3 weeks in Colombia in August 2024 (page 2 of 3)

Friday, it’s with a heavy heart that we leave the coffee region for Cartagena.

Latam leaves us stranded in Pereira, and what follows is a whole day of hassle. We arrive in Bogotá 2.5 hours late and will have to wait 5 hours for our next flight to Cartagena (the other two flights are fully booked).

But why didn’t we just take a direct flight from Pereira to Cartagena, especially at the end of the week when all the Colombians are heading to the beach? Big blunder by the agency! !

Saturday, it’s Cartagena. The weather is oppressive, the heat is humid—terrible conditions for me…

But the city is nice, and our "boutique hotel" ("Alfiz") lets us explore the city and cool off every couple of hours. And the hotel’s "little dip" really refreshes us.





The old town is charming with its churches, street vendors, and walls, but tourism is definitely ramping up here. While we mostly heard French in the colonial villages and Europeans in the coffee region, we’re starting to hear more "Americans" now. Though they’re still not the majority—they prefer Cancun, where they already feel like they’re in "terra incognita."

More in photos







Here again, a Botero “fat lady” statue sits proudly in the square. You’ve gotta touch her butt for good luck and her breasts for a long love life—what a program!







The nails on the doors were a sign of the owner’s wealth.

Colombia is proud of its "Misses."

In the afternoon, we head to the Getsemaní neighborhood. We pass by the clock tower, which didn’t blow us away. It’s time for a game of chess.



We preferred the Plaza de la Aduana (Customs Square).

Then, we cross Centenario Park with its monkeys and iguanas—you’re invited to see them for just a few pesos!





Getsemaní is calm and colorful during the day, but in the evening, it’s all about music (as is often the case in Colombia), and it’s very lively with a young crowd—two reasons we didn’t spend the evening there.











Last but not least, a special shout-out to Gelateria Paradiso. A real treat with flavors that go way beyond vanilla-strawberry...

Sunday, the cruise is fun.

The "lancha rapida" is waiting for us at the port, and off we go for a 2-hour crossing to Mucura Island in the San Bernardo archipelago.



More precisely, to the "Punta Faro" hotel for two days on full board.









Punta Faro is a hotel with around forty bungalows nestled between a coconut forest, a sea of seven colors, and a white sand beach: luxury, peace, and pleasure! We loved it!







Our bungalow:

We tour the island and venture all the way to the mangroves of Tintipan, passing through Santa Cruz del Islote.















We run into fishermen from the islands of the San Bernardo archipelago.

This review makes me want to buy a Paris-Bogotá ticket right away! 🙂

What about safety?

No safety issues... if you act like a "responsible adult" (especially if you avoid the sketchy neighborhoods in big cities).

Tuesday, back on solid ground where a long journey awaits us to reach Santa Marta and Tayrona Park.

5 hours by car, passing through Cartagena, Barranquilla (the beaches there are ugly but it’s Shakira’s hometown), and finally Santa Marta.

Another great find on the hotel front—we’re staying 3 nights at the "Cayena Beach Villa" with half-board. The hotel is perfect (11 rooms, gorgeous pool, private beach, coconut trees, and smiles galore). We got upgraded to a better room... we’re starting to feel like "gringos"!

Wednesday it’s Tayrona Park.

We’re getting our tickets at El Zaino and then off for the hike to Cabo San Juan. The start is pretty intense—lots of ups and downs on wooden stairs, and it’s scorching hot.









It’s crowded, mostly Colombians who aren’t exactly known for being quiet. As a result, we barely spot any birds during the walk—just a few monkeys at the start begging for food.









For lunch, we’re grabbing a meal for two on the beach for 20,000 pesos (that’s 4.38 €!).

We skip the beaches ("Cañaveral", "Arrecifes", "Arenilla") and strike gold—we settle in for a 2-hour swim at "la Piscina." There aren’t many people, the place is stunning, and the sea is calm since it’s a lagoon...









After that, we push on to Cabo, which is packed with people thanks to all the *lanchas* dropping off tourists from Santa Marta.

We stay for 30 minutes, but it’s 3:00 PM, and we need to start thinking about the return trip...







We’re not horseback riders—we’ve never even ridden a horse before. But to avoid the 3-hour hike back, we opt for the *canassons* (1 hour 15 minutes via a dedicated path).

On paper, why not? But in reality, we quickly wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into. The horses know the terrain, but it’s steep climbs and descents between rocks, crossing paths with mules carrying supplies—no one "pulls over" on the rocks. The lead horse rears up if the second one tries to pass, and our guide is often walking far behind us. In short, an epic return trip that, luckily, ends without incident.

Silver lining: we take an alternate (and sometimes very steep) path. A chance to cross paths with a family of "Tayronas" (the tribe living in the park) walking barefoot through the forest...



If we had to do it over, we’d have walked back after swimming at "la Piscina."

Thursday morning, we're heading to Minca. From the Caribbean coast, you can see the three snow-capped peaks, the highest being "Cristóbal Colón," which rises to 5,775 meters.



The road to Minca is winding, but it was recently redone, and we arrive at the cocoa/coffee farm "Candelaria" without any issues. The landscapes are stunning.







We’d read a lot of great things about this farm. But I don’t have an unforgettable memory of it, probably because of the number of participants—there were about thirty of us for the "cocoa tour." It didn’t allow for much interaction. That said, the tour isn’t expensive (30,000 pesos), and the price isn’t the same as the personalized coffee tour we did. And, the icing on the cake, everyone gets to make their own chocolate mask!













