Kiubo Inspection Trip to Southern Colombia
In June 2024, we traveled with Kiubo Colombia and nearly the entire team to southern Colombia. During our 10-day trip, we kept an eye out for beautiful new accommodations for our guests as well as new adventurous tours.
Here is our travel route in advance: Bogotá – Villavieja in the Tatacoa Desert – Gigante (Huila) – Pitalito – San Agustín – Purace National Park – Popayan – Silvia – Cali – San Cipriano near Buenaventura on the Pacific coast – Bogotá.
Our Kiubo-Travel-Team in Gigante, Huila
We all started from Bogotá in a minibus. Before
dawn, we headed towards the Tatacoa Desert.
We are crossing the longest river of Colombia, the Magdalena River, by ferry
After about a 6-hour journey, we crossed the Rio Magdalena by ferry to get to the other side. We landed directly in the Tatacoa Desert.
The spectacular Tatacoa Desert
The Tatacoa Desert is always a highlight. We visited the red and gray parts of the desert. Both offer an impressive display of colors.
On the way further south, towards San Agustín, we usually drive right next to the Rio Magdalena.
On the roadside from Neiva to San Agustin
It is worth stopping often to enjoy the view and the rugged surroundings.
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The sculptures of the San Agustin culture are carved from volcanic rock
The archaeological parks of San Agustín are the highlight of a trip to southern Colombia.
The "Valle de Frailejones" in the middle of the Purace National Park
Another highlight is the crossing through the unpaved Purace National Park. The route lies between San Agustín and Popayan.
In doing so, we cross the entire central Andean cordillera of Colombia, traveling mostly at over 3000 meters above sea level. The climate is harsher, the vegetation dense, and occasional fog sets in.
In the small village of Purace, we visited an indigenous community located in the Purace National Park.
The abandoned sulfur mine
We explored an abandoned sulfur mine situated at 3600 meters above sea level. Not far away, the rare Andean condor can also be observed. Every day at 10 AM, there is a feeding there.
View from "El Morro" in Popayan
The "white city" of Popayan, the capital of the Cauca department, is whitewashed. Here, during Holy Week, the famous Easter processions take place. They were declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2009 and attract thousands of visitors.
The small village of Silvia is home to the Misak Indigenous people, also known as Guambianos.
Group foto with our indigenous friends
On Tuesdays, the colorful indigenous market can always be visited. But even on other days, a visit is 100% worth it. We have discovered a great new tour that we will introduce to you shortly.
Our next stop was Cali, the third largest city in Colombia, which at 1000 meters above sea level offers a pleasant climate.
Cali is not only the capital of salsa but has much more to offer.
A unique means of transportation - "Las Brujitas"
2 hours from Cali lies San Cipriano with the unique means of transportation, the “brujitas”. We have already developed a great product here. Details can be found in a separate newsletter article.
From San Cipriano, we headed back to Cali. Our journey ended here. Adios, amigos!
