Colombia Tour

  Check out Colombia Photo Galleries of past Mushroaming Adventures:
 
275 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2017             220 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2016 
190 
photos from  Mushroaming Colombia 2015            130 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2014 

250+ photos from  Colombia 2020 , Colombia Cordyceps 2020           171 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2023



Mushroaming Colombia 2024 - April 24 to May 5


 
Expert guided by Daniel Winkler & Dr. Tatiana Sanjuan
 

Graphic of the 2024 Mushroaming Colombia tour itinerary by Tatiana Sanjuan PhD
 

See Tatiana's images from the places to be visited  

171 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2023 

 

 

Colombia 2024 Tour Description

by Tatiana Sanjuan PhD 
 

 The tour starts in the evening of April 24 in the buzzing Andes metropolis of Bogotá, where we are meeting at our hotel. On April 25 we will explore Bogotá’s rich culture and learn about its political history. In the morning we will visit Bogotá Botanical Garden and later the world-famous Gold Museum, where we can see Psilocybe made in gold by the ancient indigenous people of Colombia. In the afternoon we will explore the historic neighborhood Candelaria in the heart of the city.

 

Friday, April 26, early in the morning we will drive southwest in our van from Bogotá to the Chicaque Natural park located in the rocky western slope of the Sabana de Bogotá. This park protects an Andean Cloud Forest dominated by old-growth Andean oaks (this oak is the southern-most Quercus species on the globe) where we will hunt mushrooms. Indigo Milkcaps, Chanterelles, boletes and many other mushrooms wait to be found. Moreover, we will look for the trapdoor spider Cordyceps: Cordyceps nidus which was described for first time in this forest by Dr. Tatiana Sanjuan. We will spend two nights in this amazing cloud forest. Accommodation will be available for couples and multiple rooms.


April 28, we depart from Chicaque towards the Llanos Orientales region, the eastern plains. On the way we will pass through the South of Bogotás, a city of contrasts. We will descend over the eastern mountain range of the Andes and observe how the cloud forest transforms into tropical foothill jungle. We will stop on the way to look for mushrooms. In the afternoon we will arrive in Villavicencio, the gate of the eastern plains; It is renowned for its amazing "llaneros culture" and the city with the best beef in Colombia. The next day we will visit the Ocarros Natural Park, a home to tropical animals rescued from animal trafficking. Along the trails of this park, we will enjoy the mushrooms of the tropical dry forest. 


April 30, early in the morning we start our journey towards the Guayana Shield. We will drive through Colombia’s “pantry”, where all kinds of fruits and vegetables are grown to feed the country. After two hours we will enjoy "Maracuya", passion fruit crops and also stop to drink some fresh juice in "Fuente de Oro" town. The next two hours the plains will be transformed into jungle and stony patches. When crossing the big Guaviare river, we have arrived in the province of Guaviare, which includes the north-western reaches of the Amazon rainforest. This is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. However, from the mid-1960s onwards the region was dominated by the FARC, a Marxist guerrilla organization. Luckily, in 2016 a peace accord with the Colombian government was ratified. Our first stop will be "Playa Guio", a community lodge located on an island of the Guaviare River, where monkeys, birds and other animals roam. This place is the home of zombie ants (Ophiocordyceps unilateralis) and another amazing fungi. We sleep in a cabin equipped with mosquito nets, since they are plentiful at night.


On May 1, we will visit one of the oldest known petroglyphs in South America. The petroglyphs of "Cerro Azul" are more than 12500 years old. On sites along nearly five miles of sandstone cliffs we can see extinct mammals and human activities from the late Pleistocene. Surrounding this amazing Lindosa's Tepui we will enjoy the jungle. It is the habitat of Cookeina, Xylaria, Favolaschia, Ophiocordyceps and other gorgeous and famous tropical fungi. We will spend the day there and return to Playa Guio for dinner and overnight stay.


May 2, early in the morning we will visit the rocky associations of the ancient Shield of Guiana: First, the Tunnels, where water erosion has created fantastic tunnels and we can see amazing flora and fungi, unique and well adapted to extreme conditions. After this early walk, we will visit "Los Pozos" where we will find ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Dipterocarpaceae trees. In this place we will swim in the river formed by the erosion of the Shield of Guiana. We will spend the night in the town of San Jose del Guaviare.


