Restaurant
Los Hoyos
The gray part of the desert is about 30 minutes from El Cuzco and includes the Valle de los Fantasmas.
Colombia
Desierto de la Tatacoa
Point of Interest
The Tatacoa Desert is a dry landscape in the north of the Departamento Huila near Villavieja, about 38 km from the capital Neiva.
by Felix Gillen
The Tatacoa Desert is a dry landscape in the north of the Departamento Huila near Villavieja, about 38 km from the capital Neiva. You come here for red and gray erosion labyrinths, for fossils, and for the starry sky that observatories explain at night. Technically, it is a tropical dry forest spanning about 330 km², making it Colombia's second-largest dry zone after La Guajira. Check the current UK FCDO travel advice before your trip. Before traveling, check the current travel and security advisories.
Sights in Desierto de la Tatacoa
Discover the most important sights and attractions
Museum
Paleontological Museum of Villavieja
The museum in Villavieja displays fossils from the Tatacoa that are millions of years old.
Point of Interest
El Cusco
Red erosion labyrinths about 4 kilometers from Villavieja, below a viewpoint. They form the reddish part of the desert, in contrast to the grey formations of Los Hoyos.
Attraction
Astrosur Observatory
Private observatory near Mirador El Cusco, led by astronomer Javier Fernando Rúa, who has been observing in Tatacoa since 1997. Visitors look through several telescopes; evening lectures are in Spanish.
Restaurants in Desierto de la Tatacoa
Food & Drink in the Tatacoa Desert
In the dry zone around Villavieja, families process cactus pulp into sweets. Additionally, Huila's cuisine is noteworthy.
Cactus candies
A family in the middle of the desert makes sweets from the pulp of the cactus locally known as Cabecinegro, such as candied cubes and blends with coffee, cocoa, or mango. Most customers are visitors to Tatacoa.
Beer from Cactus
In the heart of Villavieja, La Planta serves a cactus-based beer. They also offer coffee.
Asado huilense
Huila's most famous dish: Pork, long marinated and cooked in a clay oven. It comes with Insulso, Arepa, and Yuca.
Valley of Sadness
In 1538, the conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada named the region the “Valley of Sadness.” The name Tatacoa is attributed to the rattlesnake.The Museo Paleontológico in Villavieja displays fossils from Tatacoa that are millions of years old.
Getting There and Around
To Neiva: Flight from Bogotá in about 1 hour, or 5 to 6 hours by road.Neiva to Villavieja: Shared jeeps and buses from Neiva bus terminal, about one hour on paved roads. Jeeps depart when full.Villavieja to Tatacoa: Mototaxi or taxi, around 15 minutes.Time of Day: Temperatures often exceed 40 °C; early morning and late afternoon are best for hikes.Check the current UK FCDO travel advice before your trip.
Accommodations in Desierto de la Tatacoa
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