Despite its famed high temperatures, Mark and I were looking forward to visiting the Tatacoa Desert after leaving Bogota. This off-road adventure promised to bring us peace, beauty, and remoteness. The only problem: our recently punctured and fixed tire. Would it hold up on the bumpy, challenging roads?
(As always, hover over or click on photos in galleries to read their captions.)
Getting to the start of the desert loop was exciting in itself. After a couple of toll roads, road construction delays, another landslide hold-up, a police checkup, a small town, and narrow dirt roads, Thirsty Bella had to cross a narrow, 100-year-old railroad bridge and traverse two windy, one-way tunnels where opposing traffic was not visible. We kept our fingers crossed when entering these dark, water-filled passageways and, once inside, honked and flickered our headlights for good measure. We made it okay! It took us an entire day to drive from Silvania to Tatacoa.
This desert area in Colombia is relatively small, yet, we hoped to stay a handful of days because we craved peace, solitude, and relaxation.
Sign at the beginning of the loop (north side)
Progress was slow, however, but that was just fine. We were not in a rush and our truck handled the narrow, bouncy, sometimes steep roads and gaping cattle guards without issues. Our biggest obstacles were the trees and pointy bushes hanging over the road. It seemed a while since the last overlander vehicle passed through. Mark’s electric chainsaw came in handy!
What stood out most to us was that the Tatacoa Desert didn’t really feel like a desert. It was overcast most of the time and even here, we dealt with drizzle and one rainy night. Because of the cloud cover and the reliable breeze during the day, it usually didn’t get too hot. But once that sun popped out, sweating and hiding inside or under the awning was key.
We had to move once, because I had a job and the internet wasn’t adequate. Plus, the pesky no-see-ums (gnats or sandflies) were incessant. What I thought would take about half an hour (to find better cell service), ended up being a two-hour drive. There were lots of bushes to cut!
Mark and I truly enjoyed the scenery at every spot we camped at and – also surprisingly – none of us ever stepped in cactus needles or prickers, not even Maya. We could walk her along the dirt roads and cattle trails without issues.
Our favorite spot was a free campsite on a bluff. The view wasn’t as pretty as other locations, but the steady breeze kept the bugs away and allowed us to sit outside. Unfortunately, the sun came out in force the following afternoon, so we decided to leave in the coolness of the truck’s air-conditioning.
Another fun discovery, which our Colombian friend Lali had told us about: the pink fruits of the cacti are edible. I just loved walking around and popping the sweet, juicy treats into my mouth. We literally saw these spiky creatures “give birth” to the fruits, which were easy to remove by gently pulling their stems. So cool!
A jeep, motorcycle, or 4X4 car can easily drive the Tatacoa Desert loop in one day. We happily took our time and spent four separate nights along the route, which is more challenging, remote, and attractive at the northern end.
Once we reached the southern part of the loop, commercialism was present. On a hot afternoon, we cooled off in a spring-fed pool. This is another unique feature about this desert: there is water! In the form of springs, streams (we had to cross a few), and pools. What a concept.
Finding free camping in this area is a bit harder, but we succeeded along a side road that offered space and vistas as well. We only spent one night as higher elevations were calling us!
On the last morning of our desert explorations, we hiked among the Red Desert (as opposed to the Grey Desert elsewhere). The land and sandstone features were different here – more dramatic – and reminded us of a little Bryce Canyon. The effort had us sweating within minutes. Have you ever heard of a humid desert? Another fact that makes Tatacoa so special!
The three of us experienced our quietest nights in this region of the country and – luckily – it wasn’t too hot to sleep. People live in the Tatacoa Desert and it surprised us to find so many fenced-off properties, something that is prominent in Colombia; even in the desert!
This five-day trip offered lots of unexpected discoveries and we are happy Thirsty Bella handled the tracks well and our damaged tire survived. The irony of our excursion was leaving through the small town of Villavieja, where none of the roads were suitable for our truck camper because of low, overhanging trees. The most nerve-racking part of this entire adventure was getting out of town, by following one-way roads in the wrong direction!
