Finally got around to putting this together - my travel guide to Colombia!
We made our way to Colombia in February this year, and put together a plan focused on a good balance between culture, hot spots, and coffee :D (see here for my post on 9 things I learned as a first time traveler to Colombia)
I will say that travelling around Colombia has been one of the easiest things to navigate - and I didn’t expect to be saying that prior to my trip. Maybe it was because we had only two weeks and therefore decided to fly everywhere. Avianca was inexpensive (compared to Europe), well managed, and quick (only 1 hour flight time between destinations) and hence this was an easy choice for us.
We flew into Bogota, where most major airlines fly into, and chose to end our trip and fly out of Cartagena, which is exactly how I'd recommend it - start with the cultural immersion, end with the relaxed Caribbean beach vibe (but more on this later).
One of my favorite things to do when I visit a new city is to partake in a free walking tour, and that’s exactly what we did in Colombia. With mixed results though - read on!
Bogota
I will admit, I wasn’t impressed by Bogota. It is a big sprawling city, full of traffic, with a few nice neighborhoods of course, but you'd have to live there (or be slow travelling) to truly experience them. We spent a morning on a walking tour which was a lovely way to familiarize ourselves with the sites and get glimpse into the culture, history as well as tips and recommendations of where to go and what not to miss. We did this with Beyond Colombia and I highly recommend them.
Salento
From Bogota you can take a 1-hr flight either to Pereira or Armenia, the two bigger cities in the coffee triangle. We flew into Armenia and took a taxi straight into Salento, choosing to spend most of our time there rather than a city.
Salento is gorgeous - it is an Andean town known for its coffee estates, colourful village streets, and the stunning Cocora Valley. The Cocora Valley for me was one of the most beautiful parts of Colombia. Don’t miss it!
PRO TRIP: Stay at the top of El Mirador - this hotel had STUNNING balcony views, including a hot tub on the balcony! Highly recommend.
Medellin
I was blown away by Medellin! For real. Didn’t expect to feel so emotionally attached to a city in just a few days. The city has come a long way from being named the most dangerous city in the world - a powerful (and emotional) story of social transformation, driven by access to infrastructure, education and art.
I highly recommend a walking tour here - we did two, one downtown Medellin with Beyond Colombia and one of Comuna 13 with Zippy tours (all their guides are local and from the comuna itself!) - and they were both so incredibly powerful.
PRO TIP: pack a light jacket and raincoat irrespective of what the weather forecast says. The weather gods in Medellin are a confused bunch, and we got sunshine, wind and heavy rain all in the span of 6 hours.
Guatape
Colombia got me exercising like never before! The Penol rock in Guatape has 649 steps, but don’t let the number scare you, we managed to make it up in about 15 minutes. The views from above are stunning, and Guatape is a small colourful Andean resort town that’s somewhat of a tourist trap yet charming enough to make for a lovely afternoon. Literally every tour company offers a day trip to Guatape from Medellin, and they are all exactly the same.
Cartagena
The walled city of Cartagena has so many cute little alleyways filled with stores, bars, cafes and restaurant. This eclectic, colorful city combines old world charm with modern contemporary living - and tropical weather! - making for a perfect final stop in Colombia. Be warned though - it is HOT! Temperatures rarely budge from the 33-34 degree mark, so make sure you carry a large hat and take plenty of breaks.
Getsemani is another neighborhood that has a lot of history - we were curious about it and wanted to learn more, but sadly our walking tour guide here was more interested in mocking social media (especially creators) than telling us anything about the neighborhood. So we left and explored it on our own!
The beaches in Cartagena are a bit disappointing - for more beautiful waters check out the Rosario islands!
PRO TIP: visit the El Arsenal Rum bar for some mind-blowing cocktails, and La Picua for a small hole-in-the-wall local seafood restaurant that serve incredible seafood stews
As always, more photos below. Enjoy xx
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