Best Tours To San Jose del Guaviare

Why book a tour in San José?

Discover the features of the Guaviare department from the town of San José Del Guaviare, an unspoiled destination that is still rarely visited.

The natural wonders of San José del Guaviare

At the gateway to the Amazon, San José Del Guaviare and the surrounding area are an extraordinary playground for nature lovers.

In the heart of the Serrania La Lindosa mountains, at the crossroads between the eastern plains of Los Llanos and the Amazon jungle, this area is home to remarkable biodiversity and various landscapes.

The area is famous for the thousand-year-old cave paintings of Cerro Azul, but this incredibly well-preserved cave art is not the only tourist attraction.

The flora and fauna are also well worth a visit. Look for dolphins, monkeys, and other animal species on your excursions. The Guaviare is home to over 550 species of birds, a delight for birdwatchers.

The forest and plains are also home to emblematic trees such as the ceiba, the mangrove tree, and the Guaviare flower, the department’s symbol.

Sculpted over time, the relief of La Lindosa offers breathtaking rock formations, including the famous Puerta Orion, rivers colored by an aquatic plant, surprising natural pools, and river sections bordered by rocky cliffs with luxuriant vegetation.

An alternative to caño cristales

During the rainy season, the aquatic plant Macarenia Clavijera brings color to some Colombian rivers, including Caño Cristales, Colombia’s best-known rainbow river.

This phenomenon can also be seen near San José Del Guaviare on rivers such as Caño Sabana and Caño Lajas.

The Caño Cristales site in the La Macarena serranía is far more impressive. But it’s also a more expensive trip.

San José, therefore, represents a more economical alternative for those curious enough to observe this plant. What’s more, the variety of activities in the Guaviare seems to me more interesting than those departing from La Macarena.

If you dream of seeing these multicolored rivers in spectacular surroundings, visit Caño Cristales. If that’s just a plus for your trip, opt for a trip to San José.

tourism as a vector of social change

Colombia has suffered a lot from the armed conflict, and some regions more than others. This is the case of San José and, more generally, the Guaviare department, a former FARC stronghold.

With the peace agreement of 2016, the region began to welcome visitors. Guaviare specializes in a sustainable, community-based approach to ensuring that tourism and its economy are vehicles for social development and protecting communities and the environment.

Local operators support this ambitious vision. This is the case of the expert we are recommending. He supports and stimulates social innovation through inclusive and environmental rural tourism for communities affected by the armed conflict in the region.

His agency supports many projects, such as the one Edilson and his family are involved in. These finca owners decided to stop cultivating coca and devote themselves to cattle farming, planting fruit trees, and welcoming tourists.

Both 4-day packages include a visit to this farm. Edilson shows you his old coca-processing laboratory, explains the drug’s manufacturing method and shows you the harmful consequences of cocaine production—a gripping moment.

Doña Flor Mendoza and her husband Alirio have also chosen to distance themselves from the problems associated with coca production. Today, they welcome visitors to their finca with its enchanting garden for a succulent sancocho. They are the perfect example of a successful new start.

I only mention two of many, but their impact is significant enough to highlight.

Things to know before going to guaviare

All the important information you need to know before exploring these astonishing landscapes.

the seasons

San José del Guaviare is very hot and damp all year around (28-30°C). There are two distinct seasons, each offering different activities and landscapes:

• Dry season: December to May. It rarely rains, especially from January to March, and some activities, such as admiring the multicolored rivers or swimming in the natural pools, are impossible.
• Rainy season: June to November. It rains regularly (briefly), and the rivers and waterfalls are magnificent. This is my favorite time of year. There are more sunny days from August to November.

How many days in the Guaviare?

I like to plan for 3 to 4 nights, depending on the activities I can do and my arrival and departure times.

If possible, try to arrive in the morning of day 1 and leave in the middle of the afternoon of the last day. Some visits can be done in half a day, but others take all day.

In my opinion, two full days on site are the minimum to enjoy the Cerro Azul cave paintings or the Puerta Orion + Caño Sabana colorful river combo.

San José Del Guaviare isn’t the best-connected city in the country, so once you’re there, make the most of your stay.

group stays

San José del Guaviare is a fairly expensive destination, so you may choose to participate in group tours that coincide with Colombian public national holidays.

If you plan ahead, you can also contact our partner and ask him to open up the dates you are interested in for other travelers. In this way, he may be able to create a group.

Complicated to visit the area alone

You might want to hire a Jeep locally. Even though the region is opening up to tourism and I never felt in danger during my stay, the illegal coca trade has not disappeared in the department, and getting lost in a place where you shouldn’t go would be a bad idea.

Furthermore, nothing is waymarked, and access to tourist sites is via tracks in better or worse condition, depending on the season. You need the right contacts for certain activities, and you’ll miss out on some memorable experiences.

You might also want to go to San José and book day trips as you go along. Even if it’s a bit cheaper (and not that much cheaper, believe me), you’ll lose a lot of time organizing all the necessary logistics, and it’s better to have a good experience as a backpacker in South America.

For all these reasons, I always recommend that my readers book their agency in advance to ensure everything is handled.

your backpack to explore San José Del Guaviare?

Here are my recommendations:

• Comfortable, light, quick-drying clothes (linen), preferably in earthy colors to help you better camouflage yourself in nature.
• Trousers and a long-sleeved shirt to protect you from the sun and mosquitoes.
• A swimming costume.
• Quick-drying towel.
• Waterproof clothing.
• Hat or cap and sunglasses.
• Good hiking boots.
• Sun cream and mosquito repellent (Nopikex works well).
• Flask or water bottle.
• Basic personal hygiene items.
• Pocket torch, external battery, camera, binoculars.
• Medium-sized backpack for activities.