The Cueva de los Guacharos National Natural Park is a beautiful natural destination in the department of Huila , which enjoys great popularity, because its green landscapes are incredible, but also thanks to the ecotourism potential it has, and not to forget the famous guacharos, birds that They inhabit the caves of this park, discovered by the naturalist Alexander von Humboldt in the year of 1799.

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It should be noted that the Cueva de los Guacharos Park was the first protected natural area in Colombia . Learn all the information in this guide to visit the Cave of the Guacharos in Huila.

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How to get to the Cueva de los Guacharos Natural Park?

Getting to the PNN Cueva de los Guacharos is not very easy for us to say, but precisely that difficulty makes the amount of visitors small and that the experience is totally unforgettable, so this is a recommended destination if you enjoy adventure, hiking and Be surrounded by nature and beautiful landscapes.

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The Cueva de los Guacharos is very close to the city of Pitalito , so the most direct way to get to the national park is to find yourself first in this city for which you have several ways or points in Colombia to get there.

You can get to Pitalito from Neiva , taking a bus that takes about five hours to travel and the ticket costs 30,000 COP. You can also reach Pitalito from Bogotá , Popayán or Cali . These journeys take nine, seven and ten hours, and cost 65,000 COP, 40,000 COP and 45,000 COP respectively. If you are in another city and want to get directly to Pitalito, you can find out in the Transportation Terminal where you are if there are routes that go to Pitalito.

Once in Pitalito you must take a bus to the municipality of La Palestina, which is 40 minutes away by public transport and the ticket has an average value of 4,000 COP. Then you must take another transport, this time a jacket to the sidewalk La Mensura . The journey takes an hour or so and has a value of 5,000 COP.

From this point you have to walk around four to five hours to the Los Cedros sector, where the PNN Cueva de los Guacharos is located. This route is classified in a high degree of difficulty so you have to have good physical condition. There is another option to rent a horse to make it shorter.

What to do in the Cave of the Guacharos?

In the Cueva de los Guacharos Park you can perform different ecotourism activities such as wildlife observation, bird watching, hiking , camping and activities for academic and scientific purposes.

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The best activity to do in the Cueva de los Guacharos Natural Park is to relax and enjoy the vast nature found in this place.

In the park there are many trails that lead to special and beautiful places in the park such as different caves, waterfalls and natural bridges. Among the recommended trails are the Camino de Los Gigantes, Black Oak, Rain of Crystals and Waterfall of Colors.

For you to take into account, the ideal time to visit the park and get to know the whole park is three days, so the area has accommodation service, camping area and hammocks and space for you to prepare your food.

What else should I know to visit the park?

• The entrance to Cueva de los Guacharos Park has a value of COP 14,500 for nationals or foreigners residing in the country up to 25 years. 18,500 COP for Colombians or residents of the country over 25 years of age, and COP 49,500 for all foreigners.
• You should get vaccinated against yellow fever.
• Wear appropriate clothing for the cold, but also for the rain since the weather here is very changing.
• Remember to bring with you the trash you take to the Park and do not contaminate the water sources. Be a responsible tourist.
• If you go camping in the Cueva de los Guacharos Park , don't forget to take your camping tent, as well as insect repellent, first aid kit, enough water to stay hydrated, sunscreen, suitable shoes, flashlight and camera or cell phone with enough battery to take photos .
• You can always hire the services of guides or a tour to get to the Cueva de los Guacharos Park.

Other fabulous destinations to visit in Huila include the La Tatacoa Desert , the San Agustín Archaeological Park and the beautiful city of Neiva .

* Cover image taken from ColParques.