The pristine, beautiful landscapes combined with the lively and historic culture make countryside an incredibly interesting vacation destination.
Colombia is particularly famous for its excellent coffee, pure gemstones and historic haciendas.
As in many other South American countries, riding and horses are deeply ed in Colombian culture. What's more, the mountainous region is much easier to access on horseback than by vehicle - ideal conditions for a horseback trip! This Riding tour starts in the eastern highlands of Colombia at an altitude of around 2,500 m above sea level, where your host will welcome you to his Hacienda with open arms and accompany you as your guide on this unique Riding tour through authentic Colombia.

Your route takes you through the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes. You cross the desert of La Candelaria with its unusual rock formations, the province of Cundinamara and finally arrive in the tropical province of Santander. The Riding tour takes you to authentic Colombia away from the big cities. You will pass small, picturesque villages again and again, stopping for a beer or local schnapps and meeting locals who are proud to welcome you to their countryside . You will soon understand the Colombian saying "the only risk is that you want to stay here".
During the tour, you will be accommodated in haciendas as well as small, charming guesthouses and hotels.

Itinerary

Day 1: Bogotá - Cucunúba
Meeting at 9.00 am at the Hotel Retiro84 in Bogota, arrival the day before recommended. Transfer to Cucunuba and on the way stop at a traditional Colombian saddlery. For lunch, visit a local restaurant en route before reaching La Montesa, a breeding farm of the Colombian Paso Fino. Here you will have the opportunity to ride this noble horse breed with its soft gaits! Afterwards you will be taken to your accommodation, the Posada de Don Pedro in Cucunuba, where you will also have dinner.

Day 2: Cucunúba - Hacienda la Casona
After breakfast we finally go to the horses. After the horses have been divided up, they are saddled and at about 9.00 am the first adventure begins. Your sure-footed partners will easily climb the slopes of the Juaitoque Nature Reserve, up to an altitude of 3,200 m. On old bridle paths you will discover the moorland of the Andes region. In the afternoon you will ride downhill again until you can see the breathtaking Palacio Lagoon. You continue your ride until you reach the Hacienda la Casona. Here you can relax while a Colombian BBQ is prepared for you. Riding time approx. 6 hours and 34 Km.

Day 3: Hacienda la Cabana
Your day starts again today at about 9.00 am on horseback. This time you will ride through hilly, forested terrain until you reach the typical Colombian village of Sutatausa. Here you will visit the cathedral and learn about the Spanish colonial period. You continue your ride to the Rocky Mountains of Hato Dam, where a traditional lunch awaits you. You will continue your ride through the challenging terrain and arrive back at Hacienda la Cabana in the late afternoon, where you will spend another night. Riding time approx. 5 hours and 30 km.

Day 4: Hacienda Potosi
After breakfast, saddle your horses and set off across the green meadows of Cundinamarca, the region with the largest cattle farming in Colombia. Your destination is one of the oldest colonial farms in Colombia, Punta de Vega, where you will have lunch. After a long siesta, you will continue your ride towards Hacienda Potosi, the home of award-winning draught horses. Riding time about 6 hours and 34 km.

Day 5: Raquira Silvestre
We´re starting extra early today. You saddle your horses and start riding around 8.00 am, inviting them to gallop through lush meadows. Around noon you arrive at the Hacienda Ticha, where you have lunch together. In the afternoon you continue your ride through oak forests in the province of Boyacá. Recently the landscape has changed a lot and now looks more like a barren steppe. Here you will also find your destination for today, the farm Raquirq Silvestre, where you will spend a cheerful evening listening to local folk music. Riding time about 8 hours and 38 km.

Day 6: Monasterio de la Candelaria
You may sleep a little longer tonight, but you don´t get off until around 10:00. Your way leads you down through the barren mountains, the colorful city of Raquira always visible on the horizon, famous for handicraft and pottery. There you will have a break for lunch and then have time to explore the city. In the afternoon you continue your ride to the Candelaria Monastery. This holy place dates back to 1604 and offers you a comfortable accommodation for tonight including dinner. Riding time about 5 hours and 25 km.

