Colombian Andes Ride

Introduction
Andean Colombia
Discover the Colombian Coffee Cultural Landscape, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Join our weeklong riding holiday in the Colombian Andes and take part in unique experiences such as touring an orchid farm, learning how to make the perfect cup of Colombian coffee and relaxing in thermal waters.
You will have the chance to ride in different settings from mountain paths to cloud forest without forgetting the stunning Cocora Valley!
End the week by a visit of 3 charming towns (Salento, Pijao and Buena Vista) and learn more about the local culture.

Accomodation



Accommodations
This is a progressive ride where nights are spent in 3 different locations. 

Description
The accommodations used are comfortable haciendas, considered among the best in the region.

Accommodation Itinerary - subject to changes based on availability
Night 1 & 2: Hacienda El Rosario
Night 3-5: Hacienda Termales de la Quinta
Night 6: Mirador del Cocora Hotel



Hacienda El Rosario
This charming historic hacienda is a perfect example of the local Colombian Coffee Farm. It has 7 guestrooms with private bathroom, free Wi-Fi access and cable TV. There is also an auxiliary house with 3 extra bedrooms.
Guests are welcome to relax in the garden or go for a swim in the outdoor pool.

Hacienda Termales de la Quinta
This lovely hacienda offers 6 bedrooms, all equipped with private facilities. From the hacienda, there is a beautiful view of the nearby waterfall.
The hacienda is renown for its thermal pool, fed by natural hot springs.
There is internet access available in the common area.

Hotel Mirador del Cocora
This hotel offers a splendid view of the Cocora Valley and the Andean mountains. The bedrooms are simply decorated and feature a safe, free Wi-Fi, cable TV and ensuite bathrooms.


Room Occupancy
Single supplement is mandatory is we cannot find another rider to share the room with you.


Meals
All meals are included from dinner on Day 1 to lunch on the last day. Water and coffee are also included with meals.

The food served features local Colombian dishes.
In the Coffee Region of Colombia, you can find a great variety of typical dishes since it is surrounded by rural areas where the ingredients are grown. People from this region still preserve the legacy of their ancestors and their traditional recipes. Modernity has brought some variation in the typical dishes with a combination of flavors, smells and textures from different regions. The base of the traditional local cuisine, is often a wood stove with local ingredients. 

Some of the most typical recipes from this region include:
- The paisa tray; a dish consisting of beans, rice, ground meat, pork rinds, chorizo, arepa, fried plantain, avocado and a fried egg.
- El mondongo, a vegetable soup, accompanied by rice, arepa and avocado.
- Sancocho, another traditional soup, which has kept its recipe intact since it was created in colonial times. A combination of potato, yucca, banana and some type of meat. It is served with rice, a minced herb, salad and avocado.
- La trucha (Trout) often grilled, with garlic, fried or served in a sauce. This dish is more common in the Quindío area where the hatcheries are specialized and supply places such as Salento, Filandia and La Florida.
- El calentado paisa shows that nothing is wasted in the local culture. What is left in the pot of grains and legumes is saved to be stirred with rice and accompanied with a fried egg. It is often eaten in the mornings in the field. It can also be served with a salad.
- The sudado is a kind of stew with potato, banana yucca and a spectacular "hogao" traditional of Colombian cuisine in general. It is based on an onion and tomato mince with a little oil.
- Last but not least, the unmissable arepa. It is a corn tortilla that accompanies almost all our dishes. Whether fried, grilled, with hogao or alone, it is one of the dishes that characterizes this region and Colombia.


Dietary Restrictions
We can cater to most dietary restrictions with prior notice.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding

Horses
We use Colombian Creole horses, sometimes crossed with Percheron horses. These horses are ideal for this tour because they know the area and are used to the terrain (forest and páramo). They are also characterized by their great respiratory capacity and great heart, ideal for riding at high altitude.
During this trip, you will change horses several times (about 4 in total). This gives participants the opportunity to try out different kinds of horses.

Pace
Depending on the rider's experience, we will go from a slow pace to a slightly faster pace (we will ride at the pace that feels comfortable for everyone).

Itinerary



Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

Note: Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, the coffee processing plant is closed.

