Tatacoa Red Desert Hike, Colombia
One of the best things to do in Tatacoa Desert, Colombia is to hike in the red desert. Our hiking guide to the Tatacoa Red Desert (Desierto de la Tatacoa) includes helpful tips on what to pack, and where to stay.
Tatacoa desert in Colombia is one of those destinations that are still a bit overlooked by international travelers as it is a bit away from the traditional backpackers' route.
Still, this place has a lot to offer, and we believe it’s worth including in your Colombia itinerary.
One of the things you cannot skip here is hiking in the desert.
In this blog post, we would like to share with you our experience with hiking in the Red Desert of Tatacoa, which we found spectacular.
What was not that spectacular was the very beginning of our trip.
After we arrived in the Colombian second largest desert later in the morning, the bus dropped us off in front of our hostel we booked via Messanger the day before. The problem was, owners could not find our booking, and they did not have availability.
Fortunately, the owner was helpful and called his friend, who also owned a guesthouse only a short ride away.
That's why, after about five minutes, we were sitting in a jeep heading to an unknown place, where we were going to spend the night.
As we did not have that much time for exploring this destination, we did not have any better idea than to leave our stuff in the room, pack our daypack, and set off to explore the Tatacoa Red Desert hike.
It was not the smartest idea to start around midday, but we were about to find that out soon.
If you want to know more about the Tatacoa desert, we should probably mention it's not an actual desert, but everyone calls it that way.
WHAT TO DO IN THE TATACOA DESERT
Visiting the Tatacoa Desert is quite straightforward, but at first, we were not sure how to organize our trip. As we are into hiking and prefer spending time actively, we found at first confusing with the options.
There are two places in the Tatacoa Desert, where you can go, the Red Desert (Cuzco), and the Grey Desert (Los Hoyos).
We visited Los Hoyos later on, and you can read all about it in this article: Hiking in Tatacoa Gray Desert. The Gray Desert is 8 km from the town, and you can take a moto-taxi or tuk-tuk to get there.
However, in this travel guide, we are going to talk more closely about the Red Desert hike, which starts close to the Astronomical Observatory.
The trailhead is very close to the area where you can find the largest concentration of hotels and hostels, which means it is well-accessible.
TRAILHEAD
If you've decided to explore the Red Desert, you have two options on how to enter the trail.
The first access point is at the Mirador on the opposite side of the road from the Astronomical Observatory, the other entrance is at the back of La Gauca hotel.
There are signs with points of interest along the trail, and the path itself is well-marked and lined with short wooden logs with yellow tape.
TATACOA RED DESERT HIKE
The difficulty of the hike mostly depends on the time of the day you decide to go as otherwise, the profile is mostly flat.
The weather in the desert is hot, it was almost 40°C around noon when we did the hike, and we still think it was not the smartest idea to start when the sun was the strongest.
On the other side, we met only 5 or 6 other people on the trail, so if you want to avoid the crowds, this might be a good tip.
We saw more goats that day than other tourists.
The extreme temperatures and the blazing sun are not the only things that you will battle in the desert. There is only an unpaved road, and the traffic creates a lot of dust so bring something to cover your mouth and nose.
The best time to start hiking in the desert is around sunrise and sunset as the heat from the sun is much more bearable and creates a perfect opportunity for taking great pictures.
Make sure you have enough water - bring a water bottle - as staying hydrated is so important in the desert.
There is no shade along the trail, so wear a hat, and apply a strong sunscreen before you go.
But back to the point. It doesn't matter where you start the hike, or which direction you take, it's a nice loop, so you won't miss anything.
We entered the trail at the wrong place but found the way quickly, we recommend using the Maps.me app.
Generally, when this happens to you, look for markings and try not to damage plants that grow around.
Cementerio de Los Fosiles is the furthest point you can go, and there is not much to see beyond this point. We were getting tired, and it's a good idea to turn back and carry on to the next point on the trail map.
We spent more than 1.5 hours in the desert area, as some formations with the cacti growing on the top of them were remarkably impressive.
This is actually what you can expect from the hike in the Red Desert.
You'll be hiking in the labyrinth that was created by erosion and the force of water, that created unique formations towering above the surface.
This landscape, in combination with cacti plants, is very eye-catching.
And what's so great about the desert trail is that you can stay and explore as long as you want.
It might be a good idea to wear sturdy boots because when it's raining (surprisingly more common than you would think), the trail can get muddy quickly, or if you accidentally step off the trail, the boots will protect your feet against sharp cacti thorns.
And also, the very hot and dry conditions are the perfect home to snakes, spiders, and scorpions, which are not easy to spot.
If you like sunsets as we do, there is a nice rim walk close to the main road, and you can take great pictures from there if it's not too cloudy.
Bring a headtorch with you though. You are going to need it on the way back to your accommodation as there aren't any street lights along the road.
More adventurous travelers can stay in the desert after dark, as this is a great place to watch the stars.
The nearest big city Neiva is approximately 40 km away, and there are very little air and light pollution, and the night sky can be extremely clear.
However, it was too cloudy for stargazing when we stayed in Tatacoa, and we felt disappointed. A similar thing happened to us later on in the Atacama Desert in Chile, so clear skies are definitely not guaranteed.
The only comfort we found was that we arrived directly from Manizales, where we finished our 4-day Los Nevados National Park trek, which had one of the best night skies we've ever seen.
Hopefully, you will have more luck.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
DO I NEED A GUIDE?
Can you walk in the desert on your own?
Great question, sure you can, and you don't need a guide. The trail is well marked, and you can see the path clearly.
Of course, if you want to learn more about the desert and its ecosystem, hiring a local guide might be a great idea.
WHERE TO STAY IN THE TATACOA DESERT
Are you looking for accommodation in the desert? You have two options.
Either make a booking right in the desert in one of the accommodations along the main road, or for a more luxurious experience, you have to stay in Villavieja, a bigger town, that is only about 15 minutes' drive away.
We've handpicked the best hotels in both locations for every type of traveler.
Budget | Qji Glamping Biohotel - Inexpensive accommodation offers a perfect location just across Astronomical Observatory. The vibe here is very authentic, the same as units. This property has its own restaurant, and also a pool.
Mid-range | Payande - Tatacoa - Nice and clean rooms, perfect location, swimming pool, and staff that will gladly help you with arranging a tour around Tatacoa.
Luxury | La Casa del Angel Hotel - If you want a touch of luxury, you have to stay in the town of Villavieja, where are hotels that offer comfort, but for a very reasonable price. This hotel features a swimming pool, tasty breakfast, and great accessibility to the desert.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
