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TheTravellingGabo
I did all I could to start a thread of reviews for El Chopo, because this man deserves it. El Chopo means the 'smallest in the family' as he will happily explain to you. But Don Chopo is a grown man with plenty to offer on the whereabouts of the Desierto de la Tatacoa. Let's be clear: I think anybody visiting the desert without a guide is missing out. There is absolutely no point in wandering around without proper guidance. The place is just too hot and to inhospitable for foreigners without a clue. El Chopp offered two walking options: caminata corta (short walk) of two and a half hours and caminata larga (long walk) which we took almost 5 and a half hours to complete but can be done in less than 4 if you wake up very early. Both walks need to be done before or after the hottests hours of the day (11 am to 4 pm).In he short walk we visited: We concluded it with a stop at the observatory where every night around 6,30/7 pm ( go figure Colombian time keeping) an astronomer talks about the stars and let's you use some quite powerful instruments to look at planets, constellations, etc.The desert is a privileged spot for star gazing as it offers both the northern and southern emisphere part of the sky, being near the equatorial line. Unfortunately when we were here the sky was cloudy and so we missed that completely. Rubbish, I know, but what can you do. Let me reassure you it's worth the trip even if you miss the stars.As for the long walk, we went with a bunch of Colombian friends our age and it was good fun. It was intense because we started out too late in the morning, around 8 am, and paid for it with a super hot sun on our heads for half of the excursion. We visitedEl Chopo will show you fossils, guide you in the desert, show you animals and vegetation.I should also mention that El Chopo arranged transfer from and to the airport of Neiva. That is done with a taxi, while from Villavieja to the desert you will travel with El Chopo taxi, a curious mototaxi that is a legend in the desert.El Chopo does not speak English although he is studying it night. I am fluent in Spanish and always talked with him in Spanish but I have thought it over and I think even if you only speak English you should tell him, maybe have somembody translate the email for you where you indicate exactly everything you want, your dates, times, etc and he will take care of everything. I think even if he can't explain stuff in the desert it is still worth to walk with him. He made the difference for us.
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UgeA_12
This place is like an hallucination, very weird landscape and views. It really takes you away from any reality. VERY VERY hot and dry. Worth the visit.
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louierh
We planned for an overnight stay and we think it was worth it. The so-called 'labyrinth' was beautiful at sunset. It's a small area and can be explored in a few hours. We came back again at sunrise and it was nice. The area before the observatory when coming from Villavieja has a lot of cacti and is beautiful. We heard from other travelers that there is another 'labyrinth' but it has gray soil so it's probably not as scenic. There is also suppose to be a pool in that area but is not very clean.
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hansih275
As with many places in Colombia, if you are looking to enjoy the tranquillity of this place, you should come during the week. on weekends it can get packed and noisy, which kind of spoils the desert experience. I recommend hiring a horse to go from the desert's red part to the older, grey part at los hoyos (40'000 COP). Also, get started as early as you can to avoid the heat.
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180freds
If you are in Neiva , you should go to this desert. It is one of the three deserts of Colombia. But quite different from the other two , i.e, La Guajira and Candelaria. It was shaped by the withdrawing of the sea a long time ago , and colors of the desert are beautiful . There is a lot of nature there, especially birds. Take a cab from Neiva to the desert (or a bus) and spend some hours there. There are locations with small ponds , which are an attraction for birds.
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signe2010
Tatacoa is next to Villavieja. You get there by public transport, well a mix between bus and taxi, from Neiva. You can use this transport to go all the way to Tatacoa, preferably a hostal close to the Astro. Observatory. There are a few hotels in Villavieja and maybe five hostals close to the observatory, which is about 5km from Villavieja.We payed 12'000COP p.p. all the way to a hostel behind the observatory.If you actualy want to experience Tatacoa, you have to spend a couple of days. One night is not enough. Even in the desert, the sky is not always clear, and a visit to the observatory is definitly a must. The views are awesome.During the day, or better early in the morning, it is good to do hikes to see all the amazing colours and formations, all the birds and the plants. No this is not a real, dry desert.In the afternoon, you might use the pool at your hostel or go to the Lagoon for a swim.If it is too warm in the night, you can sleep outdoor in hammacs
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Zdekal
Amazing place with great nature. For sure it's better to stay over night in the desert and sleep in a tent which is scenic and with pleasant temperature.Just be aware that the desert is often visited by groups of Colombians partying with loud music till morning.
