Red Cusco
Gullies and towers.
Paul from Hacketts Cove, Canada — CC BY 2.0 · Gen. BaTBaiLeyS — CC BY 4.0 · Paul from Hacketts Cove, Canada — CC BY 2.0 · Paul from Hacketts Cove, Canada — CC BY 2.0
A striking dry area in the Magdalena River valley, called a desert though it is really tropical dry forest, where the land has been shaped over millions of years into labyrinths of gullies, ridges and earth pillars carved by wind and rare rain. It has two quite different zones: red-orange «Cusco», with narrow gullies and twisting earth towers you walk among as if on another planet, and grey «Los Hoyos», with soft grey and white hills. Between them grow cacti and live small desert animals, and old fossils turn up. Tatacoa's sky is among Colombia's clearest, far from city lights, and a small observatory runs night tours to watch stars and planets. A night in the desert's simple lodges lets you see sunset, stars and sunrise. It is very hot by day, sometimes over 40 °C, so visit early morning or before sunset, and carry plenty of water, a hat and sunscreen.
Gullies and towers.
Grey hills.
Night observatory.
Near Villavieja town, about an hour north-east of Neiva, Huila department
One night is best, to see sunset, the stars from the observatory and sunrise, and to avoid the hottest hours.