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This program has been designed to be an exclusive trekkking experience. The Camino Real historical trek is very unique and covers a vast area over the Chicha Mocha Canyon. The terrain ranges from semi-tropical cloud forest to open canyon traverses. We offer a dmix of accomodation throughout the duration of their trip ranging between boutique hostals, local guesthouses and rustic lodges.
Very few people actually run any of these treks in this area. On the largest trek days we go with local nature guides from the area. We offer multiple-day routes with breaks in between as some days are longer than others. You will also get a chance to enjoy the quaint villages and local people along the way.
Other activities are included along the way such as Cacao farm tour, coffee tour, Eco-park visit, paper workshop, Cave tour, cable-car ride across the Canyon, and one activity in San Gil e.g Rafting or waterfall-rappeling.
In this 10-day journey we will offer you to gain an unforgettable experience that would be difficult to plan for yourself independently in the time given!
The starting price of this tour is based on 5 people as for this tour our focus is on groups of friends/colleagues/families, the price will go lower at the booking page if more than 5.
NOTE – this multi-day trek could also be shortened into a 1 week (7-day) trip. Days 2, 3 and 6 would need to be removed and starting point would be from Zapatoca. Prices would drop to between $800-950 USD depending on numbers.
Also, those who wish to extend their trip by a few more nights see options below and enquire for more details.
OPTIONAL TRIP EXTENSIONS BELOW:
• Lost City trek 4 days/3 nights (from $350 per person) considered a moderate-strenous hike so we would kindly ask people who have good stamina and fitness levels, to join (horses can be rented for some parts of the trail).
•Barichara 3 day/2 night extension (from $300 per person – shared twin/double room) a chance to visit the town known as the most beautifal place in Colombia and enjoy its incredibly scenic surroundings.
PRICES ARE BASED ON 5 people or more
Departing: Bogota
Finish: Bogota
Any time
Today, someone would meet you from your international flight at pre-arranged time (ideallly you can arrive the night before or early morning of day 1). Then you would take the short internal flight leaving around 11am to Bucaramanga in 1 hour.
From there, you would transfer to the beginning town of the trek (San Vicente) in around 2.5 hours and to your centrally located hotel. Ideally we bring snacks to have on the way. In the afternoon and time permitting we can tour on a local Cacao farm.
By evening, we wull ensure to get everyone together to be briefed on the entire trip and in particular the next day in detail.
We can go out for a dinner to initiate things.
Overnight Guesthouse, San Vicente
SAN VICENTE TO ZAPATOCA
10 HOURS (32.5K) 20 miles
615m-2420m-1800m
Note: for all trek days we suggest day-packs, and any additional, larger bags can be brought to the next town by secure transport.
We leave at first light to make sure we can do the trek at a good pace during day-light hours. We know this will be the longest day, so if anyone is not sure about doing a full day hike, they can rest at town and explore around more then go with the transport that is taking the heavier bags to our new place.
The trek scenery is fabulous as we travel through Yarigues national park and cloud forests. So cover and shade is always very good. We trek on ancient Lenguerke trail, some of it in very good condition and sometimes very basic.
We will have our picnic lunch somewhere along the way as there are no obvious options or rest stops, cafes etc. . We also go with a local guide expert from the area who has extensive knowledge of the park, trails, its flora and fauna.
We finish the last part by a short drive along the road into the pretty town of Zapatoca, where we rest for the next two nights at our accommodation in La Juanita guesthouse.
Facilities include: wifi, private rooms of up to 3, shared bathrooms, towels and bed linen.
NO TREK: rest day/free for options
TO LAJITA FALLS 40 minutes by car/road, 30 minutes walk in, 30 minutes back.
1 HOURS (4K). 2.5 miles
Visit to Nitro cave, 10 minutes from town
Today is to recover from previous hike and as the next day is another full day of trekking. We offer you to look around the town and a visit to La Lajita waterfalls for a refreshing swim. The Nitro cave will also be an included visit if you wish to walk just outside of the town. You can also go to the museum of archeology or tomb of Lenguerke himself also located in the town.
Tonight would be the last time until day 5 in the afternoon to access main luggage, as road transportation for bags is not possible until Barichara.
Accommodation La Juanita guesthouse
Facilities private rooms of up to 3, wifi, shared shower, towels and bed-linen.
FULL-DAY TREK:
ZAPATOCA TO GUANE
9 HOURS (21K) 13 miles. 1800m-450m-1100m
We start after breakfast around 7.30am and hike 4.5 hours down into Chica Mocha Canyon until we arrive at the old Lenguerke bridge and across the rio Suarez . We can take our picnic lunch then head up out towards the small village of Guane in another 4 hours.