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Laura_Daniela_Pineda
I currently live in the capital city of Colombia, which can be stressful sometimes; so spending a few days in the desert, was the best way to come back to the city reloaded. I went there on a road trip with my parents and my brother, we enjoyed covering with mud and getting into a small lake that resembles an oasis. It was marvelous! We also had the chance to participate in San Pedro´s Festival in the near city of Neiva. It's A tradition, and we do recommend foreigners to experience the colombian culture in all its shapes. There is also an amazing place to spend the night; in the middle of the desert, there are some handmade huts. It was a peaceful night, no tv or technology at hand. Just some quality time as a family.
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Trvlman333
I enjoyed the experience and it is beautiful scenery. However, I think that with some of the rave reviews others have given, hopes can get a little bit too high, and I would discourage this, so that you are not disappointed. It really depends on what other deserts you have seen. Regardless, it is certainly a beautiful setting and an enjoyable place to visit. I stayed at Tranquilidad. It was a nice place with basic accommodations, such as a cold water pipe coming out of the wall for your shower, but actually lukewarm due to the heat of the sun. The staff was quite friendly and helpful. However, they do not speak any English and I do not speak any Spanish, but this is always entertaining. The meals are reasonably priced, but significantly more expensive if you get meat, which is goat, and I would definitely avoid. The portion I got was primarily bone, gristle, and fat, and I saw the same for other tourists. Also there was a young man there, Christian, who presented himself as a translator and tour guide. His English was mediocre. Of concern was that his translation was incorrect number of times in regard to prices. For example, I eat a large meal at dinner and ordered two dinners the first night. While he and two other Spanish-speaking individuals told me the total cost would be 12,000, it was actually 34,000. The most egregious error he made was informing me he could give me an all day tour on horseback for 18,000. Given his earlier errors, I checked with the owner, and the horse was actually 10,000 per hour or 40,000 for the day. On top of that, he would charge 14,000 for the tour, and if Christian was to be on horseback, I would have to pay for another horse, or he could only follow on foot, which was of course not feasible. I am fairly certain he works at various lodgings because he was only present the first of two nights I stayed there. I do not believe that his errors were purposeful, but I would be quite clear in all of the expenses. As I do not speak Spanish, I always have them write out exactly the cost for everything. I use a translator app on my phone for the small words/phrase such as "all day." As for other costs, the ride out from Nevis is 10,000 for a Colombian 15,000 for a tourist. I got them down to 10,000 for the way out, due to a initial misunderstand, and refused to pay anymore. I pay the agreed-upon 15,000 going back. However, the staff at Tranquilidad had told me it would be 20,000 because I was a solo rider, but when the collective van arrived I actually showed the man 15,000 and he agreed. Of course, pricing is always flexible, which may have been for the horse as well, but I seriously doubt I could've got the horses at one 20th of the price. That is, the 4000 that Christian had allowed in the price of the tour. In regard to the horse, as was noted by another reviewer, they love to run. I wanted to go at a rather slow pace, which was frequently a challenge. However, after the horse and I developed a "relationship" this became easier. I also allowed him to go to a full gallop at various times. It was just a little dicey taking tight corners on a dirt road at a full gallop, so be cautious. The desert is also quite easy to explore on your own. There's basically one major road that runs through it. You can then branch off onto various smaller paths or roads, which I continually did, and then would simply backtrack to the main road. Be aware, that the area of the red Desert (Cusco) is actually off-limits to anything but foot traffic. So, if you have a horse, you will need to tie it up and go on foot through that part. Overall, it was a fun experience, and I actually enjoyed riding the horse most of all. I recommend going, but simply do not echo some of the others that have given rave reviews, as I am concerned people may be disappointed. It is beautiful scenery and something to enjoy, but not the most amazing thing in the world.
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MKH50
Quite eerie empty and amazing landscape.we went around the desert in the afternoon, it was not as hot as as was expecting and was quite pleasant walking. We took a trip ioriginated in Neiva and included a guide, a necessary requiremtent for ourselves, otherwise we might have got lost. The trip included an overnight stop in Villavieja; the overnight stay enabled us to go to the observatory and watch the sky at night, a great experience as the position of the observatory on the equator enables observation of both hemispheres . The professor conducting the observation was extremely informative and provided excellent commentary.