Curious about a previous ten-year chapter in our nomadic lives, which includes eight years aboard a 35-foot sailboat in the tropics with dogs, check out my compelling, inspiring, and refreshingly honest travel memoir:
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May 24, 2023 at 10:18
I am always in awe of your adventurousness!
May 26, 2023 at 21:13
Hi Jacqui!
Happy to keep having you along for the rides – from the mountains to the desert and back again! 🙂
May 24, 2023 at 10:21
Yipes—those single lane tunnels. That would make me nervous. I would also feel nervous backing out of one of those if meeting someone coming from the other direction.
My wife and I live where we do because of the moderate temperatures. This is one place I can confidently say that we’ll never visit. It’s still fascinating to read about it.
May 26, 2023 at 21:16
Hi Pete,
Sometimes, it’s an advantage to be big. On one-lane roads (and hopefully in narrow tunnels), the smaller cars usually back up. Of course, it has happened multiple times that we have met trucks and buses on narrow mountain roads, but luckily not in tunnels. Honestly, driving in Colombia – and even on some roads in Ecuador – is not for the faint of heart.
You live in a beautiful and amazing area, but it would be too chilly – and rainy – for us to live. Happy to revisit any time, though! 🙂
May 24, 2023 at 10:54
As you discovered, the showers not only keep the sun off you, they bring out the flowers!
May 26, 2023 at 21:17
Yes, that is certainly true! I hadn’t thought of that over there, though.
May 24, 2023 at 13:12
Fascinating travels and amount of courage it takes to drive through the narrow one-way tunnels plus the wrong way on one-way streets. Now that you’ve proven you can survive these challenges (and previous ones), you are well prepared for the future!. Cheers & wishing you smooth travels.
May 26, 2023 at 21:19
Thanks, Lynn! Yes, we have gathered quite a few experiences in Colombia. Some of them we’d rather not repeat! That being said, travel is all about flexibility, adaptability, open mindedness, creativity, patience, determination, and so much more. What’s life without a good challenge once in a while, right? 🙂
May 24, 2023 at 16:04
Wow, what a change from the scenery in your previous photos! I can only imagine what a relief it must have been to escape the crowds for a few days of peace and solitude. And the cactus fruits are so cool! I learn something new every day… 🙂
May 26, 2023 at 21:22
Hi Diane,
I’m glad I am teaching you a thing or two. 🙂
The desert was an awesome change, for sure. It was so hard in Colombia to find peace and a good night sleep. We had to go to the hot desert to find it! Quite ironic. Of course, we had other challenges there.
Now you know why we have yet to settle anywhere. We haven’t found the perfect spot yet (apart from the fact that this spot doesn’t exist)!
May 24, 2023 at 16:29
I’m glad your mended tire made it through all the bends and bounciness to deliver such diverse scenes. It appears that you are covering every square inch of Colombia–well, almost!
May 26, 2023 at 21:25
Hi Marian,
In those six months, we have gotten a good feel for the country I think. We did travel all over, but not quite. We left the hot and humid lowlands and Amazon region alone and skipped the northern part since we sailed there before.
I often think back about Colombia now. If I would ever live there, so much has yet to be discovered. Right now, there’s a tad too much turmoil going on, though.
May 24, 2023 at 23:01
Glad the tire fared well. This desert is fascinating!
May 26, 2023 at 21:26
I’m glad you liked this short, virtual tour of the Colombian Desert, Margie! We are back in the mountains now and the shorts haven’t appeared since then!
May 27, 2023 at 07:44
I’m dying to know what those pretty cactus fruits tasted like, Liesbet. Were they like apples, pears, plumbs, pineapples, or was it a flavour like nothing else?
Those oneway tunnels look frightening to travel in. Thank goodness you didn’t meet anyone coming the other way.
