Birding’s biggest day was here. Global Big Day has taken place across the globe with Colombia ranking highest in number of reported species (1,486). All of the Llanos departments joined the challenge. On 13 May sightings poured into the online platform 'eBird' from more than 150 countries. Over 6,500 species of birds were reported worldwide, 1,486 of which from Colombia, in one single day. All of the Llanos departments participated The Llanos department of Casanare contributed with 337 different species, Meta reported 278, Vichada 214 and the northern most Llanos department Arauca registered 201 species with only 5 checklists (wow!). Aventur Eco Tours contributed with 80 species from the Yopal area. |
It is the Llanos’ tranquility, their original natural state of palm groves and gallery forests, of dry and wet savannas, their sunrises and sunsets, proud cowboy culture and impressively wide array of wildlife that enchant visitors. Yet a well-kept secret, this region may very well benefit from soft tourism and mindful travelers in the near future. "El Camino del Vaquero", a 3 day horse trek adventure is our initiative towards sustainable community tourism.
The three day horse trek near Yopal, Casanare, sees us explore seven farms in three days. We meet local farmers, stay on their farms, try their food and spot plenty of fauna in different habitats. The launch of “El Camino del Vaquero” – the cowboy’s way - is both, our go at sustainable community tourism and an attempt to connect visitors with the locals and locals with visitors. It is a cultural encounter and intercultural exchange and so much more: it is about bridging a gap, supporting local families and maintaining and showcasing culture, valuing and honoring tradition, work, food, time, nature and animals. Rugged and lush mountain ranges, wild rivers, waterfalls, lofty villages with great views and some fine hiking trails: the Andean foothills are a mystical world of its own. Temperatures are more moderate than in the plains, enabling the cultivation of those rich Arabica beans Colombia is famous for. For a day we rolled up our sleeves and lent a hand to a local coffee farming family, as they were short on workers. (The perfect excuse for us to try our hand at bean picking)
Casanare Wildlife: The Big Five11/26/2015 ![]() The 44.450 square kilometers of Casanare, an area including vast plains, “Los Llanos” or also “El Llano”, savannah forests, big rivers and tropical Andean foothills, are a paradise for wildlife. We went on a virtual safari… Lonely landscapes and a scarce population give way to a rich fauna that’s best watched from the back of a horse or the saddle of your mountain bike. Here are Casanare’s Big Five – the most iconic, typical or fascinating animals in Casanare, Colombia.
A chat about community based and eco-friendly tourism in Colombia
A visit to the tranquil guest house of Andrés Gonzalez and Julia Buschmann equals a short vacation from the hustle and bustle of the region’s nearby capital city. Here it’s all about life in and with nature. Only this year the Colombo-German couple founded their ecological tour business Aventur Eco Tours, began to run their small guesthouse Villa Pepita and became parents to an entertaining pack of four shepherd dogs all on a 25 hectar finca one and a half kilometers away from Yopal in Colombia. |
¡Bienvenidos!Aventur Eco Tours is based in Yopal and helps nature lovers discover Colombia's Llanos Orientales through
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