Expedition to Guaviare
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Colombia Express
Complete Colombia Intensive Magical Colombia VIP Bogota - Los Llanos - Cartagena VIP Bogota - Coffee Region - Cartagena VIP Bogota - Cano Cristales - Cartagena - Islands VIP Culture and the Sea Active Bogota Whale Watching on the Pacific Coast Lost City Trek Caño Cristales Hato La Aurora Nature Reserve Hills of Mavecure Adventure Cocuy National Park Trek Coffee Region Trek Calanoa Lodge Expedition to Guaviare El Peñon Karst Forest Adventure Los Nevados Park Trek La Macarena Community Experience |
Enjoy a 4 to 5-day expedition in this unique and incredible landscape formed between the regional borders of the Orinoquia Flat lands, and the Colombian Amazon Jungle. This is the state of Guaviare, located precisely at the heart of the mostly unexplored and almost forgotten part of Colombia.
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Guaviare is in fact part of the Colombian Amazon region. This is the last state heading south towards the jungle that has road access, whereas transportation afterwards in the jungle requires a boat throughout its majestic rivers.
This is a magical place which is bordered on the north by the Guaviare River, making this physical border between two different landscapes, the Orinoquia and the Amazon jungle. Just a few kilometres away from its capital San José on the banks of the river, we will find the Lindosa Serrania (small mountain formation smaller than a Sierra), which is geographically speaking, the sister mountain of La Macarena Sierra and Chiribiquete Serrania. These types of formations are unique to this area, in that they belong to the Guyanan Shield which is one of the most ancient geological formations in the world; approximately more than 1 billion years old. The land is graced by amazing protruding rock formations, full of labyrinths, natural bridges and rivers that flow over the plain rock, forging a path alongside a single reddish stone slab. These slabs are where you will find the stunning Macarenia Clavigera, the famous endemic and delicate plant which changes its colour to red in the second semester of the year in the same manner as Caño Cristales. Guaviare is unique because we can visit the three following different landscapes at the same time in very short distance: The Orinoquia flat lands, the Amazon jungle and the Serrania landscape. This region contains a wide variety of flora and fauna, boasting an exuberant biodiversity. One may often be able spot monkeys, different bird species, medium sized mammals like the Capybara, and even pink dolphins from the Amazonian rivers. Later the unique Serrania formations will allow us to see endemic flora species as well some big rock murals in which recently, scientists discovered rock pictographs made by local indigenous cultures estimated to be around 20,000 years old. They are still studying this area in attempts to arrive at conclusions with respect to the age, as this likely may change history as we have previously understood it regarding human beings arriving to America. From its colorful rivers with amazing rocky formations like in Caño Cristales, passing by its endemism in flora at the Serrania and its vestiges of very ancient rock pictographs, we will end up having the possibility of going to a natural communitarian local reserve inside the jungle. Due to the long term protection and respect for the animals and the environment promoted here, animals are extremely easy to observe as we arrive in to a lake from the Guaviare river. We will have the chance to swim here and see from very short distance (without interfering with their habitat) the Amazon pink dolphins who live in the lake inside the jungle and its natural environment. Day 1: Bogotá – San José del Guaviare This day we will take the local flight to San Jose del Guaviare, the state’s capital that we will visit and will serve as our daily base camp to all our adventures. Depending of the arrival time we may have some time to do one tour, which can be going to the Natural bridges or the Pozos Naturales, a place in a river in which we can swim and relax. These beautiful locations are all reachable in private transportation 30 minutes outside of Guaviare, and after a 1-hour hike. Day 2: Cerro Pinturas or Paintings Hill. Leaving from San Jose at 8 in the morning and after a 2-hour car ride on unpaved roads, we will arrive to the Cerro Azul community, from where we will leave the car to hike up the hill, Cerro Pinturas, or Paintings Hill (about a 300-meter climb). Alongside the hill we will intermittently pause to take in the amazing and very ancient rock pictographs made by some indigenous cultures. Additionally, we will hike until a spectacular view point from where we will have the chance to see the vast expanse of jungle stretching until the horizon. We will return to eat lunch at the Cerro Azul community and then return back to San Jose in the afternoon. The Hike to reach the pictographs takes about one hour. And the entire activity takes the entire day. 
Day 3: Damas del Nare Lagoon
This day we will wake up very early, to depart from the docks at the river at 5:20AM in a boat to go 2 and a half hours until we reach the Damas del Nare Lagoon Community Natural Reserve. Here, we will learn about the conservation efforts of protecting their reserve for over 30 years, and how due to this amazing work, it is very easy to observe the large quantity of jungle fauna around the lagoon area. Later we will go into the lagoon (respecting the natural habitat), where several families of Amazonian pink dolphins live, and under strict instructions and supervision of the community leaders, (we will swim at the lake with the hope that these dolphins which are free and they don’t receive and gifts from the humans would come close by our side (which quite often happens as this is only possible due to the very respectful and sustainable relationship that the community has created with them over the years). *This is a very safe experience and is created to avoid disturbing the dolphin’s wild life and they are not aggressive at all. Day 4 and 5: River with Macarenia Clavigera or natural Bridges or Delicias Waterfall Departing at 8:30AM the 4 or 5 day can vary depending the climate and the time of each client. This section is meant to be tailored for each trip. We may have the chance to do the natural Bridges, Orion Door, Las Delicias Waterfall (27mts height), or El Raudal Angosturas 2 at Guayabero River (narrow pass between the rock of the river forming strong rapids). Each one of this places can be reached after an hours hike and a 40-minute car ride outside of San Jose. Raudal Angosturas 2 of Guayabero river is 1 hour and a half away from the city, followed by a 20-minute boat ride up the river, and concluding with a 20 minute up-hill hike to have a majestic view coupled with more ancient rock pictographs on the return route. 
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Price per person in double occupancy for 2-6 people: 4 days = US$875. Single supplement = US$198 5 days = US$985. Single supplement = US$264 Trip Includes:
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