On May 3, we will travel by boat two hours on the Guaviare River to the community of Nare, where we will spend the night. We will be in the foothills of the Colombian Amazon, a place of dense jungle, home to huge fungi such as Ganoderma, Polyporus, Auricularia, bioluminescent mushrooms and of course the zombie fungi. We hope to swim with the pink dolphins that live in the Nare lagoon.


On May 4, after breakfast, we will return to San Jose and after lunch we will go to visit the Orion gate, an impressive stone formation that was used for orientation by the ancestral natives. Here, we will discover small mushrooms and plants that have been able to adapt to this incredible environment. We will return to San Jose and enjoy the sunset on the waterfront of the Guaviare River and have our good-bye dinner celebrating the fabulous journey of the Fungal Fellowship. May 5, we get ready for flying back to Bogotá in the early afternoon. Participants can catch their international flights in the evening or spend more time in Bogotá.

 

Please note that sometimes the itinerary might have to be changed due to circumstances.


Colombia is a very diverse, listed as one of the world's 17 megadiverse countries, actually the most biodiverse per square kilometer. Colombia is a truly fascinating country. Traveling in Colombia is such a joy. Colombians seem so happy and proud to share their country with foreigners again.  It is emerging as one of the most enticing destinations in South America since civil unrest has ceased and normality has returned. Colombia is located at the nexus of South and Central America.  

For preregistration do send us an email, the 2019 and 2020, 2023 tours sold out!

 

Cost - MushRoaming Colombia 2024
 

$4350  (8-10 participants) 

$4650 (7 participants) - $4950 (6 participants)
 

We expect the tour to fill up to at least 8 participants

Price includes all expenses on the ground for accommodations in double room where available, meals & ground transportation. Not included are alcoholic drinks, coffee breaks, snacks, laundry, tips, souvenirs, etc. Also not included are airport transport at the beginning and end of the tour. 

Single room extra charge $250 (when available, in several location only double rooms are available).

Participants will need to organize their own flights to and back from Bogotá. It is recommended to arrive at least a day or two in advance, we will help booking a room, so you have some time to adjust to climate and altitude. 
 
 

Note: For years Colombia's tourism has suffered from lack of security in the country. However, the security for foreigners has substantially improved in recent years. In late 2016 the government has signed a peace accord with the biggest rebel fraction and Colombia is moving beyond the painful decades of internal violent clashes and tourism is picking up again. Still providing safe travels is most important to us and we need to state that there is a slight chance that we would need to adjust the itinerary in case of unforeseen changes in public safety. 


Some images of the places we will visit taken by Tatiana Sanjuan. More are online in my Mushroaming Gallery 

Incredible petroglyphs in Cerro Azul near San Jose del Guaviare. A very interesting The Guardian article describes this incredible site. Here a quote from the Guardian: "Their date is based partly on their depictions of now-extinct ice age animals, such as the mastodon, a prehistoric relative of the elephant that hasn’t roamed South America for at least 12,000 years. There are also images of the palaeolama, an extinct camelid, as well as giant sloths and ice age horses."
 

 

Guaviare River, a tributary to the Amazon catchment. 

 

Tepui landscape in the Shield of Guyana

 

Los Pozos near San Jose del Guaviare

To see beautiful mushroom images from many previous Mushroaming Colombia adventures visit my Photo Gallery or go straight to the 2023 photos: Mushroaming Colombia 2023

 

Below photos from our Mushroaming Colombia journeys some years ago. The Mushroaming photo galleries, linked on top and at the bottom of this page have many more images and more recent ones:

 


These oak-associated chanterelles are very closer to the Smooth Chanterelle Cantharellus lateritius.

 


Clouds enshroud the mountain oak forests (Quercus humboldtii).

 Bromelia in Arcabuco ed S.jpg
Bromelias in Andean oak (Quercus humboldtii) forest. Photo: Tatiana Sanjuan

  
A scarlet Favolaschia, which is a gorgeous wood decaying member of the Mycenaceae family. Most Mycenaceaea members are regular gilled mushrooms.


