Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [103]
Los Llanos occupies the Colombian departments of Arauca, Casanare, Guainía, Meta and Vichada. As recently as 2003, much of this area was off-limits to foreigners. Today, many of the bigger cities are safe and open for business including Villavicencio, Puerto López and Puerto Gaitán.
Unfortunately, despite many recent Colombian military victories, FARC rebels and other guerrilla groups still control swaths of Los Llanos. At the time this book went to print, the area south of San José del Guaviare was very dangerous. The road from Puerto López to Puerto Carreño on the Venezuelan border was improving but not yet secure. Stick to the cities and always inquire locally for up-to-date security information before proceeding.
Villavicencio, 75km southeast of Bogotá and known as ‘La Puerta al Llano’ – the gateway to the Llanos – is a bustling, booming town of nearly 400,000 people. The main attractions are its green spaces such as the downtown Parque de los Fundadores and Bioparque Los Ocarros, a zoo 3km north of town that’s home to crocodiles and capybaras. But Villavicencio is most famous for its hopping discotecas; Los Capachos (Carrera 48 No 17-87; www.loscapachos.com) is one of the largest and most well-known nightclubs in Colombia. The city is a good base for exploring the plains. Many fincas (farms) outside the city now offer lodging and horseback-riding tours.
About 100km east of Villavicencio on the Río Meta is the small town of Puerto López, the so-called ‘belly button of Colombia.’ A 30m tall Alto de Menegua obelisk marks the geographic center of Colombia.
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) El Tuparro (www.parquesnacionales.gov.co) is a 548,000-hectare nature reserve on the Venezuelan border, and the only national park in Los Llanos. This biosphere of sandy river beaches and green grasslands is home to some 320 species of birds plus jaguars, tapirs and otters. Getting here won’t be easy, but it could be very rewarding. De Una Tours ( 1 368 1915; www.deunacolombia.com; Carrera 26A No 40-18 Ap 202, La Soledad, Bogotá) in Bogotá organizes guided tours to Tuparro.
Off the beaten path, Gaviotas (www.friendsofgaviotas.org), about 100km southeast of Villavicencio, is a ‘green’ success story. The United Nations called the village a model of sustainable development, and Gabriel García Márquez called founder Paolo Lugari the ‘inventor of the world.’ The village of 200 people is operated on wind and solar power. Residents farm organically and have planted millions of trees. The town has become a world-class research and development center for green technologies and the commune-like society has no police, no mayor and no weapons. The village was profiled in journalist Alan Weisman’s book, Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World.
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Eating
Restaurante La Mazorca (Av 4 No 9-67; set meals COP$4000, mains COP$10,000-15,000) Enjoy Creole meals and a choice of wines in this sunny courtyard, decorated with baskets and saddles.
Punto Cero ( 573 0153; Av 0 No 15-60; mains COP$8000-12,000; 24hr) A welcoming restaurant that offers typical food, such as bandeja paísa (a traditional Antioquian platter) and sancocho (traditional soup). There are also some more upmarket restaurants further south on Av 0.
Vegetarians can choose between Restaurante Vegetariano Salud y Vida (Av 4 No 6-40) and Restaurante Natural Champiñón (Calle 10 No 0-05), both of which serve budget set lunches on weekdays.
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Getting There & Away
AIR
The airport is 4km north of the city center. Minibuses that are marked ‘El Trigal Molinos’ (from