Our overnight accommodation is at the small village of Guane
Shared rooms up to 3, wifi, swimming pool, beds with linen, garden and porch area with hammocks
HALF-DAY TREK:
GUANE TO BARICHARA
2.5 HOURS (5.5K) 3.5 miles. 1100m-1340m
We start after breakfast around 8am in order to beat the mid-day sun. We should arrive at the edge of Barichara town by 10.30/11am.
Time to settle in to our accommodation, refresh (they have a small pool) and time to drop in dirty laundry as we are 2 nights in the same location. Our extra bags should also have been delivered from Zapatoca by then.
Then into town for some exploration and a hearty lunch in a restaurant. Here there are banks Atms, shops, cafes, ice cream and candy stores.
Afternoon can be sent exploring more of the town or visit Moncora Biopark with some nice views back into Chica Mocha Canyon and it displays a wide array of local trees and native plant species.
In the evening we shall celebrate making it half-way with an included ‘Pizza and wine’ night by the pool + potentially some local musicians.
Our accommodation is in La Juanita hostal in Barichara
Facilities, private rooms up to 3, showers, wifi, bar, terrace, garden, small pool, patio area.
NO TREK: free day of options
(OPTIONAL HIKE TO CABRERA).
1.5 HOUR’S (4.5 K) 3.7miles.1340-1220m 1 WAY
Overnight La Juanita, Barichara
HALF DAY OR FULL-DAY TREK: BARICHARA-VILLANUEVA-JORDAN
8 HOURS 21K 13 miles. 1340m-1680m-450m
Today we hike in two parts divided by lunch in the town of Villanueva in the middle. Or we can transfer by car to Villanueva and only hike to Jordan.
PART 1 – OPTIONAL
First half of the day is shorter, but with more uphill to cover. Ideally we leave at 7.30 and finish by 11am for an early lunch in Villanueva. Villanueva is most famous for Pineapple plantations and production.
PART 2
At around 12.30, we then head down to the river in the canyon covering the final 14 kilometers and arriving by 4.30pm and time to swim in the natural pool by our forest cabins.
Accommodation – El Tamarindo ecolodge – Cabins for 2-3 people, hammocks and natural swimming-pool on the property
HALF-DAY TREK: JORDAN-LOS SANTOS
3.5HOURS (6K). 3.7 miles. 450m-1350m
We hike 2 kilometers through forest by the edge of the river Rio Chica Mocha to the ghost town of Jordan. Nowadays 90% of its original inhabitants have left the village to work in the surrounding fields and farmland and concentrate on their tobacco, beans and chirimoyas (custard apples), so the town has been left for dead with only a few people remaining.
From Jordan, we hike 3.5 hours uphill from the river and small village of Jordan in the Canyon to our final stop of the trek.
At the village of Los Santos we finish the final section of the trek and take our lunch there.
After lunch, we can offer a tour of a nearby coffee farm, or local winery, or both if time.
Accommodation Juan Palitos Hostal
Facilities – all you need and an incredible view.
Includes a final night celebration dinner plus maybe some entertainment.
NO TREK: TRAVEL FROM LOS SANTOS-SAN GIL
CABLE CAR + VAN TO SAN GIL. 2 HOURS TOTAL
We start our day after breakfast by a short distance to the cable car station. From there, we head back across the other side of the canyon giving us a climatic retrospective of the area we have just covered over the past week on a 6.3 km or 4 mile cable car, crossing the 1200m/3950ft deep, 277 km(172 miles) long Chica Mocha Canyon. At the bottom station, there are souvinir shops, restaurants, information booths, in the style of a mini theme park which we may feel we can skip out as quickly as possible. Then we have a 1 hour drive by road to the main town of San Gil where other activities are available and also a convenient base to get back to the airport of Bucaramanga the next again day.
Note – that you can do 1 Activity (see day 10 options) on this afternoon if needing to fly to Bogota early on next day.
Accommodation San Gil 3 star hotel – Hotel Montana 3* outside town with pool facilities
ACTIVITY DAY: ZIPLINE, RAPPEL, CAVING, RAFTING, HORSES, QUAD BIKE, PARAPENTE, BUNGEE
TRANSFER TO AIRPORT. LATE PM FLIGHT TO BOGOTA
Today, you can choose from one the activities – rafting, rappeling, caves, horse riding, bungee jumping, parapenting.
(most of them last just up to 2 hours or a half day) so time to dry off and change before heading to the airport to connect back to Bogota.
There is a 2.5 hour transfer to Bucaramanga airport.
Flight back to Bogota in 1 hour departing around 6 or 7pm or depending on international connections.
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