Getting to Riohacha: arrive the day before
Every route in this La Guajira travel guide starts in Riohacha, La Guajira's capital. Punta Gallinas Tours trips leave from Riohacha, not from Santa Marta, at 8:30 a.m. on day 1, so plan to arrive the day before and spend the night in town. That way, a delay on your way to Riohacha won't make you miss the departure. Your advisor confirms the meeting point when you book.
The night in Riohacha isn't included: the tours only cover the nights in rancherías. Breakfast on day 1 isn't included either, so eat before you set off, and take out all the cash you'll need for the trip before leaving town.
If you're coming from Santa Marta or Palomino, our Santa Marta to La Guajira guide covers the ways to get to Riohacha and how to fit both into one trip. For a longer route along the coast, the Colombia Caribbean coast itinerary shows where La Guajira fits in 7, 10 or 14 days.
The route: Riohacha, Uribia, Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas
The tours leave Riohacha and head north through La Guajira. The first stretch is by road, with a stop at the Manaure salt flats, Colombia's largest salt works, and then Uribia, known as the country's Indigenous capital. Uribia is the last stop before the desert and the place to stock up on water, snacks and food.
From Uribia there is no paved road to Cabo de la Vela or Punta Gallinas: the rest of the way is on desert tracks, by 4×4. All three tours spend their first night in Cabo de la Vela. From there the route north runs along Bahía Honda and Bahía Hondita to Punta Gallinas, the northernmost point of mainland South America. Around Punta Gallinas the tours visit the Taroa dunes and the Punta Gallinas lighthouse.
How many days you need for a La Guajira trip
It depends on how far you want to go. Cabo de la Vela takes 2 days. Punta Gallinas takes 3, or 4 if you want a second night there and the sunset at Punta Agujas.
Tour details as of October 5, 2026. Source: Punta Gallinas Tours.
Tour | How far it goes | Nights in a chinchorro hammock | Back in Riohacha | From (COP per person, groups of 6 or more) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cabo de la Vela | 1, in Cabo de la Vela | Day 2, after lunch | 409,500 | |
Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas | 2: Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas | Day 3, around 3:00 p.m. | 900,000 | |
Cabo de la Vela, Punta Gallinas and Punta Agujas | 3: Cabo de la Vela (1) and Punta Gallinas (2) | Day 4, after breakfast | 955,500 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
2 days
This is the Cabo de la Vela trip. On day 1 you leave Riohacha, stop at the Manaure salt flats and Uribia, reach Cabo de la Vela around midday and continue to Playa Dorada and the Cabo de la Vela lighthouse for sunset. Day 2 starts at the Pilón de Azúcar hill and goes on to Ojo de Agua beach and Playa Arcoíris before heading back to Riohacha after lunch. It's a good fit if you're short on time or new to the desert.
3 days
Three days is the minimum to see Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas on one trip. Day 1 passes through Manaure and Uribia, and the afternoon in Cabo de la Vela takes in Playa Arcoíris, Pilón de Azúcar and Playa Dorada before sunset at the lighthouse. Day 2 runs from Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas, arriving around 2:00 p.m., and the afternoon is free. Day 3 starts early at the Taroa dunes, stops at the Punta Gallinas lighthouse, breaks for lunch in Uribia and gets back to Riohacha around 3:00 p.m. Expect long hours in the 4×4 and two nights in a chinchorro hammock.
4 days
Same route, at an easier pace. After the Taroa dunes and the Punta Gallinas lighthouse, day 3 ends with sunset at Punta Agujas beach and a second night in Punta Gallinas. On day 4 you head back to Riohacha after breakfast.
Budget: tour or independent
The tours are private, and the price per person, taxes included, depends on how many travelers are in your booking, from 1 to 6 or more. Prices are in Colombian pesos (COP); the USD and EUR amounts shown on the site are for reference only. The table shows two group sizes: 2 travelers and groups of 6 or more.
2026 prices per person in COP, taxes included, valid until December 31, 2026. Source: Punta Gallinas Tours.
