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Option A:
Day 1:
- Welcome at La Macarena airport
- Visit to Cormacarena and National Parks office for an introductory talk about the National Park Sierra de La Macarena.
- Luggage pick up (depending on the time of arrival, luggage will be picked up before or after the talk), and stop at La Manigua’s office for the check-in. Here you will have time to fill your water bottles with water and change clothes if you need.
- Transfer to the Guayabero river. We will take a wooden boat with our luggage to start our first visit, Caño Cristalitos.
- 20 minute boat transfer upstream the Guayabero river. On the way, it’s possible to spot some wildlife on the riverbank. We will reach a farmer's house where we will get ready for our first hike.
- 25 minutes ascend to reach the Mirador, an amazing lookout where your guide will explain everything about the ecosystems and the social history of La Macarena. The place to have lunch will vary according to the time that you start the hike.
- 45 minutes hike along a semi-flat terrain till we reach Caño Cristalitos, where we will have time to appreciate the Macarenia clavigera plant and bathe at small pools.
- 45 minutes hike back to the Guayabero river to reach our boat.
- 15 minutes transfer upstream the Guayabero river to reach La Manigua Lodge.
- Check-in at La Manigua Lodge.
- Time to relax and enjoy the possible visit of some monkeys.
- Dinner at La Manigua Lodge.
Day 2:
- Breakfast at La Manigua Lodge. Our start time will be defined by Cormacarena and National Parks randomly (it can be between 6 am and 8 am).
- 15-minute boat transfer downstream the Guayabero River.
- 40-minute 4x4 transfer on a bumpy road entering the National Park Sierra de La Macarena.
- We will reach National Parks checkpoint, where we will get ready for the hike.
- 30 minutes hike till we reach our highly expected destination: Caño Cristales.
- Once at Caño Cristales, we will start the trail assigned by National Parks and Cormacarena.
- Inside the National Park, we will spend around 7 hours, hiking, having lunch, bathing, and taking lots of pictures of the colors and waterfalls of this amazing river.
- At the end of the hike, we will return the same way we entered to reach La Manigua Lodge.
- At the end of the day, we will have a cultural activity on the river.
- Dinner at La Manigua Lodge.
Day 3:
- Breakfast at La Manigua Lodge. Our start time will be defined by Cormacarena and National Parks randomly (it can be between 6 am and 8 am).
- We will have our luggage ready because it comes with us on the boat so we can seize the morning as much as possible. Our luggage will continue on the boat to La Macarena, where they will be stored in our office.
- 40-minute 4x4 transfer on a bumpy road entering the National Park Sierra de La Macarena.
- We will reach National Parks checkpoint, where we will get ready for the hike.
- 30 minutes hike till we reach the lower basin of Caño Cristales, where this majestic river enters the jungle. Because of the forest's shadow, the Macarenia clavigera plant takes on an intense green color.
- At the end of the hike, we will return to La Macarena, where we will have a room to shower and get ready for lunch before the flight.
- Transfer to the airport and farewell.
Option B:
Day 1:
- Welcome at La Macarena airport
- Visit to Cormacarena and National Parks office for an introductory talk about the National Park Sierra de La Macarena.
- Luggage pick up (depending on the time of arrival, luggage will be picked up before or after the talk), and stop at La Manigua’s office for the check-in. Here you will have time to fill your water bottles with water and change clothes if you need.
- Transfer to the Guayabero river. We will take a wooden boat with our luggage to start our first visit, Caño Cristalitos.
- 20-minute boat transfer upstream the Guayabero river. On the way, it’s possible to spot some wildlife on the riverbank. We will reach a farmer's house where we will get ready for our first hike.
- 25 minutes ascend to reach the Mirador, an amazing lookout where your guide will explain everything about the ecosystems and the social history of La Macarena. The place to have lunch will vary according to the time that you start the hike.
- 45 minutes hike along a semi-flat terrain till we reach Caño Cristalitos, where we will have time to appreciate the Macarenia clavigera plant and bathe at small pools.
- 45 minutes hike back to the Guayabero river to reach our boat.
- 15 minutes transfer upstream the Guayabero river to reach La Manigua Lodge.
- Check-in at La Manigua Lodge.
- Time to relax and enjoy the possible visit of some monkeys.
- Dinner at La Manigua Lodge.
Day 2:
- Breakfast at La Manigua Lodge. Our start time will be defined by Cormacarena and National Parks randomly (it can be between 6 am and 8 am).
- 15-minute boat transfer downstream the Guayabero River.
- 40-minute 4x4 transfer on a bumpy road entering the National Park Sierra de La Macarena.
- We will reach National Parks checkpoint, where we will get ready for the hike.
- 30 minutes hike till we reach our highly expected destination: Caño Cristales.
- Once at Caño Cristales, we will start the trail assigned by National Parks and Cormacarena.
- Inside the National Park, we will spend around 7 hours, hiking, having lunch, bathing, and taking lots of pictures of the colors and waterfalls of this amazing river.
- At the end of the hike, we will return the same way we entered to reach La Manigua Lodge.
- At the end of the day, we will have a cultural activity on the river.
- Dinner at La Manigua Lodge.