Guzmania, a member of the Bromeliaceae family, which also includes pineapples and Tillandsia 


Laternea dringii, a tiny but gorgeous strange stinkhorn endemic to the neotropics growing in late stage decaying wood in Rio Claro, Antioquia, Colombia
.



Río Claro - note the waterfall coming out of a karst cave.

Streets from Barichara ed S.jpg
Looking down a street to the cathedral in Barichara. Photo: Tatiana Sanjuan


Diverse neotropical forests in Maraquita.


Nice juicy, big chanterelles. Hardly any Chanterelles or for that matter any other edible mushrooms are collected in Colombia due to lack of knowledge. The exception is in the Villa de Leyva area, where people collect corals, chanterelles and a neotropical Shiitake relative.


Lentinula aciculospora is a close cousin of Shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and also a good edible and known as such in the Villa de Leyva area.

Ramaria sp. "Manita" Iguaque Colombia
A Ramaria
sp. coral known locally as "Manita" and appreciated as an edible mushroom. Seen near Iguaque Parque Nacional.

Ophiocordyceps unilateralis
A "Zombie ant" with the parasitic fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis growing out of its neck. This ant was direct by the fungus in this location. At this point the fungal fruiting body is not developed yet beyond a little "horn-like" structure. Once the fungus has moved the ant in its final location for optimal spore dispersion, it makes the any bite into a leaf or twig and/or clasp a twig. Then the ant will be killed off by the fungus and the fungal mycelium will anchor the insect to the site. At this point the fruiting body will grow and mature.

 
A Cordyceps stroma growing out of a steep slope. Digging out will reveal its identity, see below...


Ophiocordyceps caloceroides group growing on a trap-door idiopidae spider. See below for a close up (the tip had been sniped of for analysis.

Link to my Cordyceps of Colombia blog page 

 

MUSHROAMING COLOMBIA 2023

  By Drew Bennie

Here with Mushroaming, our little band,
Searching for Mushrooms across this big land.
Wet by the rain, burnt by the sun
On our daily Mushroom forays but all having fun.

On a horse, holding the reins,
Across the termite mound covered plains.
Sloshing across the Pantanal
While Capybaras stare at us all.

Caiman lounging by the lagoon,
In the sun at high noon.
Don’t get too close, give him room
Or he’ll swim off way too soon.

Across the U.S. from different places,
Seeing new things, meeting new faces.
Viewing tropical birds and interesting plants,
Little Deer and Foxes and Leaf Cutting Ants.

All sorts of Mushrooms, too many to choose!
You don’t see the Puma but you know he sees you!
Led by two Mushroom experts who know how to roam
But after two weeks, it’s time to go home.

 


Capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), the largest of all rodents are soaking in style near Rancho Montana in Casanare.

 

Farmer from Pauna Boyaca with edible mushrooms ed S.jpg
Farmers from Pauna Boyaca with edible corals (Ramaria sp.) and Indigo milkycap (Lactarius indigo). Photo: Tatiana Sanjuan

Frida Cacao, the best place for eat cacao ed S.jpg
Frida Cacao is the best place to taste the locally grown chocolates. Photo: Tatiana Sanjuan


Leucocoprinus birnbaumii seen in Rancho Montana, Casanare. Elsewhere known as the Flowerpot Dapperling.

 Laternea pusilla
Laternea pusilla,  
a strange stinkhorn fungus. 
 



A porcini-like Bolete we found near Villa de Leyva. It could be Boletus variipes. It had the nutty mild taste, people love in porcini.

 


Mycena holoporphyra, a common Bonnet

Clathrus pair egg Tayrona DW Ms.jpg
Clathrus sp. stinkhorn with egg of immature stinkhorn. Seen in Tayrona. 

Cock of the Rock Rupicola Peruviana DW Ms.jpg
A Cock of the Rock (Rupicola peruviana) seen in Jardin.


