Los Llanos Orientales Colombia

Los Llanos Orientales

Summary

Los Llanos Orientales (the lowlands) cover a large, vast area in eastern Colombia with endless savannahs, forests and agricultural land. The “Llanos” border Venezuela to the east and north and the Amazon to the south. The departments that belong to the Llanos are Casanare, Meta, Arauca, Vichada and part of Guaviare, which lies in a transitional area between the Llanos and the Amazon. It is a region of great biodiversity and a paradise for nature lovers. For a long time, it was not possible to travel to the Llanos due to safety concerns. As a result, this part of Colombia is usually left out of travel guides. Apart from certain areas with security risks, you can travel to the Llanos without any danger. It is a remote destination in Colombia that will surprise you with its extraordinary nature and culture.

Highlights

– Spend the night on a hato (ranch) and get to know the typical music, dance and food culture of the Llaneros, the Colombian “cowboys”.

– Back from a Colombian safari in a nature reserve
– Riding with a llanero
– Hike to the pink river Caño Cristales
– Wildlife watching on a river cruise
– Hike to recently discovered Indian drawings near San José del Guaviare
– Pink dolphin watching in Damas del Nare and Orocué

Colombian safari in Casanare

Bogotá and N-Bogotá, Los Llanos Orientales

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Nature reserves and llanero culture

The department of Casanare is known for the great diversity of birds and wildlife and the typical Llanero culture. On a number of hattos (ranches) in the private nature reserves, you can experience the life of the Llaneros, spot wildlife and birds and go horseback riding. Animals you can spot include capybaras (the largest rodents in the world), anteaters, armadillos, caimans and howler monkeys.

How to get there.
Starting point for a trip to any of the hato, is capital city Yopal, accessible by plane from Bogotá and Medellín and by bus from Bogotá (approx. 6-8 hours). The hattos that are within a few hours’ drive of Yopal are usually easily accessible by car. If you want to go to one of the hattos deep in the interior, a private transfer from the airport to the hato is the best option. Public transportation is limited in these remote areas and you can often only get there by all-terrain vehicle (or motorcycle cab).

Best time to go?
You can visit the Llanos all year round. Each season has its advantages. December through February is the driest period. The animals then gather at the water holes, making them easy to spot. This is also the busiest and warmest period. Bird watchers will also find the rainy season a great time, as this is when the many waterfowl can be seen. Some inland roads are impassable in the rainy season.

Is Casanare safe?
Casanare is safe to travel, with the exception of the north / border area with Venezuela, but you don’t normally go there if you go to the hato’s. Check with your accommodation for the current situation when planning your trip.

#ColombiaMyWay tips

Tip # 1
Travel off the beaten track to the backcountry
Do you have the time and do you like an off the beaten track adventure? Then book a trip to Hato La Aurora Reserva Natural. Hato is located deep in the interior of Casanare, about a 5-hour drive from Yopal. Curious? Read about our own journey here.

Tip # 2
Stay at a hato near Yopal
Limit your travel time and book a trip at e.g. El Encanto de Guanapalo, which consists of 3 hato’s in San Luis de Palenque. Travel time from Yopal is about 90 minutes.
Book the nicest accommodations in Yopal here

Tip # 3
Book through a tour operator if you don’t speak Spanish
English is not spoken at most accommodations, so booking accommodation and transportation can be tricky. Tour operator Wild Llanos in Yopal, is a specialist in travel in Casanare and can communicate with you in English. They will create a “customized trip” for you and can arrange an English-speaking guide for the excursions.

Caño Cristales: The most beautiful river in the world

Los Llanos Orientales

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The most beautiful river in the world?

Caño Cristales is also called “the most beautiful river in the world.” Its rivers, rapids and waterfalls stretch for 100 km and are part of the Serranía de la Macarena National Park in the region of Meta. The park is a “meeting point” of the Andes mountains, the Amazon rainforest and the plains of the Llanos. This makes it a perfect place to spot wildlife in the jungle, hike to rock formations and waterfalls, take boat trips and chill in natural pools.

