Yopal
Yopal is a municipality and capital city of the department of Casanare in Colombia. Yopal is a nice city where can enjoy some tinto, and listen to some Musica Llanera. There is a nice central park with a historical museum, good hiking, tasty food (sancocho de gallina and mamona are the local specialities) and is a good hub to explore Los Llanos and all of its nature and wildlife.
Understand
Yopal, named for the indigenous Yopo tree (Anadenanthera peregrina), is located at the terminus of the Eastern Range of the Colombian Andes in the Colombian plains (llanos).
The urban area had a population of 144,000 in 2018.
It has a much hotter climate than cities located in the Andes, such as Bogota or Medellin. Its climate is more similar to the Caribbean cities of Baranquilla and Cartagena, but with less humidity.
Get in
By plane
- 🌍 El Alcaraván Airport (EYP IATA). offers routes to and from Bogota and Bucaramanga.
By train
There are no trains in Yopal.
By car
Yopal is connected to Bogota by three different highways. One highway passes through Villavicencio, one passes through Sogamoso, and one passes through the Andes more directly (Guateque). The highway that passes through Villavicencio is undergoing maintenance as of May 2022, and the highway through Sogamoso is in the best condition. Yopal is also connected to Bucaramanga and Cucuta by highway.
By bus
Yopal is serviced by a bus terminal where buses regularly depart for most major citiies, including Bogota, Bucaramanga, and Villavicencio. The bus line Libertadores is reliable and has frequent departures.
By boat
You cannot arrive to Yopal by boat.
Get around
The city is very walkable, but taxis and buses are cheap and plentiful. There is no Uber or Lyft in the city.
See
- The Central Park: Plenty of nearby cafes and decorations during Christmas season. There is a historical museum next to the park with interesting photos, and you can learn how Yopal got its name!
- Ramon Nonato Park: Next to central park
Do
- 🌍 Parque La Iguana.Take a walk to El Parque de la Iguana where there is a path that leads to the River Cravo Sur. Great for seeing tropical birds, and or course, iguanas! You may even see an iguana bigger than a human! (in statue form).
- 🌍 Statue of the Virgen. Hike up to the statue for some great views of Yopal. To get to the Virgen, it takes about 1 hour. Relax and enjoy a Soursop (guanabana) juice at the top. There is a path on the way to the Virgen Statue that instead goes through the Andes and has excellent views of both the mountains and the plains. That hike takes about 4 hours round trip.
- 🌍 Garcero del llano.During rain season go to Garcero del Llano and then eat some arepas con queso and orange juice in Doña Barbara.
- 🌍 Reserva Natural El Encanto de Guanapalo., a few hours outside Yopal, offers wildlife safari. At the wildlife reserve you can see capybaras, anteaters, alligators, and plenty of birds, all living together peacefully. To arrive, you can contact them through their website (https://elencantodeguanapalo.com/en/%5Bdead+link%5D) to coordinate transport and lodging.
Buy
- Buy traditional instrumentos, like maracas or cuatro
Eat
Be sure to try tungo, rellena, hayacas, sancocho de gallina, picadas y mamona.
Mid-range
- GHL Hotel and Restaurant: Grab a bite to eat and listen to traditional music from the region (Llanera) at GHL Hotel and restaurant. Every Thursday evening there is live music and dancing.
Sleep
- hotel la bendicion, kilometro 3 via sirivana (kilometro 3 via sirivana), ☏ +57 3213769119.
Stay safe
Yopal is a safe city. Normal precautions are plenty.
Stay healthy
Only drink bottled water. Watch out for the mosquitoes; be sure to bring repellent.