Find the Best Tours To San Jose del Guaviare
Contact our top partners for an unforgettable multi-day adventure in Guaviare.
I spent 10 incredible days in San José del Guaviare, and I’m going to tell you why it’s a destination worth discovering.
Read this guide to learn about the best tours from San José del Guaviare so you can enjoy a multi-day excursion that’s perfect for you.
We’re also sharing our favorite partners with you so you can contact them directly and ensure a high-quality experience—since we’ve personally tested these local agencies.
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Favorite trips to San José Del Guaviare
Find your next trip to San josé del Guaviare
We went to San José del Guaviare.
The favorite
TPMT note: 9,5/10
San José Del Guaviare: Explore Its Wonders During the Rainy Season 4d
Our favorite season to explore this destination.
You’ll have a great adventure with family and friends, as a couple, or solo.
San José Del Guaviare is a rarely visited destination because travelers are unaware of its potential for nature tourism.
The rainy season, which runs from June to November, is wetter than the rest of the year, but it allows you to see the multicolored rivers and enjoy the famous natural pools.
Millennia-old rock paintings have made this region famous. Still, other natural treasures, such as the savanna, jungle, and rivers with unique banks in places, add variety to the landscapes and activities.
This expert’s agency is made up of dynamic and enthusiastic young locals. They strive to include as many local actors as possible in their projects to showcase the riches of their territory.
- This is an off-the-beaten-path destination and, therefore, not very touristy.
- Very well-preserved cave paintings in a splendid environment.
- A lot of variety in the observed natural wonders.
- A more economical alternative to Caño Cristales, although the colorful rivers are much less impressive.
- A different adventure every day that our partner knows how to bring to life with passion.
- Community-based tourism has a real impact in this type of region, which has been somewhat neglected by the government.
- Very reasonable prices for this type of experience, even for private packages.
- Getting to San José Del Guaviare can be tiresome.
- The sometimes bumpy 4×4 drives through the Guaviare countryside may cause some discomfort for some, but nothing extreme.
©Tomplanmytrip
The Classic
TPMT note: 9/10
San José Del Guaviare: Explore its wonders during the dry season 4D
The tours are mixed with splendid sites all year round.
The dry season from December to May has the same general characteristics as the rainy season but has variations in activities and some natural phenomena.
There are no colorful rivers to spot, but sandy beaches along the rivers and navigable rapids running through natural canyons carved out of the rock—a breathtaking spectacle of rocky and green cliffs.
Ancestral cave paintings, the strong history of this former FARC bastion, and the locals’ determination to emerge from this period of armed conflict make it an exciting destination all year round.
- This destination is off the beaten track and, therefore, not very touristy.
- Very well-preserved cave paintings in splendid surroundings.
- A wide variety of natural wonders.
- A different adventure every day, which our partner knows how to bring to life with passion.
- Community-based tourism has a real impact in this type of region, which has been somewhat neglected by the government.
- Very reasonable prices for this type of experience, even for private packages.
- Getting to San José Del Guaviare can be tiresome.
- The sometimes bumpy 4×4 drives through the Guaviare countryside may cause some discomfort for some, but nothing extreme.
- At this time of year, there are no colorful rivers and fewer water sports, but the landscapes differ.
©Tomplanmytrip
Plan Your Trip To San josé del Guaviare
Here are my top tips and things you need to know to plan your adventure in San José Del Guaviare.
Precious information to help you decide if you want to explore this territory at the gateway to the Amazon, where captivating natural and cultural treasures hide.
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.
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Our favorite tours to San José Del Guaviare
San José Del Guaviare: Explore its wonders in the wet season 4d
Colombia
4 Days
4 places
Get ready for some amazing experiences in a little-known destination.
View this tourSan José Del Guaviare: Explore its wonders in the dry season 4d
Colombia
4 Days
4 places
Get ready for some amazing experiences in a little-known destination.
View this tourLooking for more tours?
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