Boletellus ananas Colombia
Boletellus ananas growing with Humboldt's oak in the Colombian Andes. What a beautiful and strange partial veil from the extended skin of the cap (pileipellis) this bolete has! In the USA it is reported from Florida. Furthermore, in Southwest China and Tibet grows a very similar mushroom, so far listed under this name.
 

Marasmius sprucei
The tiny Marasmius sprucei growing out of twigs.

Balomophora mycoheterotroph
As many other members of the Balaonphoraceae family this Heliosis sp. looks quite fungal. Actually some of its cousins were first 
erroneously described as fungi! Balaonphoraceae are direct root parasites and do not produce any photosynthetic sugars themselves, but feed of others plants.

Helosis sp?
Once in flower Balaonphoraceae do not look very fungal anymore, but are still a very strange plants. This should be a male Langsdorffia hypogaea. Seen in
 Chicaque, April 2015 in 2400m. 


Lactarius indigo, a spectacular milk-cap that is oak associated from the US East Coast down to Colombia. It is also edible.


The ubiquitous Blewit, Lepista or Clitocybe nuda. A good edible!


A hiking path passing through the cloud mountain oak forest. The temperature is perfect for hiking under such conditions!


Diglossa cyanea Masked Flower-Piercer
Diglossa cyanea, the Masked Flower-Piercer is easy to observe in Chicaque.

 


Tatiana Sanjuan, our Colombian guide and PhD mycologist. She is good with mushrooms and people! and loves to share her fascination for her home country. Daniel Winkler on her side in the cloud forest in front of a big Andean oak (Quercus humboldtii) back in 2013.


Blackwellomyces pseudomilitaris is an impressive Cordyceps growing on giant larvae seen in Rio Claro, Dep. Antioquia

Isaria tenuipes colombia
Isaria tenuipes, a Cordyceps anamorph so abundant, we stopped photographing it.



A gorgeous Favolaschia seen in Chicaque Preserve, 2500m.


The cluster of the above depicted individual Favolaschia growing from a big fallen branch.

Hymenogloea papyracea

Hymenogloea papyracea, a gilled mushroom from the Marasmiaceae family without gills.

 
Xylaria teleomorph and anamorph growing side by side.



Macrolepiota colombiana
"Sombrillas o caicas" (Macrolepiota colombiana or something close to it) Colombian parasol, a choice edible mushroom.  Source:  Ruiz, Angélik; Henao M., Luis Guillermo; Peña, Yiny Consuelo; Martínez, Eduard 2008. Hongos comestibles de Iguaque. Bogotá Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humbold, 8 p.

 


Masdevallia ignea orchid encountered in Bogota's beautiful Botanical Garden. Masdevallias are endemic from Mexico to south Brazil. They mostly grow in the higher regions from 2500 to 4000 m, especially in the Andes.

 


A wild Fuchsia.


Begonia flowering near Termales del Ruiz in 2600m.

Gunnera giant Heidi Schor
A giant Gunnera hiding Heidi in the highlands. 

Gunnera ground cover Paramo colombia
A tiny Gunnera flower branching off a ground covering vine growing in the Paramo. Most people know Gunnera as giant perennials.


Leotia viscosaalso known as Chicken lips, is also encountered in North America and Europe.


Dictyonema sp., a lichenized basidiomycete from the Hygrophoraceae. In the past there was only a few species recognized, but new DNA research shows an incredible diversity of maybe 100 or even more species. In Ecuador grows Dictyonema huaorani, which is reported to be psychedelic.

Cryptothecia rubrocincta Christmas wreath lichen
A very striking and widely distributed forest lichen in tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas: Cryptothecia rubrocincta, known in North America as the Christmas wreath lichen.

All pictures © Daniel Winkler unless otherwise noted

Galleries:

from Mushroaming Colombia 2023 

221 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2020 

48 Cordyceps photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2020 

165 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2019  

275 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2017  

220 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2016  

190 photos from Mushroaming Colombia 2015  

130 photos  Mushroaming Colombia 2014

My Cordyceps in Colombia page

  

 Page first uploaded April, 2013

Last update Jan. 29, 2024

 

Last edited on Mon, January 29, 2024, 7:13 pm