Here you can read all about the Caño Cristales. Why does the river turn pink, how to get there and tips.

Why does the river turn pink?
Half the year, Caño Cristales looks like any other river in Colombia, but between June and November, red, purple, green, blue and yellow colors give the river the nickname “the liquid rainbow,” “the river of 5 colors” or simply the most beautiful river in the world. It is the aquatic plants “Macarenia Clavígera” that give the river its special pink-purple colors. The colors change under the influence of the sun.

How to get to Caño Cristales?
Access to Caño Cristales, is only possible from the town of la Macarena, south of Serranía de la Macarena National Park. The town is home to about 32,000 people and has a few hotels and restaurants. You cannot go to Caño Cristales on your own; you can only do so with an official guide approved by the park. Transportation to/in the park is by all-terrain vehicle and boat.

#ColombiaMyWay Tips

Tip #1
Book a package trip
A trip including flight to la Macarena, lodging and activities, can be booked departing from Bogotá (75 minutes). There are also flights from Medellín, Villavicencio and Cali. Check here the options for a package trip to Caño Cristales.

Tip #2
Arrange the flight and hotel yourself
If you don’t want to book a package tour, there are some hotels that may be able to arrange the trip to Caño Cristales for you. This can be done via la Manigua lodge, 9 km from Caño Cristales and 20 min. by boat from la Macarena.

Book other hotels in la Macarena here.

Tip #3
Arrange your trip ahead of time
To protect the ecosystem, a very limited number of visitors are admitted

Tip #4
Keep in mind strict rules in the park
For example, plastic bottles are prohibited and swimming with sunscreen on is not allowed (it is harmful to aquatic plants).

The history of Serranía de la Macarana National Park
Caño Cristales was closed to the public and partially destroyed by the guerrillas, paramilitaries and the army between 1989 and 2009. After this, it gradually became safer and tour operators entered the area. Today, protection of the ecosystem of Serranía de la Macarena National Park a very high priority. Caño Cristales is a growing eco-tourism destination and the area is safe to travel with a tour operator.

Sustainable development
Cormacarena is the sustainable development institute responsible for protection in the Macarena area. Only about 200 visitors are allowed per day and visitors are assigned to different sections of the park. The local communities are very dedicated to protecting the area and making sure it does not get too crowded. Therefore, visitors must follow strict rules. In 2009, 700 visitors visited the area and that number grew to 16,000 visitors in 2018. Because of the strict measures, the effect on nature of ecotourism is minimal.

The social and economic impact of ecotourism is great, as local families and communities organize and lead the trips. In the beginning, 35 families were involved in ecotourism; today there are as many as 650 families. Ecotourism not only raises awareness among the residents of la Macarena. The locals are also enormously proud of their nature and culture. During a cultural evening, they get a chance to share their culture and customs with the travelers

Scientific research
In the province of Meta, 40% of its area is a protected natural area. In addition to Caño Cristales, Laguna de Loma linda, Piscinias del Güejar and Cañon del Güejar are also protected. In 2018, the flora and fauna of the Guayabero, Duda and Losada rivers were studied.

This research was conducted by Cormacarena in collaboration with the Alexander von Humboldt Institute. These are the results in number of species: 66 microalgae, 114 macroinvertebrates, 245 fish, 38 frogs and toads, 24 lizards, 33 snakes, 7 turtles, 4 crocodiles and 737 birds.

 

My trip to the Llanos

Los Llanos Orientales, Travel Stories

My trip to the Llanos Orientales, began with a car ride from Yopal to Hato la Aurora Nature Reserve, a drive of about 5 hours through vast plains, to “the middle of nowhere.”

We got closer to the nature reserve and saw beautiful birds, a caiman and capybaras. According to Nelson, Reserva la Aurora has the largest number of wildlife after the nature reserves in South Africa.

Upon arrival at the airport in Yopal, driver Alex, Nelson and Jennifer from Juan Solito Ecolodge were already waiting for me. Nelson, owner of the lodge, had been shopping in Yopal and together with him I would drive to the lodge.

