5 Days 4 Nights
Colombia
7
1
CAÑO CRISTALES 5D4N
Caño Cristales and the municipality of La Macarena are known for their wide range of tourist attractions. On this tour, you will visit Caño Cristales, the Raudal de Angosturas, and the lesser-known Caño Canoas, which features a series of waterfalls cascading from a wall over 70 meters high. On days 1 and 5, you will engage in activities such as visiting Caño Cristalitos, Caño Piedra, the Botanical Garden, or experiencing a Llanero sunrise, having also 1 night of local music and dance display.
Itinerary
Itinerary
Day 1 - CAÑO CRISTALITOS
On this day, you will fly to La Macarena (06:00-11:00) depending on the origin and the airline schedule for that day. Once there, you will be welcomed by the local team and receive guidelines from the local Authorities to visit the attractions of the whole region. You will visit Caño Cristalitos, the lookout of the Sierra de La Macarena and after that will arrive at La Manigua Lodge, where you will check-in and will have a monkey sighting inside this private protected area.
Day 2 - CAÑO CRISTALES
On this day, you will have your first visit to the main river of Caño Cristales: first, you will have a 15-mins boat ride and then a 30-mins transfer in a 4x4. Once there, you will start one of the hikes by this 5-colors river, which is unique in the world. There are different trails that range from 4 up to 16 kms that are assigned by the environmental authorities according to the physical level of the group. At the end of the day, you will be taken back to the hotel.
Day 3 - RAUDAL DE ANGOSTURAS
On this day, you will navigate for the second time the Guayabero River for 1 hour until you arrive at the area of the Raudal de Angosturas, where you will have a hike by one of the two trails of the place visiting the rock city or Aguas Claras river (upon availability for groups of 4 people or more on the day of the visit) or you will visit La Laguna del Silencio having a canoe activity there. At the end of the day, you will be taken back to the hotel.
Day 4 - SILENCE LAGOON
On this day, after breakfast you will cross the Guayabero river and will be taken in a 4x4 towards Laguna del Silencio (Silence lagoon). This is a very well-preserved wetland that has special fauna & flora species as it is located in the transition between 3 important ecosystems: the waters of the Andes and the combination of plants from the Amazon jungle and the Eastern plains region. You will have a navigation there and can also enjoy its fresh waters.
Day 5 - SUNRISE ACTIVITY
On this day, you will do another of the alternative activities near Caño Cristales, which will be offered according to availability of groups for that day when it is a shared tour and/or preferences of the group when it is private. That day you can either have a sunrise activity, visit Caño Cristalitos, Caño Piedra, Botanical Garden or others depending on group availability. You will take a flight back to Bogota (09:00-14:00) depending on the airline schedule for the day.
Cost Info
Cost Info
Price includes
LODGING Lodge in the reserve and standard hotel in the town of La Macarena. ROOMS - La Manigua Lodge: Private double, triple or family cabins. - La Fuente hotel or similar: Private double, triple or family rooms with A/C. ACTIVITIES All the activities mentioned in the plan, all in shared tours and transportations of maximum 7 people. MEALS - 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners. TRANSFERS All land/water transportations in shared vehicles and boats (except for private tours). If you book the flights with us from Bogota, Medellin or Villavicencio – La Macarena and back, here the conditions: - 5kg handbag + 15 kgs luggage for CLIC, SATENA & Charter flights (where we can add weight at no additional cost up to 23 kg of luggage exclusively at the airport before flight check-in and when there are no flight weight restrictions) FLIGHTS INCLUDED (when booked with us) -The flights schedules vary according to the date chosen for starting the trip. GUIDANCE Spanish speaking guides throughout the trip for all activities. MEDICAL ASSISTANCE CARD The tour includes a travel assistance card for all the days that covers possible accidents, medical attention and emergency transportations for a quick response in case of being necessary according to the evacuation time during the activities and level of medical attention at the destination.Price excludes
- National and international flights. - Fees of entrance to the National Park y and local entities’ taxes (Cormacarena & La Macarena municipality): o People of 25 years or less: 42.000 COP (11 USD approx.). o Colombians or national residents elder than 25 years: 117.000 COP (32 USD approx.). o Foreigners elder than 25 years: 177.200 COP (48 USD approx.). - Activities, additional drinks or elements not described in the plan. - Tips, snacks and souvenirs. - Personal items not described in the itinerary. - English or other languages speaking guides/translators.Add-ons & optionals
Add-ons & optionals
- Flights from & to Bogota, Medellin, Villavicencio or any other Colombian city. The price would depend of the dates and the anticipation the flights are booked.
