Natural beauty abounds in Colombia's La Guajira, located 380 mi/610 km north of Bogota and about a two-hour drive toward Venezuela from Santa Marta, and some of the country's most stark desert scenery is found there. Part of the Guajira desert is encompassed within Macuira National Park, to the extreme northeast of the region, which itself forms a peninsula at the very far northeast of Colombia—Punta Gallina is the northernmost point in South America.
The desert of cactus-studded plains and sand dunes is the home of the Wayuu indigenous people, whose hammock-weaving skills are particularly noteworthy. La Guajira Desert is sparsely inhabited, and the Wayuu live in widely dispersed Rancherias—small family units comprising a few humble huts made of cactus stems. Many Rancherias welcome visitors and offer an immersion in the Wayuu way of life.
At Cabo de la Vela, visitors can go windsurfing and/or laze on the white-sand beach. Punta Gallina can be reached by boat from Puerto Bolivar and is the best place for overland adventures to the sand dunes and for boat excursions to lagoons where flamingoes can be seen.
Tour operators in Riohacha, the coastal city that serves the area, offer overnight trips. Kaishi Travel (phone 575-717-7306; http://www.kaishitravel.com) has day excursions and longer adventures.
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