Item | With a tour | On your own |
|---|---|---|
Cabo de la Vela, 2 days | COP 803,250 for 2 travelers; COP 409,500 for groups of 6 or more | Private 4×4 transport, quoted on request |
Punta Gallinas, 3 days | COP 1,650,000 for 2 travelers; COP 900,000 for groups of 6 or more | Private 4×4 transport, quoted on request |
Punta Gallinas, 4 days | COP 1,874,250 for 2 travelers; COP 955,500 for groups of 6 or more | Private 4×4 transport, quoted on request |
Meals | The ones listed for each tour | Extra, paid in cash |
Where you sleep | Chinchorro hammock in a Wayuu ranchería; a bed is COP 30,000 per person per night | Extra, paid in cash |
Getting to Riohacha and your night there | Not included | Not included |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
With 3, 4 or 5 travelers, the price per person falls between those figures, and each tour page lists every group size. Tours are for travelers over 6 years old, and there is no child rate: each traveler pays the per-person rate for the group.
Going on your own means hiring private 4×4 transport, which we quote on WhatsApp or through a request form. You then pay for lodging and meals separately, in cash, wherever you stay and eat.
Neither option covers flights or buses to Riohacha, tips, alcoholic drinks, extra meals, a translator (the driver-guides speak Spanish) or your spending money for crafts and local expenses.
To book a tour, you pay a 7% deposit on the total, or the full amount online; the balance is due before or at the start of the tour, in cash or by payment link. There is no penalty if you cancel or change until 5:00 p.m. (Colombia time) on the business day before departure; after that, the penalty is 20% of the total. The full terms are in our booking policy.
Where to sleep and what to eat
On the tours you sleep in chinchorro hammocks in Wayuu rancherías: one night in Cabo de la Vela on the 2-day tour; one in Cabo de la Vela and one in Punta Gallinas on the 3-day tour; and one in Cabo de la Vela and two in Punta Gallinas on the 4-day tour. If you'd rather have a bed, ask when you book. It costs COP 30,000 per person per night, subject to availability.
Before you go, ask your advisor what facilities the ranchería has on your dates. For the night, bring a flashlight or headlamp and a light jacket, since it can get breezy. The full list is in our guide on what to pack.
Meals on the tours are regional dishes prepared by local cooks. The 2-day tour includes 1 breakfast, 2 lunches and 1 dinner; the 3-day tour includes 2 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 2 dinners. On both, breakfast on day 1 isn't included. Your advisor will give you the meal plan for the 4-day tour when you book. If you have a dietary restriction, mention it then too.
Alcoholic drinks and additional dishes, such as lobster, are not included and are paid in cash. Bring your own snacks and a reusable water bottle for the hours in the 4×4.
Tips and responsible travel
Here is our advice for traveling in La Guajira. Book early and choose a tour based on how many days you have, not on the list of stops: the trip is long, conditions are basic, and an extra day spreads the driving out. If your dates fall in the rainy season, message us on WhatsApp before you book to ask about track conditions.
On the road, drink water often, wear high-SPF sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, and stay with your group at every stop. Leave places as you found them: don't take plants, animals, shells or stones.
Cash and phone coverage
There are no ATMs or card payments on the Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas route. Bring cash from Riohacha for drinks, snacks, crafts, a bed if you ask for one and the tour balance if you're paying it in cash.
Ask your advisor what cell coverage is like on your route and dates. Share your itinerary with someone you trust, download maps and documents before you set off and carry a power bank.
Passport, language and travel advice
You don't need to carry your original passport on the tour: a photocopy is enough, and the authorities may ask for it along the way. Keep it in a waterproof bag with your cash.
The local driver-guides speak Spanish, and a translator is not included. If you need English during the trip, say so when you book so your advisor can tell you what is possible on your dates.
Before you travel, read your government's travel advice for Colombia (in the U.S., the State Department; in the UK, the Foreign Office; in Canada, Global Affairs Canada; in Australia, Smartraveller).
Respect in Wayuu territory
You spend the tour nights in Wayuu rancherías, which are people's homes: treat them that way. Ask before you photograph anyone, and take no for an answer. Don't go into a house unless you're invited.
If you want a Wayuu mochila (bag) or another craft, buy it from the person who made it, and pay in cash.
Trash and water
On the route, everyone carries out their own trash. Keep your waste in a bag until you find a place to throw it away, and avoid single-use plastics. Bring a reusable water bottle instead of buying small ones.
Which tour to choose
With 4 days, the Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas tour spends one night in Cabo de la Vela and two in Punta Gallinas. With 3, the Punta Gallinas tour 3 days gets back to Riohacha around 3:00 p.m. on day 3. Both include a local driver-guide and medical assistance insurance during the trip.
