Overview

Wedged between the peaks and valleys of the snow-speckled Andes and the sweltering lowlands of tropical Amazonia, los llanos is a yawning expanse of prairies and wetlands  extending across the border into Venezuela and draining into the Orinoco basin. This is Colombia profunda, sparsely populated and strikingly traditional, so off the beaten track that the only places for visitors to stay are modest farmsteads and guesthouses set within vast cattle farms, (hatos), where the cowboy lifestyle still reigns supreme. Only now is this alluring, welcoming region opening up to adventurous visitors.

The tropical prairies, which morph into shimmering wetlands after rain, seethe with a breath-taking profusion of wildlife, feeding and breeding in the myriad of waterways, clinging to the branches of the trees in the patches of dry forest which groan throughout the year with an abundance of exotic birds. Monkeys squabble in the canopy, alligators sprawl on the watery beaches, giant capybara roam cross the paddy fields, anacondas slither silently across the trails, giant storks elegantly pick their way across the pasture. All this trusting wildlife happily co-exists alongside hatos’ humpy zebu cattle.

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Where to go when - our guide to The Colombian llanos

LLanos

The weather in The Colombian llanos is wide and varied

This off-the-beaten track destination is Colombia’s answer to the Wild West, with cattle ranches, wide open plains and a traditional farming way of life. The wet season in the Llanos is May - September, during which the plains flood up to one metre deep. Heavy rains mean the grasslands and forest transform into temporary wetlands which attract roughly 70 species of water birds. Most wildlife is harder to spot at this time, but kayaking through flooded waterways is spectacular, particularly at sunset.
November - April is the drier season, when thousands of birds flock to the limited watering holes. You’ll easily spot ducks, herons, ibisesa and giant storks, plus you may also spy the capybara, anacondas, alligators and monkeys which populate this region. September - March offer the best climate and conditions for visitors.

View our The Colombian llanos weather guide

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Real Latin american experts

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

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