Tatacoa was a nice destination after the cold altitudes of the Colombian Mountains. The glowing air gave us an extremely nice feeling, just until the heat started to be exhausting.. Tatacoa desert is one of the most surreal landscapes I’ve seen worldwide. The area comprises two bordering deserts: Desierto Rojo – the Red Desert and Los Hoyos Desierto Gris – the Gray Desert. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to get to Tatacoa Desert, which is 38 km from Neiva.
How to get to Tatacoa Desert?
Tatacoa Desert is most famous for its surreal landscape of rocky canyons and labyrinths. It’s also a noise-free area, which covers 330 square kilometers. Tatacoa red and even more magic gray desert is a paradise for stargazing, hiking and wildlife watching. It’s an absolute must to visit in your Colombian itinerary.
How to get to Tatacoa Desert from Bogota?
If you are traveling from Bogota – you need to reach Neiva first. You have two options to travel from Bogota to Neiva- take a flight or a local bus:
- local bus from Bogota to Neiva – 5 hours drive
- flight from Bogota to Neiva (30-minute flight) – check Skyscanner.com for best rates.
Visit Tatacoa Desert by a local transport.
Tatacoa Desert is located in the Huila region of Colombia. Getting to the Tatacoa Desert is already an adventure and is very easy with local transport.
From Neiva you have a few transportation options to get to Tatacoa Desert:
- Local bus
- Taxi or shared transfer
- Pick-up van/truck! I highly recommend taking a shared van!
LOCAL BUS: From Neiva’s main bus terminal (Terminal de Transportes) catch a bus heading to Villavieja – a small town located just outside the desert. Buses to Villavieja typically run every 30 minutes and the journey takes around 45 minutes.
TAXI: Alternatively, you can hire a private taxi or arrange a shared transfer to the desert, but this option is way more expensive and less adventurous.
How to get to Tatacoa Desert from Neiva by truck?
LOCAL TRUCK: From Neiva station, we were offered a shared truck to Hostal de Saturno for only 15 000 COP! The drive was the greatest fun ever! It was like driving through the wild wild west but in Colombia! Just wear a hoodie, as it gets really windy on the back of the truck.
Where to stay in Tatacoa Desert?
The best place to stay in Tatacoa Desert is near the Astronomical Observatory, which is located 6 kilometers from the closest town – Villavieja. It gives you quick access to the Red Tatacoa Desert, which is on the other side of the main road. We stayed in Hostal Noches de Saturno (on the photo), which was the most popular stay a few years ago.
The best Tatacoa Desert Hostel options near the Observatory (Villavieja town):
- Hostal Noches de Saturno – recommended (~ $27 per night),
- El Penon De Constantino – Tatacoa – very popular and fancy with a swimming pool (~$55/per night)
- Hostal Sol de Verano Dona Lilia – excellent basic stay for ~$20/per night.
- Exceptional place – a little bit further east direction situated in the Boqueron De Tena – Alojamiento Casa de campo los Cactus – (~ $25/per night)
You can decide to stay in Villavieja Town and organize transportation to Tatacoa Desert. There are tens of accommodation options starting from basic stay up to wonderful villas with outdoor pools, check on Agoda.com for the best prices.
Tatacoa Desert map.
Tatacoa Desert entrance is only a few kilometers from the Villavieja town center.
The desert is divided into two main regions:
- “Cuzco” or red zone,
- “Los Hoyos” or gray zone.
I recommend visiting both deserts, it’s a paradise for adventurous hikers! Each part of the desert offers distinctive landscapes and unique geological formations.
Tatacoa Desert on a tour.
Since there is no local transport taking you around the Red and Grey Tatacoa Desert a lot of visitors would prefer to book a tour, which is a great option for exploring both deserts with a local guide, along with Magdalena River and desert night sky with the below tour options.
While day tours to Tatacoa Desert are popular, I recommend spending at least one night to experience the magic of the area. The desert sky offers spectacular stargazing opportunities due to minimal light pollution. For that, I highly recommend the Astronomical Observatory night session.
Hostal Noches de Saturno.
A few years ago there were one or two hostels near the Red Tatacoa Desert and Hostal Noches de Saturno was the most recommended and wanted place to stay.
The hostel is a very convenient location for exploring the area. A colorful parrot will greet you at the entrance – the bird is free, no cage, no leash.