Day 3:
- Breakfast at La Manigua Lodge. The start time will depend on the flight schedule.
- 10-minute hike from La Manigua Lodge till we reach the horses.
- 45-minute horse ride along “morichales” and natural savannahs till we reach Caño Piedra. If we have enough time, it's possible to bathe in a natural pool.
- Return to La Manigua Lodge by horse (60 minutes).
- We will pack our luggage and get ready to return to La Macarena by boat. If our return flight is in the afternoon, we will have lunch in town.
- Transfer to the airport and farewell.
TRAVEL TIPS:
• We recommend your trip to be at least 4 days, so you can enjoy Caño Cristales as much as possible and even explore other beautiful spots in La Macarena.
• On long weekends, you can only visit Caño Cristales once due to the number of people visiting La Macarena, so it’s better if you can travel during the week or on a regular weekend!
• Caño Cristales opening and closure depends mainly on weather conditions.
• Our trips are designed for people who like to hike and do activities all day. If you prefer a softer option, we also have alternatives, so please ask for them!
• Lunches and water are carried by the guests during the hikes. If a carrier is needed, please ask for this additional service.
Micro Adventure Tours:
Raudal de Angosturas I and Ciudad de Piedra (Tinigua National Park)
Upstream the Guayabero River, the complex geography of La Sierra de La Macarena creates a beautiful rock canyon that tightens the flow of this river and delivers a strong and amazing rapid that no one dares to sail. During the dry season, the rapids are softer, and you can enter the canyon inside a boat, letting those huge rocks dazzle you as you witness the beautiful petroglyphs that ancient cultures like the Guayaberos left on the side of this river as a memory of their existence before they were banished from their homeland.
During your visit to this natural spectacle, it’s possible to hike to Ciudad de Piedra, a valley of huge stones and strange formations that only the wind, the water, and time could have sculpted. Get lost inside a rock labyrinth that belongs to the Guiana shield, one of the oldest rock formations on earth. Enjoy the silence of nature while you rest on top of these amazing rocks.
All the hikes are on semi-flat terrain with a maximum altitude of 300 masl. Ciudad de Piedra is the best spot to visit but requires a mid-high level of physical fitness to enjoy it fully.
Places to visit:
- Ciudad de Piedra:
- Distance/time: 8.4 KM / 7 Hr
- Difficulty: High
- Season: Color/Dry
- Aguas Claras:
- Distance/time: 2.2 KM / 5 Hr
- Difficulty: Low
- Season: Color
- Petroglyphs - Miradores de Angosturas:
- Distance/time: 3 KM
- Difficulty: Medium
- Season: Dry
- Angosturas I Canyon:
- Distance/time: by boat
- Difficulty: Low
- Season: Dry
Caño Cristales (Sierra de La Macarena National Park):
The main attraction of La Macarena is Caño Cristales, a majestic tributary of the Guayabero River, which owes its beauty to the colorful aquatic plant Macarenia clavijera, stunning waterfalls, and intriguing rock formations. To explore Caño Cristales fully, we recommend visiting it twice, exploring different trails each day. Besides Caño Cristales, other rivers featuring this colorful plant include Caño Cristalitos, Caño Escondido, and Caño Piedra. All hikes are on semi-flat terrain with a maximum altitude of 300 masl. Only Caño Cristalitos has a 25-minute ascent, considered of high difficulty. Along the hikes, you will have time to bathe, have lunch, and take many photos of this wonder.
Serenade at the River:
Flow with the rhythm of the Guayabero River while you enjoy the sunset and listen to our local “llanera” music, played by a local singer and composer with his four-string guitar, on a boat paddling silently downstream till you reach La Manigua Lodge again. The “cantos del llano” were declared intangible heritage of humanity and form an important part of La Macarena’s culture.
Cacao Workshop:
Visit our neighbors and have a great time as they explain how they make chocolate from their cacao crops. Get your hands dirty while helping them with the process and understand the effort these families make to produce the chocolate you probably enjoy at home. The next day, you will be able to taste the chocolate that you helped process.
River Safari:
The Guayabero River is excellent for spotting and photographing wildlife like turtles, alligators, different species of monkeys, numerous birds, and, if you’re lucky, perhaps some tapirs, capybaras, or pink river dolphins. Bring your camera and get ready to capture wildlife with the help of your guide and boat rider. This is a full-day activity, and you will have lunch on the Guayabero River.
Horseback Riding:
La Macarena is home to various ecosystems since it is located on the border of the Amazon and the flatlands of Colombia. One of those ecosystems is the natural savannahs, which offer beautiful landscapes and clear views. The best way to enjoy the savannahs is by horseback, and you will also have time to bathe in small streams like Caño Piedra or Caño Escondido. The horses are calm and well-trained, so you don’t need to be an expert to enjoy this activity.
Laguna del Silencio:
The Laguna del Silencio is a serene lagoon that receives all the water from Caño Cristales before it reaches the Guayabero River. This place can be reached by walking (1 hour approx.) or by horseback (30 min). Once you reach the lagoon, a small canoe will be waiting to take you along this beautiful mirror-like water, surrounded by birds and tranquility.
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