- English or other languages speaking guides/translators, according to their availability for the desired date, in this case it is advisable to book in advance.
- Private tours for smaller groups that don’t want to have shared activities and transportations.
- Private single rooms for just one person for 25 USD additional per night.
- Upgrade to a higher accommodation level such as La Manigua Lodge that can be quoted upon request and confirmation of availability in that hotel that gets pretty busy during the colors season.
- Specialized guides for special itineraries.
What to take?
What to take?
- Hat and/or other sun protection for the head and neck.
- Sunglasses to protect your eyes from the reflection of the sun.
- Long-sleeved shirts to avoid sunburn and mosquito bites during outdoor activities.
- Wear comfortable pants and avoid wearing jeans.
- Waterproof, preferably quick-drying clothing or a rain poncho.
- Appropriate footwear for the hikes, trekking shoes are advisable and at least one pair of sneakers for change. Footwear can get wet during the hikes.
- Swimming suit, towels and water shoes, as there will be chance to take baths in the rivers, lagoons and creeks of the area.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent to use during the alternative activities that do not include swimming in rivers with the plants that can be damaged, which are the ones that provide the color of the main river of Caño Cristales.
- Protection for electronic devices since they may be susceptible to damages due to humidity and/or rain.
- Non-disposable rigid container to refill water (canteen or thermos).
- Day-packs for carrying personal stuff, hydration, snacks and other elements during the outdoor day activities.
- Personal documents and count with your own medical insurance.
- Personal medicines and first aid kit.
Map
Map
Gallery
Gallery
Recomendation
Recomendation
The ecosystems of Caño Cristales area are special, therefore it is important to follow the recommendations in order to avoid or diminish any negative impact on them, as well as being prepared for a pleasurable experience, according to that:
- It is necessary to have an acceptable physical condition, since you will do some hikes and outdoor activities in nature.
- It is important to reduce waste generation (single-use plastics). According to that, it is important to take your own rigid non-disposable recipient for liquids.
- Disposable plastic bottles are not allowed inside La Macarena National Park.
- Follow and abide by the instructions of the guides and authorities during each of the routes and tours.
- Take your cautions against mosquitoes, such as long-sleeved clothes, repellent in the places where it is allowed, among other cautions you or your doctor might consider.
- You should count with the yellow-fever vaccination. Ideally you should have it at least 10 days before your visit to the destination.
- Currently, there is no major outbreak of contagious disease or mosquito transmission in the areas to be visited. However, if there is an outbreak or important biological risk in the destinations to be visited, it will be informed in a timely manner prior to the trip.
- We recommend the use of binoculars to wildlife watching and moisture-protected cameras.
- Sunscreen, mosquito repellent or any chemicals are not allowed when visiting the main color river of Caño Cristales in case of swimming in the allowed places for taking bath, this, in order to protect the plants that provide the color.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol and/or psychoactive substances during the activities mentioned in the plan can be harmful to your health and safety.
FAQ´s
FAQ´s
WEATHER CONDITIONS & BILINGUALISM
It is necessary to be properly prepared for the weather conditions of the destination which are detailed below, but as this is an approximation, please note that they may vary. Also, keep in mind that it might be difficult to find bilingual staff or people at the destination.
La Macarena:
Temp. Min: 20ºC Max: 35ºC, humid climate / (233 m.a.s.l.)
ATM´S
It is advisable to carry cash for extra expenses during the trip since access to ATMs and dataphones at the destination may be limited or present problems in the area
PHONE SIGNAL & WIFI
You will visit a destination where there is poor phone and internet signal in the town of La Macarena, but also will visit some several rural areas where you won’t have any connection. The hotels offer Wi-Fi, but the signal is not the best.
TIPPING
Tipping is not mandatory, but if you consider you can tip the guides and/or other staff with an amount from 20.000 to 50.000 COP (5 to 12 USD approx.) per day of service.
SEASONS
- The color river season coincides with the rainy season in the area.
- Normally, the season starts in June and ends in mid-November, however, it might be shorter or longer depending on local authorities’ criteria.
- We recommend to ask us before booking your trip if it is possible to visit the destination, especially if you want to do it on June or November
- The brightness of the colors of the river depends on special conditions for the day of the visit such as previous rain in the days before, sunny or cloudy days might affect also and other factors of nature that cannot be guaranteed in advance.
- It is difficult to predict one month or period of time of the season where you can see the colors of the river brighter, but during the season you will always see the plants that provide the colors.
