What to expect
This adventure takes you to the department of Casanare and to magical places where you can discover the beauty of the other half of Colombia: immersed in nature, you’ll embark on a 4-day, 3-night journey through the plains, exploring various natural and diverse areas within the El Encanto de Guanapalo Nature Reserve, located 2 hours from Yopal, the department’s capital and gateway to the plains region. On a horseback journey, you’ll explore the nature reserve and stay each night at a different ranch. With daily horseback rides and in the company of a local cowboy, you’ll learn more about the culture and traditions of the plains and encounter hundreds of birds and abundant wildlife.
DAY 1: Yopal – Encanto de Guanapalo Natural Reserve – Hato Mata de Palma
Meet and greet at Yopal Airport and transfer by private vehicle to the Reserve (approx. 2 hours). Passengers must arrive before noon in order to keep up with the itinerary and activities. Entry to El Encanto de Guanapalo Reserve; it is always recommended to enter during the day, as from the entrance you may encounter herds of deer, peccaries, capybaras, and a wide variety of birds—a taste of what you will enjoy over the next 4 days. Arrival at Hato Mata de Palma, where you will be welcomed by the local guide who will
accompany you throughout all the tours and introduce you to these authentic plains experience. He will share the history of the ranches, how they came together to form the El Encanto de Guanapalo Nature Reserve.
10:00 AM: You’ll embark on your first adventure: a guided hike along ecological trails where you’ll explore the surroundings of the ranch and enjoy the magical landscapes and the rich flora and fauna of the Nature Reserve.
12:00 PM: Back at the ranch, you’ll enjoy a delicious traditional lunch, followed by some downtime relaxing in a hammock under a mango or cruceto tree.
3:00 p.m.: You will set out on your first horseback ride through the floodplains toward Las Queseras, the meeting point of the three ranches that make up the El Encanto de Guanapalo Nature Reserve. This 3- to 5-hour ride will allow you to observe the rich biodiversity found in our Nature Reserve, including birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fish in their natural habitats.
Along the way, you’ll share a traditional plainsman’s meal.
6:00 PM: On the way back to the ranch, you’ll be able to enjoy a stunning plains sunset with its dazzling colors.
7:00 PM: You’ll enjoy a delicious outdoor dinner overlooking the ravine, and then rest in your rooms at Hato Mata de Palma.
DAY 2: Hato Montana
5:00 a.m.: You’ll wake up very early and, after a strong cup of coffee and a traditional Llanero breakfast, set out to watch the sunrise on a curiara (a type of canoe) ride through the reserve’s streams, where you’ll enjoy the calm waters and the sound of the birds accompanying you (only during the winter season, May through November). You’ll have the chance to try your hand at traditional fishing and learn about this practice carried out by the plainsmen using hooks for their livelihood.
7:00 a.m. – You’ll return to the ranch to enjoy a delicious traditional plains breakfast featuring hayaca, torrejas, and preparada.
9:00 AM – Accompanied by your guide, you will saddle up your horses to set out on the second horseback trek through the floodplains to Hato Montana via the El Molino trail. On this trek, you may spot anteaters and honey badgers, scops owls (small owls that nest on the ground), as well as foxes and a wide variety of birds. You’ll ride through the ravines, where you’ll see capybaras, caimans, and herons.
11:00 AM: You’ll arrive at Hato Montana and be served a snack with prepared to refresh yourselves and take a break.
1:00 p.m.: You’ll enjoy a traditional Creole lunch outdoors in the shade of a tree, after which you can relax in the hammock area at the Hato house.
3:00 p.m.: You’ll set out on a new horseback ride in search of the howler monkey, whose calls will let you know it’s nearby.
5:00 PM: You’ll enjoy a beautiful sunset in the middle of the savanna with a delicious snack before returning to the Hato.
7:00 PM: You’ll enjoy an outdoor dinner accompanied by our cowboys and their traditional Night of Songs, Myths, and Legends. By the warmth of a bonfire and torches, you’ll listen to the cowboys tell stories from the region’s oral tradition, accompanied by the typical sounds of the plains.
8:30 PM: You will retire to your rooms at Hato Montana.
DAY 3: Hato Altamira
6:00 a.m.: Early in the morning, you’ll be able to enjoy the majestic plains sunrise, and your guide will take you to experience life on a traditional plains ranch. You’ll spend the morning milking cows and working in the corral, accompanied by traditional ranch songs. Experience this ancestral work and learn how to milk a gentle cow; you’ll also lasso a foal, brush it, and groom it.
8:00 AM: You’ll return to the ranch to enjoy a delicious traditional plains-style breakfast.
9:00 AM: You’ll participate in a crafts workshop to see how local cowboys use natural resources to create useful items for typical plains tasks. A local cowboy will teach you how to make a halter, saddle pad, or whip using horsehair or leather, just like those used in horse tack.
11:00 AM: A new journey begins toward Hato Altamira. A tour where you’ll be able to spot the great abundance of biodiversity in our Nature Reserve, including birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and fish in their natural habitat.
1:00 PM: You’ll enjoy a delicious Creole lunch and have the chance to relax in the hammock area of the ranch.
3:00 p.m. – You’ll set out on a new excursion to the Galapagos Heron Colony, where more than 15 species of herons nest, including the corocora, the little egret, and the spoonbill, among others. Along the way, you’ll also spot birds such as the Orinoco goose, ducks, the soldier heron, and curlews.
5:00 PM – You’ll enjoy a beautiful sunset in the middle of the savanna with a delicious snack before returning to the Hato.
7:00 PM – You’ll enjoy a delicious outdoor dinner and rest in your rooms at Hato Altamira.
DAY 4: El Encanto de Guanapalo Natural Reserve – Return
8:00 a.m.: You will enjoy a delicious traditional plains-style breakfast.
9:00 a.m. – You will have the opportunity to leave your mark on the Reserve by planting a tree, which will help conserve and maintain the riparian forests where new bird species will settle.
11:00 a.m. – You will check out, and El Encanto De Guanapalo will bid you farewell with a snack and packed lunch. Transfer by private vehicle to Yopal Airport.
The end of the experience, the beginning of the memories.
What’s included?
- On-site ground transportation in a 4×4 vehicle throughout the tour.
- Accommodations: 3 nights at the El Encanto de Guanapalo Nature Reserve in a traditional ranch-style lodge, with single, double, triple, or multi-person rooms
featuring private bathrooms. - Full board from lunch on the first day through breakfast on the last day.
- Snacks during the tours.
- Specialized local guide.
- Activities described in the itinerary.
- Entrance fees to the reserves and sites mentioned.
- Rental of rubber boots (winter and rainy season).
- Medical assistance insurance.
What’s not included?
- Air transportation: Bogotá – Yopal – Bogotá.
- Activities not described in the itinerary.
- Accommodations: additional nights at the destination.
- Bilingual English-speaking guide.
- Personal expenses and gratuities.
- Services not mentioned in the itinerary.
- Consumption of beverages, alcoholic drinks, or food not
specified.
For additional activities and supplementary information, please consult the attached document.
View your full itinerary here
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