Updated on 06/24/2024
Dear reader,
I would also like to recommend our Colombia travel guide, which provides a perfect overview of the tourist attractions in Colombia. Enjoy reading it!
They say that one of the best ways to experience a country is to share with its inhabitants, to know its history and culture. In this blog we show you where.
What is Community-based Tourism?
I’ll explain it to you very simply in 4 ideas:
- It’s a way for you to travel and engage directly with local communities in a remote location.
- Residents take center stage and share their culture, traditions, and ways of life with you.
- Through interactive activities, you immerse yourself in the authenticity of the community, experiencing genuine cultural exchanges.
- This type of tourism not only benefits local communities economically but also fosters respect and understanding between visitors and locals.
Let’s get started!
Where to Experience Community Tourism in Colombia?
Mocaná Ecotours – Atlántico
Location: Located in the municipality of Tubará, 17,3 miles from Barranquilla in Atlántico.
Access: Charged.
Mocaná Ecotours is a company founded by Jesús Paulino, a descendant of the Mokaná ethnic group, offering tourism experiences created by the indigenous Mokaná community. This ethnic group inhabits various municipalities in the department of Atlántico.
During this 4-hour tour, you’ll discover their sacred sites, culture, gastronomy, and craftsmanship from their perspective, including visits to sacred territories for the Mokaná people.
Some places you can visit
- La Piedra Pintada, a petroglyph sacred to the Mokaná ethnic group.
- El Cerro de la Cruz, a natural lookout offering panoramic views of Tubará municipality.
- Parque Ecólógico Mokaná, where you can stay in cabins, learn about traditional medicine, and participate in other workshops.
Activities and Services
- Accommodation in cabins.
- Hammocks.
- Private transportation.
- Eco-hiking on natural trails.
- Workshops on weaving, traditional medicine, and craftsmanship.
- Rappelling, canopy tours, and rock climbing.
- Snorkeling and kayaking in the Caribbean Sea.
- Birdwatching and wildlife observation.
- Spas.
How to Get There?
From Barranquilla, take a bus from the Terminal de Transporte heading to Tubará municipality via Tubará – Bajo la Habana – Autopista al Mar route, about a 50-minute journey.
Visit the official website for more information.
Pastos Travel – Nariño
Location: Calle 18 # 25-44 in Pasto, Nariño.
Access: Charged
Pastos Travel is a community-based tourism venture focusing on regional tourism, exploring the surrounding mountainous areas of Pasto and some of its more than 24 indigenous reserves involved in this tourism project.
Here, they fully embrace traditional festivities and dances, such as Inti Raymi, allowing visitors to participate and experience local customs firsthand.
Some places you can visit
- The route of sacred mountains: Spend 5 days living with indigenous communities in Ángel Quitasol Park, with native guides explaining their worldview.
- The route of volcanoes: 4 days exploring Galeras Volcano and Azufral Volcano, two of the region’s most imposing peaks.
- The carnival route: 3 days in Pasto city, participating in the Carnival of Blacks and Whites, one of the country’s most important festivals, while engaging in other cultural workshops.
Activities and Services
- Visits to archaeological sites.
- Observation of native flora and fauna.
- Hiking.
- Craft workshops.
- Visits to indigenous communities.
- Participation in rituals and ceremonies.
- Indigenous guides familiar with the terrain.
- Transportation to and from Pasto.
- Accommodation in cabins.
- Typical regional cuisine.
How to Get There?
- From your city you must take a bus service from the transportation terminal, the routes are direct to Pasto.
- There are also flights, you can get a direct flight to the city of Pasto.
Once you arrive in Pasto, they will be waiting there to pick you up.
Make sure to check the official website to book your reservation.
Tomakachi Mocagua – Amazonas
Location: Located on the Amazon River, bordering Peru, 34 miles from Leticia, Amazonas.
Access: Charged.
Tomakachi Mocagua is an accommodation created by indigenous people. They not only offer lodging but also collaborate with foundations protecting endangered animals.
Henry, one of the representatives of the accommodation, coordinates tourist activities with around 22 indigenous communities such as the Tikuna, Uitoto, and Tucano, natives of the Colombian Amazon.
With Tomakachi, you can immerse yourself in Amazonian culture for 5 days, exploring their past, worldview, and beliefs through the narratives of leaders in sacred places called malocas.
Some places you can visit
- Route of the churuco monkey: Visit the Maiúchiga reserve, where you can observe churuco monkeys, a threatened species in the Amazon.
- Route of the pink dolphin: Navigate the Amazon River to spot pink and gray dolphins, as well as other aquatic species.
- Rubber route: Explore rubber tree plantations, where you’ll learn about the extraction process and artisanal production of rubber.