Day 1: Arrival
After flying from Bogota to Manizales, transfer from the airport to Hacienda el Rosario, one of the most authentic and representative accommodations of the Colombian coffee cultural landscape area.
You can rest in the afternoon or visit the beautiful gardens. After dinner you can do some stargazing.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight at Hacienda el Rosario

Day 2: Coffee Farm
After breakfast, transfer to Hacienda Venecia for a coffee tour. While enjoying a cup of artisan coffee, you will learn about the origin and history of coffee, the different varieties and qualities of coffee, aromas and properties. You will also learn about the Coffee Cultural Landscape. At the end of this experience, you will have lunch at the Hacienda.
Then it is time for you barista experience. We will show you how to make an extraordinary cup of coffee. 
Finally, you end the day with a 2-hour ride through surrounding coffee farms. After the ride, transfer back to Hacienda El Rosario, rest and dinner.
Riding approx. 2 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Hacienda el Rosario

Day 3: Orchid Tour & Transfer to Hacienda Termales
You start the day with an excursion to the Romelia farm, where you will go for a guided walk. Then, you will enjoy a guided visit of the nurseries and the main house.
Learn about orchids and enjoy more than 8000 orchid plants as well as an interesting selection of carnivorous plants. After the tour, we transfer you to Hacienda Termales de la Quinta.
Due to its location, it is necessary to reach the hacienda on horseback, as it was done for many years. We will drive for about 2 hours by car until we reach the village of Villa Maria. We will get there around 3pm. We will ride for approximately 15 minutes to get to the hacienda from Villa Maria. The suitcases will be carried on the back of a mule. 
In the evening, dinner and Thermal Bath overlooking the Nereidas Waterfall.
Riding approx. 15 min
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Hacienda Termales de la Quinta

Day 4: Hike to Thermal Waters & Waterfall Ride
After a delicious breakfast, we will tour the hacienda and walk for approximately 30 minutes to the sources of the thermal waters of La Quinta. There, we enjoy a food cooking activity, with the possibility of spotting some Condors.                                      
We will return to hacienda to rest and have lunch.
In the afternoon, we ride to the Oasis waterfall through the cloud forest. When you return, you can rest in the thermal water pool before dinner.
Riding approx. 3 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Hacienda Termales de la Quinta

Day 5: Cattle Ranch & Bromeliad Forest
This morning, enjoy a visit on horseback to the cattle herd, and see a milking demonstration. Then we will ride to the different milk deposit points at the top of the mountain. Return to the main house to have lunch and rest.
In the afternoon you go for a walk to the bromeliad forest where you have the possibility of seeing some species of birds such as the Quetzal, the toucan and paramo parrots.
In the evening, dinner and Thermal Bath.
Riding approx. 4 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Hacienda Termales de la Quinta

Day 6: Transfer to Salento & Ride through the Cocora Valley
If you want to take a last thermal bath before breakfast, you are welcome to do so.
Around 10 am, we will make our way to Salento, where a delicious lunch awaits at the Mirador del Cocora hotel.
After lunch, go on a horseback tour through the Cocora valley. For this experience we will travel 20 minutes into the valley in traditional Jeep Willis. On the way back, you will be able to visit the main streets and attractions of Salento.
Then, head back to the Mirador del Cocora hotel to rest before dinner.
Riding approx. 3 hours
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight at Mirador del Cocora hotel

Day 7: Pijao and Buena Vista
Early breakfast in order to leave Salento around 8am. We will make our way to Pijao, stopping along the way to enjoy the landscape made up of coffee, guaduales and banana trees.
In Pijao, enjoy a tour of the urban area and see the beautifully preserved and typical architecture of the region. Cafes and places where locals still enjoy good company and their traditional coffee will be visited. We will also have the opportunity to know the history of Pijao CittaSlow.
Then, we make our way to Buenavista, passing through one of the most beautiful viewpoints of the region. In Buenavista, go on a short tour of the city and grab a good lunch before heading to the Armenia / Pereira airport. We recommend booking flights in the late afternoon or evening.
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch


Recommendations
• Make sure to protect yourself from the strong Colombian sun with a hat or sunscreen, wear comfortable clothes and shoes for activities.
• For your safety, be attentive and abide by the recommendations that are dictated by your guide or environmental interpreter throughout the tour.
• The extraction of plant and / or animal material is prohibited during the tour.

Rates and Dates for Colombian Andes Ride

Dates Note: This trip can be arranged at any time of the year depending on availability

Other Info
Meeting: Bogota airport
Airport: Bogota
Transfer: Bogota

Climate:
                                                    Bogotá area 

• Easy-drying seamless pants ideal for reducing skin chafing
• Long-sleeved shirts
• A set of clothes for the day and an extra set of clothes in case we  would require an extra change
• Riding helmet (recommended for all trips)
• Equestrian gloves if you use them
• Hat for windy conditions

• Waterproof jacket (in rainy season April-November)
• Comfortable T-shirts
• shirts
• Pants
• Shorts
• Underwear
• socks
• Pajamas
• Bag for dirty clothes
• runners or boots
• bathing suit
• bath shorts

• Personal items
• protection against insects and sunscreen that’s environmentally friendly
• personal medicines
• handkerchiefs
• camera
• Sunglasses with straps
• Canteen or thermos (if you have them): we count with water dispenser to fill them
• Small flashlight.