endemic wildlife, mountains and Caribbean
An introduction to some of Colombia’s wildlife-rich habitats including cloud forest, dry forest, mangroves and alpine ‘páramo’ grassland.
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Wildlife Travel leaflet Colombia 2025
Dates
17th November – 2nd December 2025
Leaders
Laurie Jackson and Mike Russell
Price
£6,650
Single Room Supplement £400
Included
Return flights from London to Colombia. Local transport as specified in itinerary. 14 nights’ accommodation, full board excluding one lunch and one dinner. Entry fees.
Not included
Lunch Day 2 and dinner Day 13. Refreshments. Gratuities. Travel insurance. Covid tests and associated costs.
Group size
Minimum 6, maximum 10.
From the peaks of the Central Andes and Santa Marta Mountains, to the Caribbean coast, this holiday provides a fantastic introduction to Colombia’s diverse landscapes and rich biodiversity, in particular its birdlife.
Colombia is home to more bird species than any other country in the world. It also encompasses a variety of habitats stretching from the lowlands of the Pacific coast in the west, the mountains and valleys of the Andes, vast swathes of ‘llanos’ savannah grassland, mangroves and tropical dry forest in the north, and Amazon rainforest.
We will pass through several of these areas during our time in Colombia. Our visit begins in Bogatá and a visit to Chingaza National Park to explore the interesting alpine ‘páramo’ grassland found here. We spend several days in the coffee-growing area of Central Colombia, to explore the forests and wetlands here.
After our time amid the Andes, we will take an internal flight to Colombia’s north coast, lapped by the Caribbean. Visiting the coast first we will see very different habitat in the tropical dry forest as well as visiting some important wetlands and lagoons.
We then turn our attentions back to the mountains, heading upwards to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Santa Marta is well known for its biodiversity, including a wealth of endemic species, and we will spend time at different elevations to get a flavour of the wildlife here.
Our last days are spent around the historic city of Cartagena, with time for a tour of the walled city before our flights back to the UK.
Download trip report
Please note that holidays change, although sometimes only slightly, from year to year and previous trip reports may not reflect the planned itinerary, or other holiday details, for the current trip. Please ask us if you would like to know of any significant differences.
Day 1 Our morning flight takes us from the UK to Paris, before we travel onwards to the Colombian capital Bogatá, arriving in the evening.
Day 2 We have a free day in Bogatá to acclimatise to the altitude (2,600m) with the opportunity to visit attractions such as Monserrate (optional), or simply enjoy a relaxed day around the hotel.
Day 3 We visit Chingaza National Park in the Eastern Andes to explore the alpine ‘páramo’ grassland of the high slopes (3,600m), realm of the Spectacled Bear, where the unusual, tall frailejones Espeletia sp. grow. The park is home to an array of birds including the endemic Green-bearded Helmetcrest, Silvery-throated Spinetail and Brown-breasted Parakeet. We will also stop at a hummingbird observatory, where we could see a dozen or more species visiting the feeders.
Day 4 We drive west this morning to explore Laguna de Pedro Palo, a lagoon clad with sub-Andean forest where we hope to find birds such as Black Inca, Scrub Tanager and Masked Trogon. This is followed by a visit to the wetlands of La Florida Park, home to interesting wetland birds such as Wattled Jacana and Purple Gallinule.
Day 5 We fly west to Pereira in the heart of Colombia’s ‘coffee triangle’, and travel to Los Nevados National Natural Park a beautiful landscape of glaciers, volcanoes and hot springs. There should be plenty of birds on offer with some of the specialities of this area including Blue-crowned Motmot, Yellow-eared Parrot, Andean Teal, Viridian Metaltail and Buffy Helmetcrest.
Day 6 An early start today takes us to the Rio Blanco Reserve, where we spend the day exploring trails within the cloud forest, home to many brightly-coloured species of parakeets, tanagers, hummingbirds, and no less than nine species of antpitta.
Day 7 We stay closer to home today as we visit nearby Hacienda el Bosque, a cattle ranch protecting an extensive area of high Andean forest. With a little luck we will see some of the highlights of this area: Equatorial Antpitta, Crescent-faced Antpitta, Grey-breasted Mountain-toucan and White-throated Quail-dove.
Day 8 After breakfast we return to Pereira for a flight north to Riohacha, where we will have time for our first exploration of Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
Day 9 We visit Los Flamencos Sanctuary, an area of coastal lagoons, mangroves and tropical dry scrub. We hope to see wetland birds including Roseate Spoonbill and Scarlet Ibis, along with species such as the colourful Vermilion Cardinal.