Day 7: Villa de Leyva
After an early breakfast you will saddle your horses and leave at around 8.00 am. After a short time the landscape changes drastically, you will finally dive into the rocky desert of la Candelaria. In the middle of the desert you will find the Patio de Brujas, which is haunted by witches. In the afternoon, the merciless wasteland spits out another oasis, the town of Villa de Leyva. It was founded in 1572 and is considered a national monument. You say goodbye to your horses and move into your accommodation in the city centre. The afternoon is at your leisure before you meet for a last dinner together at around 20.00 hrs. Riding time about 7 hours and 35 km.

Day 8: Breakfast and transfer to Bogotá (approx. 4 hours). Departure or extension.

Please note that the course of the tour may change due to weather or terrain conditions or other unforeseeable circumstances.

Coffee Trail itinerary:
The Coffee Trail is the so-called coffee triangle of Colombia. The ride takes you through the world-famous coffee-growing area and through the Cócora Valley with its striking giant wax palms. Colombia is a country of contrasts both geographically and climatically, as well as culturally and scenically depending on the region where you are staying. But all Colombians have one thing in common: the love of coffee and horses! Coffee is cultivated with dedication in this country, which is reflected in its taste. Horse and mule are also involved in the transport - so the beans come from the trees to your cup. These families who grow the tasty beans are also your hosts on this ride! Enjoy this trail in beautiful Colombia, which leads up to 2000 m and has average temperatures of about 25 degrees - perfect for riding.

Day 1: Meet in Armenia at the Mocawa Hotel at 9:00 a.m. Visit a saddlery. Visit the arriero show in the Parque de los arrieros. Arrival at the Hacienda El Balcón in Buena Vista. Welcome and accommodation at Hacienda. Dinner.

Day 2: After assigning horses and equipment, we begin the tour along the coffee route, which will accompany us at every moment with its beauty. In the afternoon, after lunch at village Pijao to ride we take the trails to the coffee village of Cordoba, where we can experience the coffee production process first-hand, from cultivation to tasting.

Day 3: For this day, the scenario is a ride between coffee plantations. Roads and paths surrounded by coffee plantations, telling stories at every turn and visiting the best viewpoint in all of Quindio. Overnight stay again at the Hotel Soñarte de Córdoba.

Day 4: After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast, we continue our tour through tropical hilly landscapes and coffee plantations and see the biodiversity of the mountains, sometimes even covered in snow. We arrive at the very comfortable Posada El Edén Country, where we have dinner and spend the night.


Day 5: On this riding day, the landscape will change drastically when you arrive at hill and descend through the tropical forest to the Paloma farm in town Calarca. On this day we will have a picnic in the middle of the coffee plantations at the clear river.

Day 6: The arrival in Salento is one of the most impressive of this trip, as this town between the mountains is considered the father of the Quindío region, as it is the oldest in the department. This magical town will delight us in each of its corners and colors, accompanied by a cuisine and an incomparable atmosphere.

Day 7: On this day, we have the great opportunity to visit the Colombian national tree La Palma de Cera in the Valle del Cocora, which is considered one of the country's most important destinations and has been declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco, on horseback in the Cocora Valley.

Day 8: Breakfast and transfer to Armenia and departure.

Please note that the tour itinerary may change due to weather or terrain conditions or other unforeseen circumstances.

Accomodation
We will be happy to book an extra night for you before your tour at the Hotel Retiro84 in Bogota for an additional charge. During the tour, you will spend the night in various haciendas or posadas and once in accommodation on the grounds of a monastery.

Saddle & Tack: Colombian trail saddles and curb bit (western style).

Experience: You should be comfortable in all gaits and have sufficient experience in varied terrain. Riding time is on average about 6 hours per day.

Horses: Colombian Criollos & Cruzados. In one afternoon you also have the opportunity to ride a purebred Paso Fino.

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