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Traveling to Colombia soon? Then you might be considering visiting the Tatacoa Desert. The gateway to the Tatacoa is the small town of Villavieja. Most travelers pass through this little town in a hurry, only staying for one night while doing a quick tour of the desert, but they couldn’t be more wrong. Villavieja has much more to offer aside from the Tatacoa desert and the locals in this cute town are some of the friendliest you can find in the country. Read this Villavieja guide with everything you need to know for your next trip!
Streets of Villavieja, Colombia
The Tatacoa desert
Villavieja is most famous as the entry point to the Tatacoa Desert, one of Colombia’s most impressive natural wonders. Despite its name, the Tatacoa is not a true desert but a dry tropical forest area. Its dramatic landscapes of eroded cliffs and canyons in hues of red and grey make it a popular destination for local tourists, however, it is still not that well-known by the masses.
The Tatacoa Desert is, aside from its remarkable landscapes, also known for its clear, dark skies, making it an ideal location for stargazing and astronomical observations. Several observatories in the area attract both amateur and professional astronomers and you can visit these sites in the evening to learn more about our galaxy.
While the Tatacoa desert is the main draw in the area, there are several other things to do in Villavieja that are well worth staying a bit longer than just one or two days.
The town’s streets, lined with colorful houses, echo with the (sometimes too loud!) rhythms of traditional Colombian music, offering a glimpse into the everyday life of its warm and welcoming residents.
Though hot, there are several places where you can cool down in and around town during the day that are still relatively off the beaten path. Can you imagine having a mud bath in the middle of a desert landscape all to yourself?
Here are the 8 best things to do in and around Villavieja!
The red Cuzco desert
The Tatacoa Desert is a breathtaking natural wonder in Colombia known for its unique landscapes. There are two distinct deserts you can visit starting from Villavieja, the red desert (desierto rojo or Cuzco) and the grey desert (desierto gris or Los Hoyos).
Spanning over 330 square kilometers, this arid zone is not actually a desert but rather a tropical dry forest because it receives too much annual rain. The two different colors are created by minerals in the soil that give both deserts its unique look.
Red Tatacoa Desert, Colombia
Visiting the deserts is free of charge but they are located a bit out of town; you can find the red desert about 7 kilometers out of town while the grey desert lies further afield at about 15 kilometers from Villavieja.
There are various transport options to choose from to reach the deserts. Most people opt to see the deserts on an organized tour in just one day. They are offered all around town for 120.000 COP and are ideal if you don’t have much time on your hands. However, as a conscious traveler, you might want to consider exploring the deserts at a slower pace to really grasp their magnificence.
A tuk-tuk for half a day can be found for as little as 90.000 COP and is enough to explore both the grey and the red desert. Motorbikes and bicycles are also for rent in Villavieja and make a trip to the deserts even more relaxed. Do note that the sun is strong and cycling is something you consider wisely in the heat of midday.
Piscina Los Hoyos, Tatacoa Desert, Colombia
Los Hoyos, the grey part of the Tatacoa desert has, aside from it moon-like landscape, another unique feature: an outdoor swimming pool, known as “Piscina Mineral.”
This pool is filled with natural groundwater, adding a refreshing element to the desert’s rugged environment. It is owned and managed by the shepherd families that have been living and roaming in this area for centuries tending to their goats and cattle.
Los Hoyos mineral pool is a great spot to visit for anyone exploring the Tatacoa Desert and a welcome place to cool down after a hike. When visiting, you can expect to pay a small entry fee upon arrival. We paid 10.000 COP per person (December 2023).
The venue also offers facilities like showers and the option to purchase drinks and snacks. Do note that, while the pool may look impressive in photos, it is very much a local affair. Don’t expect a luxury pool.
→ Did you know? There’s another park in Colombia that resembles the grey Tatacoa Desert? It is called Los Estoraques Unique Natural Area!
There are several astronomical observatories in the desert that you can visit during the evening. According to information online, there should be one that also gives a lecture about the desert and the stars in English but it didn’t seem to be running at the time of our visit.
Lectures start at 7 PM. and you will first be taken to an open ground space where you will be asked to lie down. The lecturer will start with a short introduction about the galaxy and several things you can see before directing you to four telescopes through which you can watch Saturn, the Pleiads, Jupiter, and Andromeda.
Even though it’s hard to understand the lecture when you don’t speak much Spanish, it’s a very special experience to be lying in a desert watching the stars. The entrance fee is 10.000 COP per person.
Do note that, if you already know a lot about the galaxy, this activity might not be for you. While you can see something through the telescopes, like the ring around Saturn, they are not incredibly strong and you cannot compare this to professional observatories in the world like the La Silla Observatory in Chile or the Maunakea Observatory in Hawaii.
Piscilodo near Villavieja
Another incredible activity that you shouldn’t miss out on near Villavieja is a visit to the natural mud bath and mineral pool that is located 7 kilometers north of town.
For only 10.000 COP you can spend a great afternoon here, first covering yourself with the healing mud before taking a shower and relaxing in the wonderful mineral pool.
The site is created and owned by a local family and there is a possibility to buy snacks and drinks. There are a few tables to have a picnic and basic changing cabins and a toilet.
You can find the location of Piscilodo on Google Maps.
Planta Brew Pub
The Planta Brew Pub is located on Carrera 8 in town and, at first, seems like a weird fit for a small town like Villavieja. Why the brewery is located in Villavieja is a mystery to me but it might be a smaller branch of their other brewery that is located in Medellin.
