From Guaviare to San Agustin:
Archaeological Colombia tour

Welcome to Colombia! Arrive at Bogotá‘s El Dorado international airport, at an altitude of 2,640 m. Transfer to your hotel in the Candelaria district and spend the rest of the day at your leisure, enjoying the Colombian capital’s mix of modern districts and historic center, urban architecture and lush parks. Overnight at Hotel Casa de la Vega in the Candelaria district, in a suite room.

Transfer to Bogota airport for your domestic flight.Note: approx. 30-minute drive.Flight from Bogota to San José de Guaviare Private transfer from the airport to your hotel in San José de Guaviare. Today, you’ll set off to meet the Pink Amazonian Dolphins, in the Lagunes del Nare. Managed by the peasant community, this project is part of sustainable rural tourism. It is reached after a beautiful walk through the forest, either on foot or by boat in rainy weather. The hosts will take you on a tour of the Amazonian pink dolphins, *Inia geoffrensis*. It’s possible to observe them from the boat, but also to swim in the lagoon for an even closer encounter.Route: 2h30 by 4×4Hike: approx. 1h30, easy levelOvernight at Hotel Quinto Nivel

Discover the Cerro Azul and its incredible thousand-year-old frescoes, one of the country’s most impressive rock art sites. You’ll discover 150 metres of paintings on different walls, over ten thousand years old. Venture into the darkness of a 210-metre-wide cave, then enjoy a breathtaking view of the majestic jungle from the Cerro Azul mirador.Note: approx. 1 hr. 20 min. 4×4 journey to Cerro AzulWalk: approx. 3 hrs., medium difficultyOvernight at Hotel Quinto Nivel

Today you’ll discover the Guayabero wall of cave art,reached by boat through the Angosturas II rapids, formed in the canyon of the Río Guayabero. New rock frescoes await you on this incredibly well-preserved site. Thanks to the isolation of the site, it is also possible to observe wild animals: monkeys, hummingbirds, river turtles, etc. To round off the day, you’ll visit the most beautiful viewpoint in the entire region. Finally, you can take a dip under the small waterfall in the Grotte de l’Amour (Cave of Love).Walk: 2 hrs, medium difficultyTrips: 1.5 hrs by 4×4 + 30 min by boatOvernight at Hotel Quinto Nivel

Private transfer to San José de Guaviare airport. Flight from San José de Guaviare to Bogota Arrival at Bogota international airport. Transfer to your hotel in la Candelaria.Note: approx. 30-minute drive.Departure for a visit to Bogota’s Gold Museum. Created in 1939, and completely reorganized in 2008, the Museo de Oro houses the world’s most important collection of pre-Hispanic silverware.

Nearly 34,000 pieces of gold and Tumbac (an alloy of copper and gold), as well as the largest raw emerald ever found, are on display in several rooms devoted to the themes of ore extraction and metalworking, as well as the relationship to gold of pre-Columbian peoples (Calimas, Quimbayas, Muiscas, Tayronas, Sinus, Tolimas, Magdalenas…).

Note: closed on Mondays. Overnight at Hotel Casa de la Vega in the Candelaria district, in a suite room.

Transfer to Bogota airport for your domestic flight.Note: approx. 30-minute drive.Domestic flight to Pitalito.Note: low-cost airline. Baggage allowance is 15 kg per person. Any extra kilos must be paid for at the airline’s airport counter.Pick-up at Pitalito airport and drive to San Agustin. Check-in at your hotel. Then visit the Estrecho del Rio Magdalena (a 2.20-metre-wide rocky gorge through which Colombia’s longest river cuts a path of unimaginable force).Note: approx. 1 hr 15 min drive.Overnight at Hotel Akawanka in Suite room.

Morning visit to the San Agustin archaeological park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The visit revolves around four main sites:– Mesitas, artificial esplanades housing crypts, figurines and funerary dolmens; – Bosque de la Estatuas populated by statues representing mostly anthropomorphic male figures, sometimes with feline features; – Fuente de Lavapatas, a religious monument carved into the bed of a river, considered a sacred site reserved for religious ceremonies.

– Alto de Lavapatas: San Agustin’s oldest site (3300 BC), guarded by impressive statues (referring to the Double Self), with a unique view over the entire valley and the various archaeological sites. After lunch, you’ll discover San Agustin’s surroundings on a multi-stage excursion. On the program: – the site of El Tablon with its ethnographic museum, – the site of La Chaquira with its sculpture in the slopes of the canyon, – the site of Pelota with its statutes coated with natural dyes.Note 1: It is compulsory to have an official park guide at the San Agustin Archaeological Site. If you have requested a bilingual guide, you will be accompanied by a local archaeological site guide and a translator.Note 2: The San Agustin site is closed on Tuesdays. You are usually in San Agustin for 2 days, so if the visit to the archaeological site falls on a Tuesday in your program, the days of the visit will be reversed.Night at Hotel Akawanka in Suite room.

