Caguan Expeditions

Closed off to the world for more than 50 years due to the Colombian conflict, San Vicente del Caguán became a demilitarized zone in the 1990s offering a safe haven to rebels to regroup and embark on new futures. Since then, the community has been confronted with much prejudice and many locals too, who had nothing to do with the conflict, have also been marginalized. But since the peace agreement in 2016, many FARC guerrillas have put down their guns and taken up oars in the adventure travel industry, often leading rafting tours on the area’s uncharted rivers. Situated on the Caguán River and Pato River, Caguán Expeditions was set up as part of the peace process to offer former guerrillas and their families training and employment in the tourism industry, providing not only rafting expeditions but also a homestay experience and treks through the Amazon jungle to sites that are historically significant with the aim of encouraging reconciliation and building lasting peace.

Travelers who stay at Caguán Expeditions can enjoy a homestay experience with local families, traditional meals and rafting on the river Caguán. They can hike walking trails, which along with the Museum for Former Rebels, reinterpret the recent conflict by re-examining Colombian history and the status of former guerrillas.