La Macarena Community Experience

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

​La Macarena is a small town lost in the jungle that is not easy accessible. The locals have created an off the Beaten Path Jungle Experience, created and hosted by themselves, looking to develop new amazing experiences. Enjoy a homestay in the jungle and learn how these communities are moving today to Ecotourism, in the unique Macarena Sierra. This is our way to help them and enjoy an adventure.

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Day 1 - fly to La Macarena
Depart from Puente Aereo, Bogotá, Colombia, gate 2 at 5am (if on a direct flight day - Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays) or pick up from your hotel to take a 3 hour land transfer to Villavicencio and then a local 25 min. flight to La Macarena. (daily)
 
As soon as we arrive to La Macarena and we have eaten lunch at a restaurant in town, we will leave by boat to visit the Cachivera community and the Silent lagoon. For this we would take about a 1 hour boat ride on the Guayabero River and then we would walk in the savannah around 1 hour to arrive to the community. They will show us the amazing fauna and landscape surrounding the jungle near the Silent Lagoon and how they have been now dedicating all their efforts to protect the jungle and change from cattle to Ecotourism. After settling down in the community home stay we will go in a canoe to tour around the lagoon for a couple of hours at the sunset to have the chance to experience it in complete silence its fauna and the sounds of the jungle around this incredible lagoon. Then we will return to rest until the next day.
Clean and basic accommodations in the community to attend tourists. Shared restrooms, solar panels for electricity.
 
Day 2 - Horseback riding, boat to El Raudal, Pink dolphin  watching
After waking up early at 6 am,  we will leave by horseback for a one hour ride until the Caño Cristales area to do a first stop to eat breakfast and after that we will do a short 1 hour hike along the Caño Cristales river, and after that we will go to the port to leave the area by the Guayavero river for a 1 hour boat ride to the next stop of our trip, The Raudal community. On our way we will do a pause to try to see the pink dolphins, one endangered species from the rivers of the amazon region. At our arrival we go for the lunch at the community place to enjoy local food with fish (there is veggie option - ask for it in advance). After lunch we would go settling down at the homestay indoor camping in the Raudal community. If the season allows it we will do by boat the Raudal Angosturas 1, which is a canyon of around 90mts deep in rocks and vegetation that extend about 3kms and tough rapid waters. If not we will go by walking 30 minutes to see the Mohan Waterfall, and go to the river beach or 1 hour hike according to the weather conditions that day. The rest of the afternoon is free to stay around relax and enjoy the view from the wood deck of the community over the Guayavero River just in front of the rapids at the entrance of the canyon. Doing the boat through the canyon would be by an extra activity (Not Included), because is not easy to foresee the real possibility to enter the canyon, according to the weather conditions that day of staying there).
Homestay at the Raudal Community indoors camping. Shared Bathroom.

Day 3 - Ciudad de Piedra 
Early in the morning we will go to do the Ciudad de Piedra Hike, which would take around 3 hours, and afterwards we will return by boat to la Macarena to prepare the departure to return to Bogotá.

Sample community accommodations

2020 price per person in US$ for 2-6 people: $995

Included:

•  Lunch x 3
  
• Breakfast x 2
  
• Dinner x 2
  
• Private transportation at La Macarena
  
• Professional Tour Guide in English or Spanish all the time.
• transport from Bogtoa to and from La Macarena
  
• Local tour guide from the community in each place
  
• boat transfers on the Guayavero river.
  
• Canoe Tour in Silent Lagoon

Not Included:

• Canyon of the Guayabero Rivers Crossing - depends on current weather conditions there.
  
• Entrance taxes in La Macarena (142,800 pesos)
  
• Personal expenses.

To bring:

• a plastic Poncho, be prepared for the jungle weather
  
• Long sleeve shirts and long trousers that dry quickly
  
• Mosquito Repellent
  
• two pairs of hiking shoes. just in case of rain. Flip flops are forbidden at Caño Cristales
• passport and any international Assist card or similar insurance. 
• International vaccination against yellow fever. (Minimum 10 days in advance).
• camera
• water bottle
• Plastic bag to return the rubbish out from the park.
• Solar protection. BE aware that this cannot be used inside the Caño Cristales and Cristalinos trail.

 
DURING YOU TIME IN MUNICIPIO DE LA MACARENA

• Remember to follow the protocols established by the environmental authority as well as the army and the local authorities.
• Follow all the recommendations given by the guides and the local experts.
• Please remember that exists a scheduled time for visiting the different touristic places, which are also established by the local authorities only.
• Take with you all the inorganic rubbish that you brought with you back to the city from where you came.