Colombian cowboy hat
Before the drive of about 5 hours began, I bought some snacks at the airport. I also went with Jennifer to a  store, where I bought an original Llanero Sombrero. While trying on the different hats, I was immediately given a “mini course” on hat use and maintenance. What a fun first experience in the Llanos, the land of the Llaneros and Llaneras!

Indian cows
For the first few hours, the ride was on an asphalt road. When we arrived at a bridge outside the city, there was a traffic jam. It turned out that only 1 car was allowed to cross the bridge at a time.

The landscape was hilly and we saw many grazing “Indian cows,” recognisable by a hump on their backs. After this, the vast -desert-like- plains began. There were also barren stretches of land that had been cut down to -illegally- grow rice, Nelson told us.

Paz de Ariporo
On the way, we stopped at a little restaurant in the village of Paz de Ariporo, for a lunch of grilled chicken. The heat in the village was exhausting and it was a relief to get back into the air-conditioned Toyota Hilux.

Montañas del Totumo
After an endless dirt road, we approached the village of Montañasas del Totumo. To my surprise, there was suddenly a stretch of asphalt road, which stopped again as we drove out of the village. Nelson explained that the petroleum company had donated the paved road to the residents of the village.

After the smooth asphalt, the road turned back into a dirt road with big rocks. After this, the road only got worse and I was shaken up considerably.

Reserva la Aurora
Closer to Reserva la Aurora we saw beautiful birds, a caiman and capybaras. According to Nelson, Reserva la Aurora has the largest number of wildlife in the world after the nature reserves in South Africa. This, of course, made my curiosity even bigger!

Juan Solito ecolodge
By now the sun was beginning to set and this was a beautiful sight on the endless plain. In the dark we arrived at Juan Solito ecolodge, where hostess Marysol was waiting for me with a lemonade. Jeremiah showed me my room and in the bathroom I got my first “surprise”: A giant frog was staring at me with his big eyes!

“You’re in Los Llanos,” I told myself, you’ll see more than a frog in the room!” Still, I sweetly asked Jeremiah to catch the frog and bring it outside, and he did so with a smile from ear to ear.

House deer Pippa
After the long trip, I enjoyed an ice-cold Poker beer in the restaurant and got my second surprise: “house deer” Pippa looked curiously into the kitchen with her big eyes -:)

After dinner, Jeremiah came to discuss with me what the rest of the week would look like. We decided that my first activity would be a morning walk with himself.

Back in my room, the frog was back in “its” spot on the sink. Aaaah!!!

 

Written by Jeanette
Travel date: February 2020.

Check our travel guide Casanare -the Colombian safari- for more info on the Llanos Orientales. Need a hotel in Yopal prior to your trip, check here the options.

horseback riding – Llanera for a day

Los Llanos Orientales, Travel Stories

The ride with my horse Fatima, was nice and relaxed. We rode along the river, across the dry plains and through the forest. Quite unexpectedly, we saw an armadillo in the bushes. Like the giant anteater, this is a nocturnal animal, so we were lucky!

Today I went horseback riding with Dutch couple Ted and Anneke, their Colombian translator Gabriela and our “cowboys.” The horseback riding started with a slight delay; someone had forgotten to close the gate the night before, so some of the horses had run away. So we had to wait a while until the horses returned -:) After I put myself-not too charmingly-on my horse, the new adventure could begin.

We had chosen a short, not too strenuous ride. Gabriela quickly proved to be an experienced rider, but for the rest of us it took some getting used to again. It had been a while since we had ridden.

Armadillo
The ride with my horse Fatima, was nice and relaxed. We rode along the river, across the plains and through the forest.

Quite unexpectedly, we saw an armadillo in the bushes. This is a nocturnal animal, so we were lucky! The armadillo quickly hid again, but we could clearly see the carapace.

