Caño Cristales
(3 days)

Experience Description

In this tour you will go to Caño Cristales, which is considered one of the most beautiful rivers in the world and was chosen as the first natural wonder of Colombia. You will stay with a local "llanero" family and you will learn all about the customs of the region.

Itinerary

Accommodation Type:

• Single private room for individual travelers
• Private double room for couples

Food:

• It is important to understand that the food included in the plan is prepared by the people of the community and the menu is based on local products of the region. (We avoid using products from other regions.) If you wish, you can ask for the details of the menu and if you need or want food that is not from the area, we kindly ask for your understanding and suggest that you take it yourself.

Price

What's included?

• Tourist taxes of Municipality, Parks and Cormacarena
• Entrance and permits in National Natural Parks of Colombia.
• Permits with CORMACARENA and National Army.
• Professional guidance of Colombia Oculta for every day.
• 2 nights accommodation in Posada Don David (beds).
• 2 river navigations along the Guayabero river. Round trip.
• 2 trips in a 4x4. Round trip.
• Complete feeding (Breakfasts, lunches and dinners)
• Contribution to the Cachivera village of Caño Cristales.
• Contribution to the CONSERVATION of the MADRE SELVA Private Nature Reserve of Colombia Oculta.
• Medical assistance insurance

Does not include:

• Airline tickets
• An airport tax of $6,000 COP (Only cash is accepted.)
• Expenses not related to or mentioned in the itinerary.

Additional Services:

• Issuance of commercial air tickets.
• Translator (from La Macarena: $ 170.000 COP per day, from Bogotá: price depends on availability)

Charter flights:

• Bogotá - La Macarena $ 396.000 COP each way (They fly Monday, Thursday and Saturday). On public holidays: $ 412.000 COP
• Villavicencio - La Macarena $ 275.000 COP each way (They fly every day). On public holidays $ 286.000 COP
• Medellin - La Macarena. $ 561.000 COP each way (Fly Friday and Monday)
• Cali - La Macarena. $ 522.000 COP each way (Friday and Monday fly)

And door-to-door private land transport:

• Bogotá - Villavicencio. From $ 555.000 COP per way for groups between 1 and 3 people (Everyday). Price varies according to number of passengers

Disclaimer

If more participants join you on the same Tour/Date, through Beyond Colombia, your final price will be cheaper according to the group size.

How to Book?

To book, we need a deposit of 12% of the total price of the tour. You can do this via bank transfer, PayPal (+ 7%) or cash (15 days before the tour). The remaining value can be paid in cash in La Macarena on the day of the tour or through PayPal (+ 7%) at least 3 days before the Tour date.

* Last-minute requests are accepted but are subject to availability.

Recommendations

Yellow Fever Vaccine:

• As of 2016, the Macarena police are demanding the yellow fever vaccination certificate for airport immigration. Vaccines can be applied in main health centers of each city. In Bogotá, they are offered for free in the following health centers: El Dorado Airport, Fontibón; Prehospital-Terminal Terrestre, Teusaquillo; Integral Health Care Center (CAMI) Suba, Suba; Primary Care Unit (UPA) Lorencita Villegas, Barrios Unidos and UPA Candelaria la Nueva, Ciudad Bolívar.
• REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO GET THE VACCINE 10 DAYS BEFORE YOUR TRIP.

Cellular and Internet:

• The only cellular operator that is available in the area is Claro and is sometimes unstable. Cellular mobile data works, but it can fail.
• In the municipality of La Macarena there are several internet shops. The best is "El del Mocho."

Electricity:

• In the municipality of Macarena there is electricity 24 hours in the day. However, sometimes it fails.
• In rural areas of Caño Cristales, such as Posada de Don David, there is a power plant that is turned on for two hours at night.
• There are two ATMs in La Macarena, one from Bancolombia and another from Banco de Bogotá. However, we recommend you carry anything you think you will need in cash.