Afterward, we head back down the mountain to return to our dream hotel, especially since my wife stayed behind to rest.

Friday, beach time in the morning and departure in the afternoon for Santa Marta airport. We arrive in Bogotá to wait for the return flight to Paris, which takes off at 11:55 PM.

In reality, we took off around 2:00 AM after 30 minutes of pat-downs and luggage searches by the local customs (with the dog). Here, the police don’t mess around!





Then, 1.5 hours of waiting on the plane because a "pilot control light came on, and they want to figure out where it’s coming from"!



Summary of the 3 weeks: A beautiful trip, friendly people, vibrant colors, music everywhere, no insecurity (as long as you don’t do anything stupid), and a country that complements Peru perfectly. If we were to do it again, we’d skip Medellín to spend less time on transport (too many domestic flights) and more time in the coffee region.



Special mention to the "colonial" villages, far from mass tourism and very authentic. Another special mention to the coffee region, which we really loved. With the Caribbean, it’s actually three trips in one summer.

We found tourism much more "youth-oriented" than in Peru. Indeed, there are lots of sports available (especially on the coast) and for much cheaper than in Europe.

Colombia has huge tourism potential compared to Peru, which already exploits its classic route (Nazca, Arequipa, Titicaca, Cusco) a lot.

Budget-wise, we spent in 3 weeks what we spent in Peru in 15 days. Yet, we’d chosen accommodations a notch above those in Peru (even two notches for Quimbaya, Mucura, or Tayrona).

Downsides: We missed "the must-see" like "Machu Picchu" or "Lake Titicaca" in Peru. And also some stunning Andean landscapes as far as the eye can see, as well as the traditional outfits of the local populations that we loved in Peru.

If you’re looking for those Andean colors, I’d recommend visiting Peru first for a trip to South America. And, as a result, I’m marking Bolivia as a possible future trip to rediscover those landscapes—and even more.

Hasta pronto...

Thanks so much, Manu, for taking the time to share this feedback—it gives a great overview of what you can visit in Colombia! 😊😍 My husband really wants to go, but my concern is that I feel like everyone (French people, at least) goes to the same spots—the must-sees, you know? For the island near Cartagena, are there any walks to do or villages that are just "a paradise rock"? Thanks

Hi Solene, Colombia is huge, really huge!

We’re going for the "classic" route, but I’m sure you could do something way more original... a hike in Nevado, whale watching in Chocó, exploring the Amazon, trekking to the Lost City, crossing La Guajira... For Mucura, yeah, it’s a tiny island. But for a more "off-the-beaten-path" vibe, Tintipan could be a good compromise (?)

What’s certain is that this country has incredible potential for tourism—diverse landscapes, super friendly and warm people, outdoor activities, culture, and amazing food...

Hello,

This summer, we spent 3 weeks in northern Colombia. A vibrant trip that complemented our southern Peru adventure from the previous year perfectly. Two neighboring countries, but completely different.

First, we had to make a choice because the country is vast.

So we focused on 3 different regions for our 3 weeks: - Week 1: Bogotá and the colonial villages (Villa de Leyva, Barichara) - Week 2: Medellín and the Coffee Region - Week 3: the Caribbean coast

We entrusted the organization to a small local agency that handled accommodations, guides, and transportation. Transportation is key. The country is large, the road network isn’t very efficient, and we spent a lot of time traveling (cars, planes, and boats...), but it was worth it to explore.

The overall budget isn’t exactly "backpacker" level. We spent 7,500 € (excluding Air France) for our 3-week stay (hotels, drivers, guides, flights, visits, meals). But we treated ourselves to nice accommodations—you’ll see as we share more posts.

For vacations, I try to follow Philippe Noiret’s motto: "Travel is short. Let’s try to do it first class."

Your travel journal is fantastic, thank you. We’re leaving for Colombia in a week—the same destinations you mentioned. We’ll be there for two months, so we need to cut costs a bit. Your recommendations are really valuable. I was wondering if you could send me the agency’s itinerary—it would help us avoid extra costs while following your route. Here’s our email: gigilegogigilego@gmail.com Thanks in advance. Gigi We’ve also traveled a lot, so if you need any travel recommendations, don’t hesitate to ask. We live in Montreal, Canada.



Your travel journal is fantastic, thank you. We’re leaving for Colombia in a week—the same destinations you mentioned. We’ll be there for two months, so we need to cut costs a bit. Your recommendations are really valuable. I was wondering if you could send me the agency’s itinerary—it would help us avoid extra costs while following your route. Here’s our email: gigilegogigilego@gmail.com Thanks in advance. Gigi We’ve also traveled a lot, so if you need any travel recommendations, don’t hesitate to ask. We live in Montreal, Canada

It’s in your inbox! :)

Hi there,

Thanks for this super colorful travel journal—it was a real feast for the eyes! 🙂

Colombia seems to be getting trendy these days; I feel like we’re hearing more and more about it.

And when you see all the variety of activities and the potential, it’s easy to understand why.

I was just rereading your Peruvian travel journal today—thanks for those valuable insights and for the time you put into it.

Totally agree with you about Colombia’s potential. This country has everything going for it, even if it still worries a lot of potential visitors (blame the TV shows?).

Personally, I wasn’t too worried about safety there.

But it’s true that when we mention the idea to others, it’s definitely not the most common perception—far from it.

Unfortunately, I think the guerrilla activity flared up this weekend, and that won’t help reassure people, even if it’s a localized issue.