‘SIETE COLORES’ - COLOMBIA PHOTO WORKSHOP

Day 1 Meeting in Bogotá

We will assemble in our hotel right next to Bogotá El Dorado Airport. We will have a meet-and-greet dinner at the hotel's restaurant, and discuss the days ahead.

Day 2 Flight to La Macarena, Caño Cristales

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we will hop on a plane for a short flight to La Macarena, a small, isolated town in the plains of central Colombia, south of Bogotá. Even though the town itself is tiny and dull, the upside of "La Mac" is that it is a base for visiting Caño Cristales, the so-called Most Beautiful River in the World. I have secured the only accommodation inside the park, which means we will have the place entirely for ourselves during the precious sunrise and sunset hours. The accommodation is home-style and relatively simple, but we will be the only people there, an huge advantage.

Day 3-4 Caño Cristales

Caño Cristales, arguably the most beautiful river in the world, is a tributary of the Guayabero river. The river is commonly called the "River of Five Colors" or the "Liquid Rainbow," and is noted for its striking colors. From the end of July through November, the riverbed is variously colored yellow, green, blue, black, and especially red, the last caused by Macarenia clavigera plants on the riverbed. Caño Cristales river has a wide variety of aquatic plants. The water of the river is extremely clear due to the lack of nutrients and small particles. In addition, Caño Cristales has a wonderful mutitude of multi-level waterfalls, pools and intricacies that are a delight for landscape photographers.

We will spend two full days shooting the many incredible features Caño Cristales offers.

 

Day 5-7 Chingaza National Park

We will depart our hotel in the morning and take a 2-hour drive to Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza. Chingaza is situated in the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes, northeast of Bogotá, and offers incredible landscapes and unique endemic flora and fauna. Especially notable are the many endemic plant species, such as the espeletia, whose vibrant yellow-colored flowers are in full bloom during August when we visit the park.

We will spend 3 days in Chingaza, which is the minimum fitting considering its unique features and incredible diversity. On the last day, after shooting, we'll head back to our Bogotá airport hotel.

 

 

With a bit of luck, we may even be able to spot some Andean bears.

 

Days 8-10 Villvicancio Area

We'll take a morning flight back to Villvicancio, a large city south of Bogota. A short car ride away, there is a private reserve where we will be based for 3 nights. The reserve holds a huge number of species of birds (such as the Andean Cock of the Rock, Dusky Spinetail, Golden-tailed Sapphire and many more), and mammals (such as the ornate titi, Brumback's night monkey and the giant anteater). We will spend our days shooting these species in a wonderful natural environment.

Days 11-13 Mavecure

After breakfast, we will head back to Villavicencio Airport, where we will board our last domestic flight, this time to Inírida. We will be picked up and continue to our next and final destination: Mavecure.

 

The Cerros de Mavecuri are three hills, located 50 km (31 mi) south of the city of Inírida on the Inírida River. Mavecuri is considered a sacred site by the multiple ethnic groups residing in the area. Its name means blowgun of the mountains, named after the tool used by the natives to catch prey. We will take a 1-hour speedboat ride on the river to the village where we will be staying, settle in a home-stay accommodation, and depart to shoot the mountains. We will spend 2 full days shooting the area from land and mainly by drone, which will prove priceless for this amazing location.

 

Day 14 Back to Bogota, Departure

We will catch a morning flight back to Bogota Airport, and after saying our goodbyes, you will board your flight back home.