Going to Juan Solito and enjoying Hato La Aurora is equal to visiting Nelson Barragán and his family; this is not a countryside hotel, nor a tourist ranch; this is the chance to become a part of the family and its natural environment. You’ll feel at home, pampered at all times and enjoying delicious food, endless gardens, nature all around, fauna of all sorts, comfortable yet unpretentious rooms, cold water to wake up with, and the kind service of a team that will assist and guide you throughout your daily adventures.
Visiting this place is allowing yourself an encounter with the eastern plain’s cattle raising culture, the hosts of this rustic and unruly land, and the traditions they will share with you, will make you feel like they are your very own. Here, you breath discipline and love for an ancient activity that remains and is shared with all the respect and solemnity it deserves. If you wish, you can watch and learn from the best cattle ranchers, you will listen to their songs (hopefully through the voice of Nelson himself) and through them experience the tales this land has to tell, discover how they managed to keep their traditions and preserve the fauna, understanding the actual heart of this project.
You must bear in mind that Juan Solito comes with a new adventure every day, there is no schedule to follow and we do our activities depending on the interests of our guests, the weather conditions and above all, what nature has to offer each day. The best part of Juan Solito is exactly that, not knowing what the next day may bring, knowing how your day begins, but not how it will end, letting yourself be led by the advice of your hosts and by what nature has to offer. It’s the best way to experience this land!
Here, nature is at the hand of its visitors and it sets the conditions for your adventures every day, we want nothing planned and that makes you discover this destination in a spontaneous and perfect manner for travelers that are passionate about culture and nature. This is a temple of biodiversity preservation for this region and for Colombia, which is why there is always something new to do, from resting, to trying all possible activities (a boat ride through the Ariari River, horseback riding through the reserve, visiting Hato La Aurora’s main house, walking along the riverside in search of an anaconda, and bird watching, among many others).
This oasis in the middle of the eastern plains offers a completely different adventure during the rainy season and summer. Each season has it’s own pros and cons, but Juan Solito and the Ranch are equally fascinating and overwhelming throughout the year (I went during the rainy season).
Summer:
- Fauna comes together and it is easier to view it.
- The trip from Yopal to Juan Solito is shorter: between 3 to 4 hours.
- The temperature is much higher.
- There are more ticks.
- It is the high season for the region.
- It is the best season for viewing anacondas.
Rainy season:
- Fauna is not as close together to watch it as during the summer, yet in Juan Solito and the Ranch, fauna is always the biggest attraction.
- The trip from Yopal to Juan Solito is longer: between 6 to 8 hours.
- The weather is not that hot, there can be a lot of rainfall.
- There are no ticks.
- This is not considered the high season in the region.
- Although they are visible, it’s not that easy to find anacondas.
