Located in the heart of Colombia, the Tatacoa Desert stands as an undiscovered gem, waiting to be explored by adventurous travellers. This otherworldly landscape offers a unique experience, showcasing the stark beauty of arid terrain, captivating starry nights, and an opportunity to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of urban life (and not to mention the most electric thunder and lightening you have even seen).
In this blog, we'll outline a rough travel itinerary for your journey to the Tatacoa Desert, ensuring you make the most of your visit to this enchanting desert wilderness.
Getting There
Your adventure will need to begin in Neiva, a city located in the Huila Department of Colombia, which serves as the gateway to the Tatacoa Desert. We arrived from the south after coming from San Agustin near Popayan, but the other option is to travel down from Bogota. As Neiva is quite isolated in terms of connecting roads, these are really your only options to get there. Though there is an airport if you really wanted to splurge out. Unless the Tatacoa desert is a must on your list of things to do, we probably wouldn't recommend a flight.
From the bus terminal in Neiva, you will need to take a taxi or a bus to Villavieja to start your trip to the desert. Villavieja is a small town about 38km north, and is the gateway to the Tatacoa. We opted for the bus (more a colectivo, really) as the taxi was far too expensive.
If you wish, you can stay in Neiva and take day trips out to the desert, though we felt you wouldn't get the full experience.
Once you're in Villavieja, you will be dropped to the main square. Here you'll have to take a tuk-tuk out to the desert (if you've booked accommodation out there). We grabbed some dinner first, then paid about €3 for the trip out to our hostel. From Villavieja to the desert took about 20 minutes, along paved and dirt tracks. Quite enjoyable to be frank.
The Grey Desert
As we arrived at night, our day began the following morning. When we woke (after a night of intense thunder, like that of a cracking whip), we planned to head out to the Grey Desert, located on the other side of Tatacoa.
We decided to walk and it took about an hour and a half. It was midday by the time we arrived. Don't forget to carry plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat as the sun can be intense. If you don't want to walk the whole way, you can walk into the small village of Tatacoa (more like a collection of buildings beside the Observatory), where you can grab a taxi or tuk-tuk out. This is probably a sensible option.
Once you're at the Gray Desert you'll be greeted by the mesmerising colours and rock formations. You can visit Los Hoyos and Los Cusco natural swimming pools to cool off and relax, though we opted not to as it was very touristy, with bus loads of people being dropped off here.
We decided to walk back too, after hours of walking to and around the desert. Maybe don't do that. The sun was no joke. Just pay for a tuk-tuk.
The Red Desert
The following day we walked the other direction towards the Red Desert. This was much closer and took us about 25 minutes from our accommodation (which was 5 minutes from the observatory, or the de facto centre of Tatacoa). Once there, you can spend your day exploring the arid wonderland of the Red Desert. Marvel at the unique red and ochre tones of the landscape, which makes for breath-taking photo opportunities.
Be sure to follow the signs if you do venture into the red desert. We ventured a little do far and found ourselves sinking into the mud a little.
Getting there for the sunrise is well worth your time, as the colours are only enhanced by the sun.
Stargazing
One of the highlights of a visit to Tatacoa Desert is the opportunity to witness a night sky like no other. Join a stargazing tour to experience the breathtaking celestial beauty. The desert is known for its clear, pollution-free skies, making it an ideal spot for stargazing and astrophotography.
Our tour was in Spanish, so if you don't speak the lingo, you may find this a little tough to follow. However, you can get a good sense of what the guide is taking about, as the tour is comprised of you lying on your back, on the ground, with loads of other people, while the guide points their laser at constellations and stars.
Just follow the laser and enjoy the sky!
Accommodation
Casa de Campo los Cactus:
This hostel was an ideal place to stay for our 2 nights. Right in the middle of the desert, the hostel was a 5 minute walk from the main area / observatory.
The hostel itself was comprised of a main building and several cabins, in which we stayed in the latter. Our cabin was actually made of plastic bottles, which was fun.
Breakfast was included and was the basic bread, eggs, fruit and coffee, as you can come to expect in Colombia.
It cost us about €10 per night per person.
Departure
Leaving the desert is the same as arriving. Just retrace your steps and head back to Neiva in order to continue on around Colombia. We did get a little lucky however, as we asked our hostel owner how much a taxi would be directly to Neiva, and it ended up being cheap than a tuk-tuk and colectivo. They had some sort of agreement with the taxi man, so we benefited greatly. We we're 4 at the time too, so that helped divide the cost.
All-in-all, the Tatacoa Desert is a destination that will leave you with memories of stunning landscapes, serene solitude, and mesmerizing starry nights. While not a lot of people take the time to head out that direction, we think you'll be happy you did.