San Agustin

Early in the morning, you will board a flight bound for the City of Neiva, capital city of the Huila Department, where a transportation will pick you up and bring you to one of the most beautiful valleys in Colombia, The Tatacoa desert. You will visit the stunning red desert and its eroded mounds, and the moon-like grey desert where the natural formations look like bedsheet ghosts. In the afternoon, you will take the road to San Agustin.

On the hills surrounding the town of San Agustin, monumental statues have been dug up over the course of the last century. Some of these statues show humans, others show animals, but most of them represent both humans and animals. During this day, you will discover archaeological sites such as the San Agustin Archaeological Park, as well as a museum showing pre-Columbian and colonial artefacts and retracing the way of life of both civilizations in the region.

On the hills surrounding the village, you will find several archeological sites like the Alto de Los Idolos, and Alto de las Piedras. At both sites you will admire the intricacy of the carved stones and the antique tombs shaped like animals. On your way back, you will also make a stop at some_ of the region’s most impressive waterfalls, Salto de Bordones and Salto del Mortiño. Finally, you will reach Estrecho del Magdalena, the narrowest part of the Colombia’s main river originating in the region.

Early in the morning, we will transfer you to one of the outstanding colonial towns in Colombia. After a few hours drive on a rough terrain, you will reach Popayan, also known as the Jerusalem of America. Arriving around mid-day, you will have a free afternoon to stroll around the city and its colonial architecture of white endless streets. The processions of the Holy Week and the Festival of Gastronomy, taking place in March and September, respectively, have both been declared Patrimony of Humanity by the UNESCO. The rest of the year, Popayan offers many museums, churches, and colonial houses to visit.

Each Tuesday in Silvia, a small village located an hour and a half away from Popayan, it’s market day and the Guambianos pre-Colombian Andean ethnic group gather to exchange their products. The town gets very busy on this day and visitors can experience the morning in the market among this community, the members of which still wear their traditional clothes and speak their ancient language. After lunch, you will take the road to Cali, a major city located 3 hours away. You will then board a flight bound for Bogota or continue your journey toward another part of Colombia.

Note: The market in Silvia only takes place on tuesday. Any other day of the week, we will plan a different programme that will take you to some of Cali's most interesting landmarks, before going to the airport.