La Planta Brew Pub is a Colombian brewery that creates high-quality craft beer, combining traditional brewing techniques with local Colombian hops and barley. They offer a diverse range of 27 artisanal beer types, varying from intense flavors to lighter options suitable for warmer climates.
Their offerings include Cream Ale, Porter, Red IPA, and many more. The Tatacoa Pub, part of their establishment, provides an immersive beer experience, blending regional culture with their signature Tatacoa Cream Ale. Furthermore, the site also boasts a pool (20.000 COP) and a restaurant where you try Colombian dishes as well as burgers and hot dogs.
The entrance fee to the grounds is 5000 COP.
The Paleontological Museum in Villavieja is a significant site for those interested in the geological and prehistoric past. Although small in size, it showcases an extensive collection of fossils, many of which were discovered in the Tatacoa Desert and its surroundings. These fossils provide insights into the diverse species that once inhabited the region.
At the time of my visit, they were renovating the building and we weren’t able to visit the site properly. We were able to have a quick peek inside though and the fossils are definitely worth a visit if you are interested in paleontology.
The museum is located on the main square of Villavieja next to Hotel Infinito La Casona.
The Magdalena River
For 25.000 COP per person, it is possible to take a half an hour’s tour in a small boat on the Magdalena River which runs right by the town of Villavieja. You can find the pier with the boats on the western edge of the town.
While the price is a bit on the high side for Colombian standards and the boat trip is very short, the woman managing the boat rides promised us that we would see wildlife along the way and we did! We were able to see a lot of turtles bathing in the sun and a few iguanas in the trees.
There is no fixed schedule for the boats. Just go to the pier and they will prepare a boat for you.
If your Spanish allows it, having a chat with the friendly locals in Villavieja is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have. On our first evening in the village, we got in touch with a local family who wanted to feed us meals, help us out with finding bicycles, and give us information about their village and its surroundings.
Aside from that, we couldn’t have been taken better care of in our guesthouse, with the host lady pampering us like she was our very own Colombian mother.
Even though tourism is well on its way in Villavieja, the town still possesses a very authentic charm with locals who welcome you with open arms.
Taxi jeeps to Villavieja
To get to Villavieja from any place in Colombia you will first have to make your way to Neiva, the capital city of the Huila department. You can either fly from big cities like Medellin or Bogota to Neiva or opt for a bus from Bogota, Pitalito, or San Agustin.
From the Neiva transport terminal, small minivans/jeeps ply the route to Villavieja several times a day. You can buy your ticket at the Coomotor ticket booth and wait for the next jeep to villavieja in the waiting area. The driver will come and pick you up when it is time to depart. The transport ticket to Villavieja costs 10.000 COP.
PRO TIP: If you are taking a bus from Bogota or another place north of Villavieja here is a great tip! If you look at the bus travel route from Bogota to Neiva, you will see that you will pass by a small village that goes by the name of Aipe.
To shorten your travel time immensely, you can ask the bus driver to let you out in Aipe. You then will need to walk all the way through the town to the river. At the river, you can find a ferry that runs between Aipe and Villavieja and coasts peanuts.
The outdoor space of Arambulo Hostal
There is no shortage of great places to stay in Villavieja whether you are looking for a homestay, boutique hotel, or eco-luxury escape. Do note that a lot of the accommodations you can find online on sites like Booking are not located in the village itself but on the road from Villavieja to the Tatacoa Desert.
Knowing what I know now after visiting I think the perfect way to make the most out of your days in the area is to stay for a few nights in Villavieja itself to get to know the town with an additional two nights at an eco-accommodation in the desert.
Here are my recommendations for Villavieja and the Tatacoa desert:
VILLAVIEJA
TATACOA DESERT
Vegan lunch at La Llanerita
If you are a vegetarian or vegan in Colombia, you won’t have any trouble finding decent vegan food in Villavieja. There are a few tourist restaurants (Salsipuedes and Costa Azul) at the main square where you can get vegan pasta, rice, and burgers and you can also ask for a vegan burger at Planta Brew Pub.
If you are rather looking for authentic Colombian cuisine, consider going to La Llanerita Opita. They can cater easily to vegans for lunch and you will get a delicious plate with rice, salad, beans, and vegetables for only 9000 COP.
The main square of Villavieja
Yes, Villavieja is a safe destination for tourists. Villavieja is a small town where everyone knows each other and they are a tight commune of friendly locals. There is no reason to feel unsafe and scams don’t seem to occur here like in other tourist destinations.
The tours to the Tatacoa desert also have a fixed price of 120.0000 COP no matter where you book it so you don’t have to shop around town for better deals.
There you go! I hope you enjoyed this post about Villavieja in Colombia. The time is now to visit this beautiful village as I am concerned that it won’t be long until mass tourism will find its way to this beautiful place.
A great next stop in Colombia after visiting Villavieja is the enchanting city of San Agustin where you can visit the San Agustin Archaeological Park.
Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions or drop me a message through my contact page.
Also, don’t forget to check out my resources page with my favorite booking platforms and tips to start planning your trip. Additionally, have a look at my favorite travel gear if you want to pack more consciously!
ENJOY!
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Hi! I am Annelies and this is Travelers & Dreamers, a blog about conscious travel which means traveling in a more mindful way, with a positive impact on the world and yourself!
On this website, I cover different topics like slow travel, plant-based food guides, responsible travel, sustainable packing, eco-travel, and more!
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