Casanare and its villages - We look at the department's five most charming little towns

Back in time - Colombia's villages are wonderfully delightful and nostalgic. While the Llanos' main attractions are cowboys and wildlife, they still have a few lovely villages to offer visitors. Mules parked outside the 'panadería', loaded with sacks of coffee, grains or bananas, vaqueros passing through on horses or on motorbikes, elderly villagers leaning on their cane, watching the world go by and smiling at strangers toothlessly, lovingly painted window shutters and walls and neat flower beds and banana plants and papaya trees towering from patios and front yards, pebbled streets and the main square with a church, where surely a bench or two invite to have a seat and watch the villagers go about their daily lives - that's a classic when traveling Colombia and must not be missing in the Llanos either.

On a trip around Colombia you want to see as much of its natural treasures as possible. You are spoilt with choices in a country that tops the diversity hit lists on all levels: people, wildlife, birds, ecosystems, culture. Where to begin? Well, that's up to you. All we say is that technically you can reach a place where you'll see hundreds of capybaras, caimans, deer, exotic birds and even more exotic fauna such as anacondas and pumas in their natural habitat within ONE DAY from Bogotá. A no-brainer if you are looking to organize a jam-packed itinerary across the country. Beware though, this isn't your usual tourist hotspot - it's an off-beat adventure to remember!

​Intrigued? Read on.

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) 
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Colombia is an exotic destination for any traveler and horse riding in Colombia is yet even more exotic. It's a great way to discover nature's sights, diversity, wildlife, aromas and colours in an ecological and most authentic way, to really connect with nature as well as with the furry friend with the soft nose. Learn more about what to expect of horse riding and trekking in Colombia's Great Eastern Prairies Los Llanos. In this post we are going to look at terrains, sceneries, wildlife, activities as part of the entire riding experience and the horses themselves.

Should you visit Los Llanos? My answer is going to be very biased: Yes, of course!

Let's take a look for whom a visit to Los Llanos is worth it. Over the last months we have received several visitor reviews (thank you so much!), so now I take the turn to "review" visitors: Who comes here and why? Here are the top five visitors that naturally love Los Llanos.

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Colombia is the world’s number one in bird diversity and thus a top destination for bird watching. While Casanare probably is one of Colombia’s best kept birding secrets.
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From lush Andean foothills to vast prairies (‘Los Llanos’) leading right into the Orinoco region with its rivers, mangrove swamps and savannah forests, this department boasts with an abundance and richness in birds – from familiar to exotic. Here comes the ultimate sample list.

Is it safe to travel to Casanare? The short answer: Yes.

Casanare's image is only slowly catching up with what's it is really like today, a well protected wealthy department of Colombia under constant military surveillance that can be criss-crossed on public transport and by car safely in most parts.