- Mocagua Hill route: Ascend Mocagua Hill, the highest point of Tikuna territory, where you’ll appreciate panoramic views of the jungle, river, and hear stories.
Activities and Services
- Bird and flora watching.
- River navigation on the Amazon River and its affluents.
- Jungle hikes.
- Visits to sacred places.
- Cultural immersion (workshops, crafts, gastronomic samples, etc.).
- Accommodation in cabins.
- Amazonian cuisine.
- Transportation.
- Native guides.
How to Get There?
- Take a direct flight to Leticia from your city, as it’s the only route to reach the city.
- Once you arrive, a guide will be waiting for you at Leticia’s Malecón or another agreed-upon meeting point.
For more information, make a reservation with Tomakachi Mocagua and consult further.
Macuira Tours – La Guajira
Location: Located on the northern coast of Colombia in Punta Gallinas, 105 miles from Riohacha, in La Guajira.
Access: Charged.
Macuira Tours is a community tourism operator in Alta Guajira offering unique travel experiences in Wayuu territory, one of the country’s most popular and important indigenous tribes.
This venture stands out for its sustainable tourism practices, aiming to sensitize tourists about the culture, customs, and biodiversity of La Guajira Desert.
Some places you can explore
- Punta Gallinas: The northernmost point of South America, where you can see Taroa dunes, the lighthouse, and Hondita Bay.
- Macuira National Park: One of the country’s most important ecological reserves, known for its regional biodiversity, cloud forests, dunes, oases, flora, fauna, and desert landscapes.
- Cabo de la Vela: A sacred place for the Wayuu, with yellow beaches like Pilón de Azucar, Ojo de Agua, and Arco Iris.
- Hondita Bay: Here, you can enjoy ecotourism surrounded by nature, Wayuu culture, and gastronomy.
Activities and Services
- Scheduled visits and activities in the itinerary.
- Romantic themed Wayuu dinner (if you’re a couple).
- Accommodation in cabins, hammocks, or chinchorros.
- Boat rides.
- Wayuu guide service.
- Transportation.
- Visits to indigenous communities.
How to Get There?
- From your city, make sure to reach Riohacha. You can take a direct flight from the airport or a bus from the terminal. These services offer a direct route to the city.
- From Riohacha, take another bus to Cabo de la Vela, which will take more than three hours.
- Once in Cabo de la Vela, you can hire a 4×4 transport service to Punta Gallinas. A Wayuu leader, your guide, will be waiting for you.
We invite you to visit the official website and get more information, so you don’t miss any details.
Etnoaldea Kipará Té – Chocó
Location: Located in Puerto Jagua on the banks of the Chorí River in the village of Jurubirá in the municipality of Nuquí, 38 miles from Quibdó in Chocó.
Access: Charged.
Etnoaldea Kipará Té is a community tourism project where you can learn about the culture and habitat of the Emberá Dobida indigenous community, meaning “People of the River”.
This particular village is built on elevated wooden platforms, where you can stay and enjoy all the basic comforts during your visit.
The aim of this project is simply to generate social impact, promoting cultural exchange within the Emberá community so that you can teach them something and vice versa.
During your stay, you’ll notice that many of their activities revolve around the river, as it is the community’s main livelihood. Upon arrival, you’ll find their architecture quite striking.
Activities and Services
- Accommodation in traditional houses.
- Typical food.
- Transportation and river tours.
- Hiking through jungles and the Chorí River.
- Participation in Emberá culture rituals.
- Workshops on crafts, painting, and music.
- Artisanal fishing.
- Cultural workshops where you learn about the community’s history and worldview.
How to Get There?
- To reach Etnoaldea Kipará Té, take a flight to Nuquí from cities like Medellín, Bogotá, Pereira, or Quibdó.
- Once at Nuquí’s Reyes Murillo Airport, hire water transportation such as a boat or a canoe to take you to Puerto Jagua, where the Etnoaldea is located. The journey takes 45 minutes along the Churí River.
For more information, we recommend visiting Etnoaldea Kipará Té and booking your reservation.
Recommendations
- Wear comfortable sports clothing like sneakers, sweatshirts, and sun hats.
- Bring sunscreen and mosquito repellent, preferably biodegradable.
- Always carry cash during your expedition.
- Carry a reusable water bottle or canteen to stay hydrated and avoid generating more waste.
- Always keep an open mind and be willing to interact with other local cultures, while respecting everyone.
- Do not litter. Show respect for the environment, as it is a sacred symbol for these communities.
More nature tourism experiences in Colombia
Here you will find a list of incredible destinations for hiking and other nature activities in Colombia:
