EcoTours

Serranía del Perijá

Ours is a land of exuberant, diverse and mountainous scenery. A land dotted with caves like Del Indio and Azufral, magnificent rivers like the Tucuy, waterfalls, lakes, springs and verdant forests that cloak our mountains and provide a home to a rich array of plant and animal life. A land of warm and welcoming farmers, of exquisite coffee, innovative agroforestry projects, of music, myth and legend and the ancestral home of the Yukpa people, one of Colombia’s most at risk indigenous groups.

Ours is also a land that found itself unwillingly at the epicentre of violent conflict as armed groups moved into villages, farmlands and forests during the decades of Colombia’s civil war. But we are strong resilient communities united by our desire to leave the past behind and we are now working together to create a region that lives and prospers together in peace and harmony.

Together with the Yukpa indigenous group we are the guardians of the exceptional nature that surround us, which despite its global conservation importance is coming under growing pressure from loggers, unsustainable agriculture and mining. The communities of Estados Unidos and La Victoria de San Isidro believe ecotourism has vital role to play in building a sustainable future for our communities and helping us conserve the exceptional forests that surround us.

Ecotourism really can make a difference. Your stay with us will enrich you as our guest with a wealth of natural and cultural experiences, it will also directly contribute to our communities by helping generate a sustainable source of income. This income will support us as we work in a united effort to protect our forests, bring peace and stability to our communities and create a brighter future for us and our children.

There are a host of activities you can enjoy during your time with us, but here are some of our favourites:

Our Activities

You can choose from a range of activities during your stay with us, but here are some of our favourites to give you a taste of what we can offer:

Count yourself amongst the few birders in the world to see some of our endemic species such as the Perija Thistletail as you explore our forests with your guide who will help you spot some of the 425 species of birds identified in the Sierra.
Learn about the resilience of our communities and our capacity as survivors to overcome the past and work together. A testimony of the human spirit to survive and thrive – bolstered by nature and each other in the face of great adversity.
Take part in a truly immersive coffee tour with the chance to spend time with local farmers and coffee entrepreneurs, sample our delicious coffee and gain insight into the ways we are combining the production of coffee with helping to conserve our native forests.
Look for signs of the rare and endangered mammal species found in our forests like jaguar or spectacle bear or search the forest canopy for some of the monkey species found here like the spider monkey, howler monkey and white fronted capuchin.
Stand in awe at the spectacular views over mountain ridges cloaked in forest, with high mountain peaks ahead in the distance and below you our villages and lush green fields of sustainably grown coffee.
Dip your toe or take the plunge and swim in one of our crystalline lagoons, springs and rivers. Feel the power of our waterfalls and take a soak in one of our natural thermal pools surrounded by lush forest.
Celebrate with us the rhythm of our vallenato music, the music of our region and our lives that blends the indigenous, European and African cultures and forms an integral part of our everyday life.
Venture deep into our caves, like the Cueva del Indio which gives a thrill of adventure as well as understanding of the natural environment of the area. A wonderful setting to hear some of the legends and myths of the forest.
Get to know our local farmers, share with them their daily life, hear their remarkable stories, sample their produce and enjoy the gentle warmth and friendliness that the local people here are famous for.
Search for beautiful and enigmatic flowers like Brownea Rosa de Monte found in the forests whose flowers may bloom only for a duration of just one night, or the orchids that exhale the scent of vanilla into the surrounding forests at night.
Sample our traditional drinks like palm wine and vino de uvita and experience the delicious meals prepared with love by our communities using fresh ingredients grown on our local farms and smallholdings.
Mountain bike down through a series of forest trails enjoying the exuberant nature and amazing views or experience rappel down one of our many rock faces with panoramic views and surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature.

Multi-day Tours

The best way to experience all that Sierra de Perija has to offer is to come and stay with us as our guest for at least two nights. This will allow you to immerse yourself in our outstanding nature, to explore deeper and step outside of your daily life and experience more of what we have to offer.

These are just a sample of the multi-day programs we can offer to give some inspiration of what is possible, but if you would like to discuss how we can create a special tour for you, to match your interests and time scale please get in touch and we would be delighted to help create a special tour just for you!

Practical Information

What to wear?

Use comfortable cotton clothing, sun glasses, water shoes or tennis shoes that you can use in water and a sun hat or cap.

What to bring?

Bring your swimming costume (or even come with it already on as limited places to change), sun cream, insect repellent, torch, towel and extra money in small denominations

Take your rubbish home

Please don’t leave rubbish with us and take back with you any plastic bottles and any other items that cannot be recycled within the community

Our tourism operators

In order to offer our guests the best service possible we have organised our ecoturism services into three different companies. Each of the companies has its own speciality and we will work together to co-ordinate our services to ensure the best possible experience for each of our guests. Our three tourism agencies are:

Our accommodation

During your time with us you will have a number of options as to where you can stay. Depending on what you prefer and what your program with us is you could stay as a guest at one of the coffee farms in the region, where you have the option of staying either in the main house in one of the bedrooms in the house, or you could take the more traditional option of a hammock below shelter and beneath a mosquito net, or alternatively camping is also offered as an option for anyone who would like to.

Several families within the community offer the chance for guests to stay with them as a home stay, which offers a truly authentic experience for our guests. All the accommodation options provided by us, from staying in a room in one of the coffee farms to camping, to staying in a hammock offer bathroom facilities for our guests and if you require kitchen facilities too.

There is also a project underway for the construction of a hotel in La Victoria which our guests could use as an option too once it is completed. We will update the website with news on this as soon as the hotel is open and ready to receive guests!