For half a day, you’ll discover the Archaeological sites of Isnos, which are less well known than those of San Agustín: Alto de los Ídolos and Alto de las Piedras.The former includes 23 statues and dolmens set amid lush native vegetation. These zoomorphic statues, carved by the region’s inhabitants almost 2,000 years ago, are the last remnants of their now extinct culture. The most impressive of these measures no less than 5 metres. Next, you’ll discover Alto de las Piedras, atop a hill built in prehistoric times. The centerpiece of this site represents two human figures with animal features mounted on each other’s backs. Transport between San Agustin and Tierradentro, a rich yet little-known archaeological park.Note: approx. 5-hour drive.Overnight at Hotel Albergue El Refugio, in a standard room with basic comforts.

A day dedicated to visiting the archeological and natural sites of Tierradentro, where hypogea and monumental statues of human figures dating from between 600 and 900 AD have been found.

The Spaniards named this region Tierradentro (in French, « land of the interior ») because of the topography of the territory, located in the high mountains of the Cordillera Central and difficult to access, but also because of the tenacity of the indigenous people who lived there and refused to let their territory be invaded.

The vast park is organized around six main sites: – Ethnographic Museum, – Archaeological Museum,- Alto de Segovia,– Alto El Duende,– Alto del Aguacate,– Alto de San Andres.

We recommend combining visits to these sites with hikes through the surrounding villages, to take full advantage of the region’s wealth of historical remains, culture and extraordinary landscapes. IMPORTANT: the hypogeums are scattered over the summits of several hills. The nearest site is a 20-minute walk away (Alto de Segovia), while the furthest is a 2-hour walk. Note: order of visits to be organized on site with your guide, according to individual interests and access conditions (in terms of weather, climate and opening of sites).Overnight at Hotel Albergue El Refugio, in a Standard room with basic comforts.

Transport from Tierradentro to Popayan. Note: approx. 5 hours’ drive.Early departure for the small village of Silvia.Today, you’ll discover the Guambianos community, an indigenous people from the north-western part of the Cauca department. You’ll meet the community, about 30 minutes from Silvia. You’ll have the chance to talk with them, discover their crafts, their traditions and their philosophy of life. They’ll explain to you what the different elements (water, fire, earth) mean to them. You’ll then have lunch in an indigenous restaurant.Note: if you make this visit on a Tuesday, you’ll have the chance to attend Silvia’s famous market.Overnight at Hotel Dann Monasterio in a Standard room.

Free morning in Popayán, you visit this pretty colonial town, one of the oldest in Colombia. Transfer to Popayán airport for your domestic flight. Domestic flight to Bogota. Domestic flight to Santa Marta. Arrival in Santa Marta, on the Caribbean coast. Welcome at the airport and transfer to the hotel in the historic center. Night at hotel Casa de Leda in Superior Doble room.

Early in the morning, you set off for the heights of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Here, in the heart of the tropical jungle, lies the Ciudad Antigua, a little-known archaeological site of the ancient Tayrona culture. Your guide will show you this preserved site in the heart of the vegetation. The Tayrona culture disappeared several centuries ago, although its inheritors, the Koguis, Arhuacos and Wiwas peoples, still populate the Sierra Nevada. After lunch at the site, you’ll set off on a forest walk to encounter the region’s wild flora and fauna. The Tayrona lived in constant contact with this natural world, which you are now discovering. You’ll be back at your hotel at the end of the day.Note: approx. 5 hours’ drive during the day. Overnight at hotel Casa de Leda in Superior Doble room.

Free morning to wander around the city of Santa Marta (Bahia, historic center with cathedral and San Francisco, Quinta San Pedro). In the early evening, take a boat trip down the Don Diego River to enjoy the scenery at dusk. The colors are superb: some flowers open at this time of day, and new species of birds arrive at the end of the day to spend the night. Once on the beach, an aperitif awaits you to admire the sunset over the Caribbean Sea.Then you go fishing in the traditional way with local fishermen who show you their techniques, while a fire is prepared on the beach to cook the day’s catch. You have dinner on the beach under the stars, before returning to the reserve. Night in the Taironaka reserve hotel in a La Pajarera bungalow.Note: basic comfort. Rooms have no hot water or air-conditioning

Wake up in the reserve. If you wake up early, you may be lucky enough to hear or see howler monkeys on site.Note: The animals are free-ranging, so sightings are not guaranteed. Depart for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta,where you follow a jungle trail to the Tayronaka reserve. The city of Tayronaka is an ancient lost city of the Tayrona Indians. It was the setting for the 1986 film Mission starring Robert de Niro. Accompanied by a guide, you’ll retrace the history of this ancient civilization. After touring the remains, sail down the Rio Don Diego in a buoy. After lunch, you’ll take a *lancha*, a small motorboat, down the river to the ocean. The arrival on the ocean is spectacular!Note 1: approx. 30 minutes jungle walk, easy level. Approx. 30 minutes’ float trip down the river.Note 2: bring swimsuit, hat and sun cream for the float trip. Transfer to Santa Marta airport for your domestic flight. Domestic flight to Bogota. Check-in for your international flight.