What to wear:

• We recommend bringing one extra set of clothes for your travels. (The journey from the city of origin, flight and arrival at Macarena) This set we recommend for the way back as well.
• A set of clothes for walking, such as Camibuso or long-sleeved shirts and pants, preferably convertible ones. Quick-drying clothes are highly recommended. If you do not have them, it does not matter but do not wear jeans as they take time to dry.
• Swimsuit.
• A set of fresh clothes for sleeping, preferably with long sleeves to prevent insect bites.
• Bring comfortable walking shoes or sandals for river walking.
• Bathing sandals.

Where does this Adventure start?

This Adventure starts in La Macarena, Meta. We will meet you at La Macarena Airport.

How do I get to La Macarena?

From Bogotá:

You have two options: Bogotá – Macarena (direct flight) or Bogota – Villavicencio – Macarena (by bus the first trip and by flight the second).

The most practical way is by taking a flight from Bogotá straight to La Macarena (1-hour flight). You have two options: a commercial flight by Satena Airline (they fly only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays and costs around $350.000 COP per way), or you can take a Charter Flight with us (we fly on Monday, Thursday and Saturday). Please check the Charter flight prices at the bottom on the tab “Prices”. Considering the departure days, we recommend:

- Caño Cristales 3 days: departure on Friday and return on Sunday
- Caño Cristales 4 days: departure on Sunday and return on Wednesday

The second option is by Bus from Bogotá to Villavicencio and then a flight from Villavicencio to Macarena (they fly every day). The Bus to Villavicencio takes around 2 hours from the Salitre Bus Terminal and costs around $25.000 COP (about 7 USD) each way. Once in Villavicencio you can go by taxi to La Vanguardia Airport and buy a flight ticket to La Macarena. These flights are called “aerotaxis” and you can take a maximum luggage of 15 kg.

¿HOW IS THE SECURITY?

Many years ago, La Macarena was stigmatized as a dangerous area, but today this has changed. The social and violent difficulties that the Macarena saw are a thing of the past. The community is looking at life in a different way and they have seen that visitors contribute to the local economy. Even since we were able to visit Caño Cristales again, we have been training boys fresh out of high school who see tourism as a great opportunity and today they are professional local guides. It is a nice team that we have been forming. Whenever we enter the Macarena, we process a permit with the Army and Cormacarena (environmental entity of the area), who keep track of whoever enters and leaves the area. The first times we ever went with foreigners was a great novelty for the locals. Today foreign and Colombian visitors are part of the same landscape of the Macarena. In center of town, there is a large presence of the National Army who controls the safety of tourists and also in the surroundings of Caño Cristales, which has several security rings.

Around what time of the year do the changes in the color of the river happen?

What causes the river in Caño Cristales to turn rainbow is a magical natural cycle that can only be seen in this one place around the world. This phenomenon happens thanks to aquatic plants known scientifically as "podostemonaceae" and are plants, not algae.

The ideal time to see the color is from mid-April to the end of December. In summer (January, February and March), we do not recommend going because the water level falls making the plants lose its main source of nutrients. There must be a level of equilibrium with the water so that the colors are visible and when the rains begin in April, the plants begin to flourish again.

If you decide to cancel the trip:

• If you cancel within 10 days of the tour date, we will refund 80% of the total price.
• If you cancel between 9 and 1 days before the tour date, you will not be refunded.
• Once the tour has started, any voluntary abandonment or non-participation of any activity or tour will not be refunded.
• We are a prepaid operator and for this reason, 100% of the agreed value must be paid before starting any tour. Otherwise, the tour will not start.
• In case of no-show of the client on the trip, no refund will be made.
• In case of unexpected incidents(climatic changes, natural disasters, landslides, mishaps in air, land or river transport, social manifestations, etc.) in which the trip has to be canceled, Beyond Colombia Adventures will return 100% of the deposit of the reservation.
• In case of a scheduled calendar trip and the minimum quota is not achieved to make the departure for not completing the quota, 100% of the money will be refunded.
• In the event that a credit card payment is made through an online platform and any refund has to be made, Beyond Colombia Adventures will return the value paid by the customer, excluding the 7% commission charged by the virtual platform. The client is informed before making the reservation with Beyond Colombia Adventures, that this virtual platform charges an additional 7% of the value of the price.