Day 10-12 We transfer west today, headed for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park, named the world’s most irreplaceable nature reserve, due to its exceptional levels of endemism, which includes many birds and amphibians. During our time here we can hope to find many of the endemic birds as we explore different elevations, including the shy Santa Marta Parakeet and White-tailed Starfrontlet, Rusty-headed Spinetail, Santa Marta Bush Tyrant, Santa Marta Mountain Tanager and Yellow-crowned Whitestart. We will visit the highlands of the San Lorenzo Ridge, to enjoy exceptional views across the mountains towards the Caribbean.
Day 13 It is time to wend our way down from the mountains as our journey takes us to the historic and picturesque city of Cartagena, where we will have the rest of the day free.
Day 14 Heading south out of Cartagena we will visit Agricola Camelias, an organic farm to explore a network of trails through the tropical dry forest. Hummingbirds should as ever be in evidence including Ruby Topaz and Red-billed Emerald, along with species such as Lance-tailed Manakin, Black-crested Antshrike and Golden-winged Sparrow. We will also visit Cartagena’s Botanical Garden, a hotspot for birds, which also houses a collection of the area’s tropical dry forest plants.
Day 15 Cartagena is one of Colombia’s major ports that was founded during the 16th Century, and we will have a tour of the interesting walled city today before getting ready for our evening flight home, via Amsterdam, arriving Day 16.
Please note that the itinerary may be changed to suit the weather or other practicalities at the discretion of the leaders.
Our accommodation during this holiday will be at good lodges or hotels all with en-suite accommodation, some with very attractive settings. Some of our accommodation may have a swimming pool available. The exact lodge or hotel used may be changed if any local conditions change or if we feel a different choice would suit our needs better.
Evening meals will be taken in local restaurants or at our accommodation, and we will have picnic lunches, or use local cafes and restaurants along the way. All meals are included within the holiday price, with the exception of lunch on Day 2 and dinner Day 13, during your free time in Bogatá and Cartagena.
Meals provided during the trip will be a mixture of local and international dishes. Requests for special diets may be accommodated.
We will do our best to ensure that our travelling is as comfortable as possible. There will be days when we have longer journeys, but we will make plenty of comfort stops and have time to enjoy interesting areas and wildlife along the way.
The road to San Lorenzo Ridge is in a poor condition and passable only with 4wd-vehicles, it is a long and bumpy drive, but worth it when you reach the top.
We will take two domestic flights from Bogotá to Pereira and then from Pereira to Riohacha.
Group flights
Group flights are with Air France (outbound) and KLM (inbound) from London Heathrow:
17th November depart London Heathrow 09.00, arrive Paris 11.25
depart Paris 14.25 arrive Bogatá 19.25
1st December depart Cartagena 18.55, arrive Amsterdam 10.50 (2nd)
2nd December depart Amsterdam 13.30, arrive London Heathrow 13.50
It may also be possible to fly from Manchester, via Amsterdam: ask us about options and costs.
Time zone
Colombia is six hours behind UK time.
Entry requirements
If you hold a British passport you do not need a visa to enter Colombia for up to 90 days. You must fill in a Check-Mig form between 72 hours and one hour before you travel to Colombia. If you are visiting Colombia, your passport must have an expiry date at least six months after the date you plan to leave.
A range of weather is expected. Bogotá has a temperate climate with little seasonal variation in weather; it is likely to be relatively mild (15-20°) with rain a distinct possibility. In the Central Andes temperatures are likely to be higher (18-26°) with higher humidity and rain very possible. When we reach the Caribbean coast it is likely to be hot and humid (24-32°), with rain less likely, but still possible. Temperatures will no doubt be cooler at higher altitudes and the nights can be chilly.
You will need to have a reasonable level of general fitness to be able to participate in the holiday. The tour visits several locations and travelling in the tropics can be tiring if you are not used to it. Please discuss any concerns with us.
Although most of the walks are not too long, we will sometimes be walking on rough or wet ground, and on slopes. Walking boots (lightweight ok) are essential for most areas.
Sun protection is essential. Where possible, we will avoid walking in the hottest part of the day.
The highest altitudes visited during our itinerary will be up to around 3,600m in Chingaza National Park, although our accommodation is all lower than 2,600m. There is some risk of altitude sickness, although rest and drinking plenty of water usually relieve any mild effects (headaches and tiredness). If you have suffered from altitude problems before or have any reason to believe that you will be adversely affected at these altitudes you should consult your doctor prior to booking. We will be taking it easy at these higher altitudes and none of the walking will be strenuous.
We will be visiting areas where biting insects such as mosquitoes are likely to be present, particularly in the lowlands, and tropical insect-borne diseases are present in Colombia, including Malaria and Yellow Fever. The areas we visit are currently classified as low risk for malaria in areas below 1,600m with awareness and bite avoidance, including insect repellent, recommended.
Up-to-date information on travel health can be found at travelhealthpro.org.uk. You should consult your travel clinic for current advice on travel health, at least eight weeks before the trip.
You are recommended to wear a face covering (FFP2 or equivalent) in airports and on flights.