there aren’t opportunities to stop and spot wildlife, you may see parakeets and egrets and if you are really lucky pink or grey dolphins.

Settle into your cabin at the lodge and then go on a guided walk through the surrounding rainforest with a local indigenous guide.

Stay at - Calanoa Lodge

Day 10

Visit Mocagua indigenous community and canoe ride

Visit Mocagua, an indigenous community a short walk from the lodge. You’ll see the homes of the indian inhabitants, the Baptist churches, the school and medical facilities, all modest one storey wooden buildings typical of the Amazon, connected by narrow paths – there are no motorised vehicles here. Fruit trees and blossoming plants enliven the tropical aspect.

Unique to Mocagua are the paintings of birds and animals on the houses. Visit basket and ceramic making workshops; there is no pressure to buy, the welcome is genuine. Some enterprising Mocaguan residents have opened restaurants in their homes and you’ll have a simple home-cooked lunch in one of them.

Return to the lodge by canoe, in time for dinner and a guided hike to discover the nocturnal activity in the forest.

Stay at - Calanoa Lodge

Day 11

Visit Puerto Narino and Lake Tarapoto

Puerto Nariño is an attractive little port a short distance up river from your lodge. Founded in 1961 and populated by local indigenous Ticuna, Yagua and Cocana people, the place is famed for its eco-friendliness. It’s a very relaxing place with no vehicular traffic; just paths lined with flowering plants and thatched wooden houses. Take a short boat ride through the flooded forest to tranquil Lake Tarapoto in search of elusive pink dolphins before returning to your lodge.

Stay at - Calanoa Lodge

Day 12

Fly to Bogotá and connect with international flight.

Return to Leticia by boat. Discuss with your guide how best to spend any free time before travelling back to the airport for your flight to Bogotá, with connecting international flight.