Exploring Colombia's Biodiversity: Chingaza & Guaviare

After breakfast, we’ll head for the Chingaza National Nature Park, and more specifically the El Palmar reserve. Located two and a half hours from Bogotá, this private reserve welcomes you in a simple, rural, family atmosphere. Your hosts are fierce protectors of the local biodiversity, and in particular of the Spectacled Bear. The program includes exploration of various trails, which vary according to the climate. The ones planned for today are the sendero de la Palma and the sendero Guacharos. Here you can try to spot the following species: Masked Trogon, Black-billed Mountain-Toucan, Andean Guan , Sparkling Violetear, among others.

On our second day of exploration, we choose different trails: Chocolatal, Laguna Seca and the mining area. This area, once affected by mining, has been undergoing restoration for 30 years. Here, we’ll be able to observe the passive restoration processes of the páramo ecosystem and the plants involved in this healing process. We’ll also observe geological formations from different ice ages and the history of limestone. Over the course of the day, you can try to spot the following species as well as many others: White-tailed Deer, Black-chested Buzzard-eagle, Andean Teal, Andean Condor, and more.

In the morning, after our breakfast, we say goodbye to our hosts and enjoy, an excursion through the emblematic ecosystem of the páramo, taking in the special scenery of the route with lagoons and waterfalls, while we can observe high-mountain birds and the possibility of encountering mammal species such as deer and spectacled bears. Walk the trails of the RAMSAR zone, this hike will focus on observing the flora and fauna, and with a bit of luck we’ll come across the Spectacled Bear. Around midday, we’ll stop for a traditional picnic lunch, and around 3:00 pm, we’ll continue the 4×4 trek to reach the village of San Juanito, surrounded by forests and impressive waterfalls.

At 7 a.m., we’ll have our traditional breakfast and start the day with a cultural and architectural tour of the village of San Juanito. At 9 a.m., we’ll begin our journey to the village of El Tablón, where we’ll have our first encounter with the Guatiquía Canyon. After an hour’s walk, we’ll come to the natural wells of the San Isidro stream, then to the natural cave of El Tablón, where we’ll enter the cavern. At midday, we’ll enjoy a traditional “San Juanero” lunch. At 2 p.m., we’ll resume our tour at the Lajitas waterfalls viewpoint. We’ll then go to the LEK of the rock cock (Rupicola peruvianus) to observe these magnificent birds. At 6 p.m., return to San Juanito.

After breakfast, we’ll begin our 4×4 journey through the Guatiquia canyon, as we marvel at the landscape of forests and waterfalls, with the opportunity to observe the birds that inhabit this transition zone between the Andes and the eastern plains. We pass through El Calvario for a short visit to this mountain village. From here, we continue our journey towards the Amazon plain. Arrival at the Rancho Camaná reserve (Restrepo, Meta), estimated time 4.00 pm to enjoy the birds in the garden, and at night to look for nocturnal monkeys.

The Rancho Camana nature reserve incorporates restoration areas, gardens and agrosystems, as well as feeding and bathing areas for birds. We’ll start our activities at 6:00 a.m., exploring the internal paths and gardens. Species of interest: Red-backed Shrike, Golden Barb, Cuckoo, Chestnut-eared Aracari, among more. Then we head off to begin the adventure in the Amazon, where you will get to know natural spaces where you can appreciate the natural and ancestral richness of this Colombian region. To begin with, we will camp in the jungle, in rustic but comfortable lodges, surrounded by nature and a great variety of exotic fauna. In the afternoon, we will take a boat ride on a water trail through flooded forests to the Laguna Negra, home to the enigmatic Aruco, Hoatzin, Turtles and Primates.

Let’s get ready for a journey back in time! To begin this adventure, we’ll head to the village of Cerro Azul, accompanied by a local guide, to begin a hike up to the sacred tepuy which houses a thousand-year-old gallery of rock art on its rock walls, something magical that’s part of history with over 12,000 years of age according to experts. As an option, we’ll enter a tunnel-like cavern where a torch is required, or it’s possible to skip the cavern and take an alternative route to the natural viewpoint over the Amazon rainforest canopy. On the way back, we’ll visit El Chontaduro, a farm whose main activity was once coca leaf cultivation. During a conference, we’ll learn about the processes used by local communities to make the transition from illicit activity to community-based tourism.

With the first rays of the sun, we enter a trail of flooded primary forest, with the chance to observe a wide variety of birds and primates (monkeys). When we reach the banks of the Guaviare River, we board a boat to cruise along the river for about 1 hour to the Raudal del Guayabero. Then we’ll hike up to the Tepuy (rock formation) in search of the impressive rock paintings, something magical that is part of the millennial past with evidence dating back over 12,500 years. From the summit, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Amazon jungle through which the river flows.

One of the most emblematic cave paintings of the Serranía de La Lindosa, about 8 meters high and at least 20 meters wide. We will ascend the mountainside until we reach the natural viewpoint from where we can enjoy the magnificent view and the cave paintings. Then we go to another place for a moderate walk along trails that lead to a series of passages formed in the rocks where ancient indigenous communities probably lived. In the afternoon, we will walk along a rocky path through tropical vegetation leading to crystal clear waters where we can bathe in natural pools.

With the first rays of sunshine, we’ll head into the jungle surrounding the huts to look for primates and other birds, a short but exciting hike. We’ll have a local breakfast before heading to San José del Guaviare airport.