Day by day:
* Description below is an example of the program. The itinerary can be different during your travel week.
We will do everything possible to follow the indicated itinerary, although spot changes can occur due to unforeseen circumstances. Rides are subject to change depending on weather, location, accommodation and difficulty of terrain In the unlikely event that this happens on your trip, we ask you flexibility and understanding. This is a sporty and adventurous vacation!
Day 1 : Welcome to Yopal, the capital of Casanare
The meeting point is Yopal airport. You'll need to catch a flight from Bogotá to Yopal (EYP). A private 20-minute transfer will pick you up from the airport and take you to the hotel for a welcome dinner.
Day 2 : Explore Yopal
After breakfast, we'll explore Yopal's traditional leather workshops, then embark on a 3-hour private transfer to Matabraba, Hato Santana's primary gateway. We'll meet our horses and prepare our luggage. Depending on the season, our gear might be transported by mules or tractor. We face a 25 km journey to the ranch's main house, offering comfortable accommodation steeped in history. Here, rooms will be allocated - double or single (with an additional fee for the latter). A traditional dinner awaits us, followed by an overnight stay at Santana.
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Day 3 : Mare Wrangling - Herding
We'll start a little later with breakfast at 8 am. Our 4-hour horseback ride will lead us to the mare herds. Upon arrival at the next ranch, we'll refresh with lemonade and receive our herding assignments. Alongside the cowboys, we will herd over 200 animals to the ranch pens. The duration of this task depends on the season and the location of the animals. Post-arrival and lunch, we'll observe pen work, including deworming, mane grooming, and selecting young horses for training.
Day 4: Returning the Herds
After breakfast, we will ride out to return the horse herd to their new grazing area, typically in the ranch's expansive pens. These pens, covering about 1000 hectares, are designed to protect the young from pumas. We'll enjoy arepuelas (a type of bread) and fresh lemonade before heading back to the house. After lunch, there's time to rest, learn about crafting ropes and tools from hair and leather, and enjoy the pool. Season permitting, we might kayak in the large pond in the house's yard and watch the capybaras.
Day 5 : El Algarrobo
Post-breakfast, we'll head to a traditional Llanero village, riding through the plains. Here, we'll have lunch and delve deeper into the local culture, music, and dance. We return to the main house for dinner.
Day 6 : Caño Viejo
To truly experience the plains, spend a night in a hammock at a ranch. We'll pack lightly for an overnight stay at a smaller ranch – a humble dwelling with corrals where land caretakers and grazing animals reside. This is the usual lodging for cowboys during work seasons. Amidst the savannah, we'll sleep alongside the real Llaneros in the stables. The evening will be filled with traditional songs and rhymes before we rest.
Day 7 : Matabrava
After packing our hammocks and enjoying breakfast, we prepare to bid farewell to the plains and return to civilization. We'll ride to Matabrava, the entrance and exit of the ranch. Following lunch and our farewells to the cowboys and horses, we'll take a two hour transfer back to Yopal. In the evening, we'll witness a demonstration of "coleo," a national equestrian sport originating from this region, designed for controlling wild animals that stray from formations. We'll enjoy a farewell dinner and stay overnight at a hotel in Yopal.
Day 8 : We'll have breakfast, followed by a transfer to the airport.