But those pools full of fresh spring water in the desert look very refreshing. I don’t think I’d survive in a hot humid desert. I’d have had to stay in thirsty Bella with the air-con on full blast.
What a big change from being in Bogota.
May 27, 2023 at 15:46
Here’s the thing about Thirsty Bella, Hugh, she doesn’t have air conditioning. And, even if she would, we would need electricity (and, the right kind, namely 110V) to plug into as our invertor is too small for such a heavy draw. The truck has airco, so if it really gets too hot, we have to go for a drive in that. We don’t like hot and humid either, which is why we’ve been spending most of our time – even here in Ecuador – in the mountains, between 8,000-10,000ft!
The cactus fruits taste slightly sweet, maybe a mix between pear and passion fruit? It’s mostly a refreshing flavor. We were ready for some peace and quiet in nature and lucked out with the breeze during the day.
May 27, 2023 at 12:54
I love the desert but lack of humidity and bugs are some of the things I love. Still it was beautiful – especially little Bryce Canyon.
And I love an adventure down a road where you don’t what to expect next. I imagine those tunnels were a bit nerve wracking!
That’s a pretty nice police van!
I hope all of Mark’s hard work with the chain saw doesn’t grow back before we get there some day.
May 27, 2023 at 15:50
Hi Duwan,
This was an interesting desert. I’m not sure Mark and I would even call it a desert if it wasn’t for the cacti and relatively arid surroundings. But we loved our time there. Probably because it was so different from anywhere else in Colombia.
That police van is nice; this was only the second time in six months that we were stopped in Colombia. Usually, they let us pass. In Ecuador, it’s the opposite, we’ve been stopped and checked each time a police control barricade took place.
You had me smile at your last comment – these trees and bushes grow so fast that you better get over here in a camper soon if you don’t want too much overhang! 🙂
May 28, 2023 at 10:45
I’m glad the days in the desert were nice enough to offset the freakiness of going through those tunnels! Eeeeeek.
May 28, 2023 at 10:55
Those tunnels were fun! Usually, I’d get out of the car and check the other side, but there was standing water in these and walking through would be really scary…
You mean you’ve never encountered similar tunnels on your road trips, Lexie? 🙂 Just kidding. We’ve been in some hairy situations and on hairy roads in Colombia and Ecuador. Luckily, those particular roads were never busy.
May 29, 2023 at 14:34
Wow those tunnels would freak me out with the size of your camper. And interesting those no-see-ums are there too. They are definitely in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 🙂 xx
May 29, 2023 at 22:44
Those no-see-ums thrive in Colombia and Northern Ecuador, Debby. Definitely one of the negatives in this area. We’ve been in cooler regions, so always wear long cloths and socks and shoes, but whenever the sun actually does come out, these pesky insects prevent us from ever wearing shorts. Unless we load ourselves up with DEET mosquito spray. Not the healthiest or best-smelling solution!
May 30, 2023 at 11:12
What a pain. And that’s odd, they usually only come out after sundown in PV. Have your tried natural sprays – citronella, eucalyptus?
June 1, 2023 at 21:29
Yes. Maya has a natural bug repellent with citronella. Unfortunately, poison (DEET) works best. So we usually prefer to wear long clothes.
May 29, 2023 at 16:10
The desert scenery is stunning and I’m glad that you all, especially Maya, had some peaceful nights.
May 29, 2023 at 22:46
While nothing that special when it comes to natural attractions in South America, we did enjoy our time in the Colombian desert. We have come to appreciate a good night sleep, Debra! 🙂
June 26, 2023 at 12:26
Very cool, and the edible cactus fruit! Taste like?
June 29, 2023 at 10:09
Hi Susan,
The cactus fruit doesn’t have a strong flavor, it’s slightly sweet and refreshing. Just the fact that I could pick them off the cacti and eat them was addictive! Some days, I ate ten of them before breakfast, on our morning walk with Mark. Then, I stopped as I didn’t think this would be good for my digestive system. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened, though. 🙂