Arauca Route
The encounter between indigenous people, liberators, and settlers shaped for years what we now know as Arauca, a land where borders blend between plains, rivers, and forests. History tells that in its capital, Simón Bolívar met with his liberation council, and for that singular day, July 16, 1816, Arauca became the capital of the country. During your visit to the department, you will come across multiple sites of historical importance. To better understand its recent history, it’s worth considering that many of its inhabitants are descendants of travelers who arrived seeking lands, following rumors describing its beautiful landscapes. Such is the case for several artisans we want you to meet, who arrived in Arauca bringing along their cultural heritage, cuisines, and artisanal customs from their native lands, such as the weaving from Boyacá or shoemaking from Santander. There are also those who, upon arriving and encountering the llanero culture of these lands and its nature, learned to work with leather, wood, and bone, or who descend from an ancient indigenous lineage and dedicate themselves to keeping their artisanal tradition alive, deeply tied to the territory.
While tourism wasn’t the department’s strength until a few years ago, we encourage you to explore its potential while supporting its recovery process from the violence that plagued it for decades. Here, birds, reptiles, dolphins, capybaras, and, of course, cattle, a fundamental piece of llanera culture, abound. The local culture is enriched by its songs and dances like the joropo. Prepare yourself for hot and humid days as you travel through its fields filled with plantain, rice, fish farming, and petroleum, in addition to discovering its surprising recent wealth: cocoa, awarded as one of the world’s best.
Embark on a journey full of history
Artisans along the way
Artisans along the way
We recommended this tour
Recommendations
4 days
Length
Low
Physical Complexity
Car or Bus
Transportation
Schedule the visit in advance with the artisans.
Carry cash
Preferably go with a tour operator
ARAUCA
In Arauca, a city where borders merge, you’ll encounter its friendly people who are adept at the joropo dance. These two qualities are perfectly exemplified by the first two artisans of the Arauca Route. There’s Estefanía Arrieta, a bead weaver whose joyful spirit will infect you, and Orlando Osorio, who crafts traditional leather “cotizas,” essential in the joropo dance. At the Malecón, on the riverbank that separates Colombia from Venezuela, you can experience local culture, meet its fishermen, and chile and atarraya net weavers. Nearby is the International Bridge José Antonio Páez, an important point for trade and the flow of people between Colombia and Venezuela. You can also visit monuments that exalt the region’s cattle culture and its page in the history of independence, including Bolívar Park. If you’re into ecotourism, you can book a bird watching tour or a dolphin watching tour to experience the department’s great diversity firsthand, or visit the Parque Ecológico del Llano.
ARAUQUITA— SARAVENA — FORTUL — TAME
On your way to Arauquita, 98 kilometers from the capital, you’ll find the Monument to Cocoa Park, a place entirely devoted to this delicious fruit where you’ll learn about its processing. Upon arriving in Arauquita, the Arauca River’s waters will still accompany you, which you can appreciate from the Malecón or by bathing in the beaches along its banks. Here, you’ll be greeted by artisan María José Fernández, a disciplined woman who has dedicated years to studying and perfecting weaving with banana stem fibers.
Wake up in Arauquita and head to Saravena, 58 kilometers away, where Dámaso Caicedo’s hammocks and José Claudio Vázquez’s wooden carved animals will show you another side of the llanerp culture. Take the opportunity to see the wide Bojaba River from the bridge that crosses it toward Boyacá and taste products made with excellent local cocoa at Más que Cacao. Return to the road towards Fortul to meet Wilmer Fabián Jaimes, a musician and luthier crafting bone rests and totumo maracas, and spend the night in Tame, 27 kilometers from Fortul.
TAME
In Tame, the tourism and historical capital of the department, the encounter between Simón Bolívar and Francisco de Paula Santander took place. During your visit, you’ll find numerous monuments commemorating the importance of this region for the country’s freedom in the General Santander Park and the Church of the Divine Child. We conclude this artisanal route on a high note. Ana Delia will showcase the weaving heritage she brought from Boyacá, and the charismatic Pedro Solórzano will tell you more about leatherworking and llanero life while singing one of the passages composed for his beloved land.
At the Tame Biopark, you can walk a special trail for bird watching. Remember that in Tame, you’ll be very close to El Cocuy National Natural Park if you wish to extend your visit from the llanero heat to the cold of the páramo and snow-capped peaks.
Recommended sites
Important information for your trip
Pueblo Patrimonio
La Red Turística de Pueblos Patrimonio de Colombia es un programa especial del Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, ejecutado por FONTUR, que trabaja con 17 municipios de Colombia que poseen declaratoria de Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) a nivel nacional para su valoración y proyección mediante el turismo, generando así más oportunidades de desarrollo y sostenibilidad en las comunidades.
La Medalla a la Maestría Artesanal es un galardón que Artesanías de Colombia entrega anualmente, con el cual se hace un reconocimiento a aquellos artesanos, empresas y comunidades artesanales que, contando con una trayectoria destacada, sobresalen a nivel nacional por su excelencia en el oficio así como por preservar el quehacer artesanal.
Denominación de Origen
Es un signo distintivo que identifica productos reconocidos o famosos por tener una calidad o características específicas derivadas esencialmente del lugar de origen y la forma tradicional de extracción, elaboración y producción por parte de sus habitantes. La protección conferida sobre una Denominación de Origen implica que ninguna persona puede identificar con la denominación protegida productos iguales o similares a los amparados, cuando no provengan del verdadero lugar y no cumplan con las características o calidades que le han dado la reputación al producto reconocido. Las Denominaciones de Origen para productos artesanales colombianos que han sido protegidas por la Superintendencia de Industria y Comercio en nuestro país son actualmente 12.
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