Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 552

5

White-water rafting
Though they play second fiddle to the
archeological attractions, white-water
rafting and kayaking are also popular
in San Agustín, thanks to ready access
to the Class II-IV Río Magdalena.
Magdalena Rafting ( T 311 271 5333,
W magdalenarafting.com) offers
excursions (COP$45,000 for a half-
day); trips can be arranged via your
guesthouse.

daily; 45min); Popayán (at least 7 daily; 6-7hr). The road
to Popayán is still pretty ghastly, so if you're planning on
visiting both Popayán and Tierradentro, go to Tierradentro
first. Getting to Tierradentro from San Agustín involves two
bus transfers, which can extend the journey time to
around 7hr. The first transfer is at Pitalito, then at La Plata
(after 3hr). From La Plata it's 2hr 30min to El Cruce de San
Andrés, then a 20min walk to the museum in Tierradentro.
There are many more buses to destinations (including
Bogotá) from Pitalito.
Tourist information The helpful tourist o ce (C 3 at
Cra 12; Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 2-5pm; T 8 837 3062) is
inside the town hall.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus Buses arrive and depart in the centre of town near
the corner of C 3 and Cra 11, where there is a cluster of bus
company o ces.
Destinations Bogotá (5 daily; 10-12hr; afternoon and
evening only); Neiva (5 daily; 4-5hr); Pitalito (several

ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
There is an abundance of budget accommodation in San
Agustín, including some fantastic-value fincas in stunning
locations just outside town.

DESIERTO DE TATACOA
The bizarre Tatacoa Desert makes for a worthwhile detour en route from Bogotá to San
Agustín or Tierradentro. Measuring just 300 square kilometres, tiny Tatacoa's arid topography
- complete with cracked earth, giant cacti, orange-and-grey soil and towering red rock
sculptures - is all the more astonishing because it lies only 37km northeast of Neiva, a city
encircled by fertile coffee plantations. Scorpions, spiders, snakes, lizards, weasels and eagles
have all found a home here, while fossils indicate that the area was an ancient stomping
ground for monkeys, turtles, armadillos and giant sloths.
Some of the fossils are on display at the paleontology museum (daily 8.30am-noon &
2-5pm; COP$2000), on the main plaza in the village of Villavieja , 4km from the desert.
Villavieja has a few basic hotels and restaurants, but since one of Tatacoa's chief attractions is
the amazing night sky, it pays to stump up for one of the basic four-walls-and-a-corrugated-
iron-roof deals in the desert itself; accommodation is scattered along the road just past the
observatory , the desert's focal point. In the evenings, don't miss local astronomer Javier
Fernando Rua Restrepo's star show, where you get to observe the night sky from his three
powerful telescopes (weekends 7-9.30pm; by appointment on weekdays; COP$10,000; T 310
465 6765). Across the road from the observatory, there's a lookout point over the Laberintos de
Cusco - the maze of otherworldly red rock formations. A 45-minute trail runs down from the
red-roofed bar through this labyrinth to the main road; a number of locals also offer guided
desert tours by car, mototaxi or horseback. The best time to explore the desert is early
morning before the heat becomes intolerable (temperatures frequently reach 43°C).
Villavieja is an hour by bus from Neiva, which in turn is 6hr by bus from Bogotá and 5hr from
San Agustín on the main Bogotá-San Agustín road. Buses and vans from Neiva (COP$6000,
1hr) run frequently early in the morning and late in the afternoon; a taxi from Neiva to Villavieja
costs COP$60,000 and COP$70,000 to the desert itself; since a mototaxi from Villavieja to the
desert costs a stiff COP$15,000-20,000 for up to three people, it pays to take a taxi all the way
to the desert if you've taken it from Neiva to Villavieja.

doubles COP$50,000
Noches de Saturno T 313 305 5898. A little further
up the road from the observatory, with very basic
rooms and camping; there's a small swi mming pool fo r
COP$300 0 per use. Ro oms for around COP$30,000 ,
camping COP$15,000

ACCOMMODATION
Accommodation tends to be basic and overpriced for
what it is, though with some negotiation you can bring
the prices down.
Estadero Doña Lilia T 313 311 8828. 400m past
the observatory; camping also possib le and meals
available on request. Shared room COP$15,000 ,