I still think the place was great, we met amazing people and an American guy who drove from US to Tataco Desert on a motorbike. These were the best stories I’ve heard. The place is friendly organized and offers good dining options.
Tatacoa Desert Observatory.
The Astronomical Observatory Tatacoa is located only 600 m from the hostel.
The observatory offers stargazing experiences and what’s best it provides a unique opportunity to witness the night sky free from light pollution.
Tatacoa Observatory – entrance sessions start every day at 7 pm (hours depend on the season). The desert sky is flooded by stars. It’s a great session about our planet, stars and witnessing the cosmos through a telescope – Saturn looks unbelievable! The lecturer is very friendly and with a great sense of humor. Take a mosquito repellent, otherwise they will eat you alive!!!
Tatacoa Red Desert.
Hiking the Red Desert is easy, it goes along a visible trail, which can be accomplished in 2 hours. The starting point for the red desert is located just on the other side of the road from Hostal Novhes de Saturno. So it’s a perfect Tatacoa Desert hostel for exploring the red part of the desert.
We met an amazing French guy who accompanied us on hiking adventures. We were all so madly fascinated by the surrounding landscape that decided to walk 9 kilometers toward the grey desert! This was pure madness in 40-degree heat! Luckily after 15 min walking a van stopped and offered us a lift.
Best things to do in Tatacoa Desert?
We spent a few days exploring the area and surreal landscape of the Tatacoa Desert. Once you know how to get to Tatacoa Desert, I would recommend allowing yourself to enjoy this beauty of nature. With its striking red and grey terrain, the desert is a photographer’s dream.
There are many great things to do in Tatacoa Desert:
- Stargazing & Lecture at the Astronomical Observatory – it’s really worth it – just take a mosquito spray!!
- Hiking through the winding canyons for incredible panoramic views,
- Discover Tatacoa Desert with a local Guide | Tripadvisor
- 2-Day Private Tour to Tatacoa Desert from Bogota | Tripadvisor
How to get to Tatacoa desert the grey part?
Getting to Tatacoa grey desert is a bit more tricky, as there is no local transportation. Tatacoa grey desert is located 9 kilometers from Hostal de Saturno. The easiest way is to ask at your hostel about transportation options to the grey desert. They might organize pick-ups or half-day tours.
Our pick-up truck dropped us at the main road, near a small bar with a visible road sign for the Grey desert. Hiking loop takes about 2 hours but it’s up to you how far you want to explore the desert. The place is so surreal that we spent 3 hours wandering and exploring the desert’s labyrinthine canyons.
Hiking Tatacoa Grey Desert.
The grey canyons are fascinating – it’s a hidden treasure of Colombia. Condors are flying above your heads. It’s a noise-free area, just silence and nature.
Walking back to our hostel took us around 3 hours. I was exhausted after all day of hiking and being exposed to the sun for most of the day. It just knocked me out of my feet. But I managed to wake up for the evening observatory session.
Some people skip the grey desert. I found Tatacoa Grey Desert phenomenal! Besides it is less touristic and very unique. It’s a perfect destination for freestyle travelers like me 😉
Things not to miss in Tatacoa Desert:
- Boatch Tatacoa – red and grey deserts!
- Tatacoa Observatory for stargazing,
- Take a bike tour, there are lots of bike rentals around the area.
- Visit Villavieja – the small charming town near the Tatacoa desert. There are plenty of hostels in the town.
- Watch the desert sunrise or sunset.
Safety hints for Tatacoa Desert:
- Wear trekking shoes for several reasons – it’s a desert, you might step on a spider, snake or scorpion and watch out for cactus thorns when walking the desert!! It’s a canyon walk, it’s more convenient wearing hiking shoes.
- Take plenty of water (2-3 liters) if you plan to walk toward the grey desert and do some trekking (the loop takes at least 2h). There are two small bars near the main road just at the starting point for the grey desert.
- Sun lotion filter 50.
- Cover your head, the sun can be very aggressive,
- Take insect repellent.
- Sunglasses.
- Headlight (if you plan to get to the desert for the sunrise or sunset).
- Camera 🙂
Note: This post may contain affiliate links, which are at absolutely no cost to you – I can earn a small commission on sales generated through this website and thanks to that I can share travel guides and inspirations that may help you reach your dream destinations and discover our unique world. I only recommend sites I actually use and have traveled to. Thank you for your support!
