2 Day roadtrip to the Tatacoa Desert |Colombia

Tatacoa Desert (Colombia)

TATACOA Desert is actually a Desert but a tropical dry forest located in Huila-Colombia.

It is surrounded by two mountain ranges making this location a very unique place with stunning views and nature.

There are many ways to arrive to this destination however if you are starting your trip from Bogota (Capital City) you should first arrive to the city of Neiva by plane, car (own or rented) or bus.

Once you arrive to the city of Neiva you should follow the road to a small town called Villavieja. Keep in mind that you could stay in Villavieja town or at a hotel/hostal/camp in the Desert. 

Where to stay

There are Múltiple options to choose through Booking and Airbnb. I stayed at a Bio hotel in the middle of the Desert called Bethel https://instagram.com/bethel_bio_luxury_hotel?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA== and i Can say is one of best options to stay for It’s closenest to the wild desert life and confort.

In 2023 the minimum cost per night is $52.80 USD for two people and includes breakfast,

Activities

One of the gratest things about “La tatacoa” would be all of the activities that we can do by ourselves however many hostels offers a guidance service and other plans for you to enjoy this place. These are three main activities that you should not miss:

-Hikking or horse ride to “Los hoyos” in the gray Desert (there are two types; the gray and the red desert) the diferences are because of the soil minerals on each one of them.

Horse ride costs $14.40 USD per hour.

Hiking is Free

-Watching the stars at the observatory

la tatacoa is known by their stunning sky views at night specially during August and December that we are able to watch the most beatufull starry nights and meteor showers, Also the observatory provides activities, informatíve session and telescopes for people to watch the sky.

- Hiking or book a quadbike to visit the red desert.

You are going to be able to learn about prehistorical creatures that lived in these place and also to see some fosils. As Well you Will be able to learn about 7 different cactus species and even try some of the fruits the y provide. Final Ku you could watch the sunset hidding behind the “Cordillera Oriental” wich is the eastern range.

Hiking is Free

I booked a tour with a Local. His name is Don José and It was great to contribute to the local tourism, his tour includes transportación to places of interest, and the best viewpoints of the two deserts, he also shared with us a very interesting knowledge about cactus species and wild fuits and plants. He showed us a lot of prehistorical Animals fosil too. It was definetely awesome.

The tour with Don José costs $21.60 each person.

His phone Number is +57 (311) 597-1012

There are many other activities that you can do during your stay at la Tatacoa however It Will depend on your budget and expectations with this trip.

Recommendations 

-Bring  a hat, sunscrean and stay hidrated this is a very warm place and the sun Can be harmfull.

Depending in the time of the year the weather is 23 C Min 35 C Max.

-If you are Planning to stay somewhere in the desert bring a powerbank and flashlight. ( the hoteles here works with solar energy and most of them do not has energy during the night. 

-Bring fresh clothes, sport wear and snikers or hiking boots.

-I recommend to try local Food and sugar caine lemon juice.

Note this is a Very safe place to visit and during your stay you will fall in love with the locals who are very hard, working, warming and welcoming people. 

Feel free to follow me on Ig or Ask me Any questions if you are looking to visit this place and want to know more about it.