Fatima
Despite the fact that I had not ridden for a long time, riding went very well and I secretly regretted a little bit that I had chosen the short ride. I enjoyed riding and admiring the landschape around me. After it was time to say goodbye to Fatima, I promised myself to go for another ride soon.

Llanero music
After horseback riding, we were able to stay in the Llanero atmosphere for a while. Since Ted, Anneke and Gabriela were going back to Yopal that afternoon, there was a farewell with a demonstration of the música Llanera, the Joropo. In this typical music of the Llanos, the harp places an important role and the songs about life on the Llanos are performed passionately.

Chico
Chico was the dancer and singer of the show, but I heard that he would also be a good guide. That came in handy, because I was going to take a walk in the forest with him later that day.

During the hike, Chico explained to me all kinds of things about the different plants and trees and how the Indigenas used to use them. For example, he showed how spears were made from tree branches and which trees were used for cremes for their faces.

During the walk, Chico he also told me about his life as a Llanero. I was struck by how humble he was, just like the other Llaneros I met before. At the same time, Chico was full of passion when he talked about working with the horses and about nature on the Llanos.

Meanwhile, he was removing very small ticks from my pants, which were so small that I hadn’t even seen them myself. In the dry season, ticks are common in certain parts of the forest.

Howler monkey family
At one point we heard something in the trees and then Chico pointed to a group of howler monkeys, known in Colombia as monos aulladores. We saw a whole family with mother and little ones. The male was chilling out and stayed in the same spot for a while. We stayed very quiet and could observe him very well. What an extraordinary experience!

On the way back, we saw a turtle crossing the path of a capybara, which left the capybara totally cold -:) After a nice walk, we boarded the boat again, back to the lodge.

The rest of the evening, the impressions of the day still went through my head and I closed the Llanero’s in my heart forever.

Written by Jeanette
Travel date: February 2020.

For more info, check our travel guide Casanare -the Colombian safari- Hotel needed in Yopal prior to your trip, check here the options.

Boat ride in the Llanos

Los Llanos Orientales, Travel Stories

On a boat trip in the Llanos, you can spot caimans, capybaras and turtles and fish for piranhas.

We were walking by the river, when Jeremiah said very quietly; “look next to you.” A few feet away there was a caiman in the water. We saw two more, lying motionless in the water for a very long time, ready to strike for passing prey!

Walk
Before the hike with Jeremiah began, we crossed the river by boat so we could hike on the other side of the river. Because the water is low in the dry season, they don’t turn the motor on. Jeremiah pushed sticks into the water to move forward. Later I learned that the water is as much as 2-3 meters higher in the rainy season.

Caimans
We were hiking by the river, when Jeremiah said very quietly; “look next to you.” A few feet away there was a caiman in the water. We saw two more, lying motionless in the water for a very long time, ready to strike for passing prey!


Natural Selection
I told Jeremiah that the landscape was even drier than I had imagined. He said this was the end of the dry season, hence the huge drought. During the “natural selection,” the older and weaker animals die in the harsh conditions. Other animals we saw on the hike included capybaras, turtles and a beautiful macaw.

Afternoon boat trip
Together with Dutch couple Ted and Anneke and their Colombian translator Gabriela, we took a boat trip down the river in the afternoon.

It was very relaxing to quietly observe the animals from the boat, such as agoutis (look like small capybaras), howler monkeys, many birds and wild pigs. A caiman was beautifully “posing” on a small beach. Because the river is quite narrow, we were able to observe the animals from up close.

Capybara family
We saw a family of capybaras whose little ones were drinking with the mother. Earlier we saw the babies running through the sand, soo cute! Because it is so dry and hot, the capybaras stay close to the river to cool off.

Fishing for piranhas
We stopped on a sandbar to fish for piranhas. I did not have much luck and fed the fish rather than catching them. So the piranha that was caught afterwards -with a very fat belly- was named after me -:)

Written by Jeanette
Travel date: February 2020.

Check out our travel guide Casanare -the Colombian safari– for more info. Need a hotel in Yopal prior to your trip? Then check here the options.