Neiva - Neiva

View of the city from the Mohan lookout

Neiva it is the capital of the department Colombian of Huila.

Understand

Neiva has become an important tourist destination in Colombia, thanks to the natural beauty of the Tatacoa Desert, water sports at the Betania dam, caving in the Paicol caves and other towns, the Sampedro festivities in June, and its proximity to the archaeological ruins of San Agustin.

Location

The city of Neiva is located in the Andean region on the banks of the Magdalena River between the central and western mountain ranges. At just under 500 meters above sea level, Neiva stands out for being an extremely flat city, suitable for growing rice.

Neiva is one of the most important cities in southern Colombia, and has a population of 350 thousand inhabitants

Weather

Due to the proximity of the city with the line of the equator, there are no climatic stations, as in the whole country, so the climate depends entirely on the height at which the city is. Neiva is one of the hottest cities in the country, although it is bordered by the most important river, it is a very dry city and in the afternoon it can reach 38º centigrade. We cannot forget that one hour from the city is the Tatacoa desert, so the climates are very similar. The temperature at night can drop to about 20 degrees centigrade.

In the winter season the rains are quite strong, producing landslides in the upper area of ​​the city and sometimes felling trees, but this season lasts very little, although the heats disappear and in the afternoons the temperature only reaches 30º. It is very unlikely that it rains in the afternoons, it almost always occurs during the nights and early mornings.

Culture

To get

By plane

LATAM, Satena, Easyfly and Avianca. Direct flights from various cities in the country, with Bogotá and Florence being the busiest destinations. From Bogotá there are 40 minutes of flight to Neiva. Generally all aircraft are fokker, although large military aircraft land. The airport is only available during the day for civil flights. A national police anti-narcotics base operates next to the airport.

By train

There are no train routes that reach the city of Neiva. Although formerly there were, now there is only the train station that is used for events and on the track there is a wagon which is accessible to residents and visitors since you can enjoy a restaurant there.

By bus

The Bus Terminal is located five minutes from downtown in the southern part of the city. Several companies travel from the center and south of the country to Neiva, being Coomotor and Cootranshuila the most traditional companies in the city. At the moment the transport terminal is in the process of expansion and modernization.

By car

Neiva has entrances from the four cardinal points. From Bogotá there are approximately 5 hours of travel by paved road. Neiva's roads are characterized by being very flat and straight.

Travel

By bus

Several urban public transport companies are located in the city of Neiva and reach all the towns of the city. Generally all vehicles are minibuses.

In taxi

A large number of taxis are available throughout the city and at a very reasonable price.

By car

You can circulate throughout the city without any problem. The location is very simple, only streets and races, and in recent years the city's road network has been modernizing with the construction of several vehicular bridges. Traffic through the city center is a bit tricky, as this part of the city runs into Baldozin and the streets are very narrow, you should be very careful when driving because motorcycles abound in Neiva.

Watch

  • During June (usually late June) the city celebrates the Saint pedro parties. This is the best time to visit if you are going to party. This is not a good time if you are traveling on a rest plan with children. Don't miss the parades and folkloric shows in different areas of the city.
  • There are several monuments around the city, the most important is that of the Gaitana, by the famous maestro Rodrigo Arenas. The best thing to do in Neiva is to go to Santander Park and walk in the afternoon and feel the atmosphere of the city.
  • The journey to The Thermal Springs of Rivera you can not lose. 16Kms. de Neiva in the municipality of Rivera.

To buy

  • San Pedro Plaza Comercial is a shopping center opened in 2005 and has very important stores nationwide. You have cinemas, a casino and several restaurants.
  • In the center of the city there is a large amount of commerce, where the Los Comuneros Shopping Center, the Santa Ana Shopping Center and the Metropolitan Shopping Center, which specializes in the sale of sports shoes, stand out. Most of the commercial establishments are on the second, fifth and seventh career. Exclusive clothing stores are scattered throughout the city.
  • There are several supermarkets, including Yep, Carrefour, Sao, Éxito, Comfamiliar, San Pedro Plaza and Superior
  • In the neighborhoods you can find mini-supermarkets and the famous neighborhood stores, where you can get many articles.
  • San Andresito is a very traditional place to buy appliances and at the end of the year buy all the decorations for Halloween and Christmas, it is located on Carrera 3 between streets 3 and 10.

Drink and go out

Neiva is one of the cities with the most variety of nighttime entertainment, they are environments that range from the most conservative tastes to those of more debauchery. The prices for a night of fun vary widely and are very affordable on average. The best known and recommended places are Eva, El Mako, Olé, San Juan, Mantra, Manhatan, Macarena, Romeo y Julieta, the discos of the Plaza (Masai) and Chicalá hotels and the street called Camellón de la 14 located in the Calle 14 between Carreras 5 and 2. In addition to bars and nightclubs, there are also many restaurants that present a wide variety of dishes, from the most typical, through chain restaurants, to the newest dishes, where the quality of service and the quality of the same plates are the highest. The best known restaurants are La Avenida (typical), Los Manguitos (typical), Las Vegas (typical), La Casa del Folclor (typical), Mitos y Leyendas (typical), Guacamayas (typical), Fruppy's, Gran Vinos (Gourmet) , Pincho Parrilla, El Dinde, El Solar, among many others. The hotels restaurants also varied dishes. The largest concentration of restaurants in one place is in the San Pedro Plaza shopping center where we find oriental and Mediterranean flavors, fish and seafood, vegetarian food, restaurants such as El corral, Popsy, Frisby, Presto, La Avenida, La Marayra and more. of 20 restaurants.

Sleep

  • Matamundo Lodge
  • Hotel Chicala
  • Hotel Pacande
  • Hotel Plaza
  • American Hotel
  • Hotel Casa Dorada Boutique
  • Hotel Sulicam
  • Merlot Hotel Boutique Zen
  • Hosteria Los Dujos

See also