Colombia: Culture, Coffee & Caribbean

Fly from London to Bogotá.

Welcome to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, sat high on a plateau in the Andes. There’s plenty packed into this trip, but today we settle in and rest, ready for the adventures ahead.

Aim to arrive at the hotel this afternoon/evening (arrival in the early hours of the morning of Day 2 is also possible, see Joining Instructions in the trip notes), although we recommend arriving one day early to acclimatise and get over any jetlag.

There will be a message waiting with information about tomorrow’s meeting time.

Accommodation: Casa de la Vega (or similar)

Following our welcome briefing, in which we meet our tour leader and go over the trip, we get to know the city with a walking street food tour in the early afternoon.

On our adventure, we sample the flavours of Colombia’s different regions at market stalls, snack bars and street food stands. We taste fresh juices in a traditional fruit shop in the historic centre and empanadas vallunas (fried pastries filled with meat, chicken and cheese). We are also shown how Bogotá’s traditional hot chocolate is made and where it comes from. And on Plaza Chorro de Quevedo, we taste chicha (a fermented corn liquor from the Andes) and many exotic fruits at a small market.

Next, we visit the Gold Museum, giving us a chance to admire some of the 30,000-plus pre-Columbian gold artefacts on display.

Later on, we head to a traditional Colombian social club for a game of tejo. This popular pastime was invented by the Chibcha people – metal discs (tejos) are thrown at targets called mechas, small packets of gunpowder wrapped in paper. The aim is to hit the mechas and make them explode! Two national beers per person are included (this is the entrance fee for the game).

Accommodation: Casa de la Vega (or similar)

This morning, we take the cable car up Monserrate (10,340ft/3,152m), a mountain from which there is a spectacular view of the city and surrounding plateau, allowing us to orientate ourselves in this vast metropolis.

Our day continues as we head out of the city and visit the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. This impressive piece of ecclesiastical architecture was dug 395ft (120m) underground in a salt mine in the 1950s. We round off our trip with a quick visit to the town of Zipaquirá itself.

Returning to Bogotá, we head to the Botero Museum, which holds a wonderful collection of the Colombian artist’s paintings and sculptures, before commencing our city tour. From the grand Plaza de Bolivar and the surrounding government buildings, we walk along Carrera Septima, a bustling pedestrian zone, to reach the Iglesia de San Francisco, the oldest church in the city. We also spend time in La Candelaria, the historic district.

Accommodation: Casa de la Vega (or similar)

Early this morning, we are driven to Bogotá Airport and fly for an hour south to the city of Neiva, the capital of the Huila department and much lower in altitude and warmer than Bogotá.

From Neiva Airport, we drive to the Tatacoa Desert, about an hour away, an ochre-grey land pierced by green cacti. Here we take a one and a half to two-hour hike.

Leaving Tatacoa behind, we drive south (about six hours) to the town of San Agustín, following the Magdalena River valley for most of the journey. As we approach, we ascend and the climate cools.

Accommodation: Akawanka Lodge (or similar)

We start the day with a short drive to the Unesco-listed San Agustín Archaeological Park, a vast complex housing an extraordinary and mysterious collection of pre-Columbian stone figures and tombs. The park is nestled amid lush hillsides and picturesque forests, which we can explore on foot along various trails (some of them quite steep) accompanied by an expert local guide, while the excellent museum offers comprehensive insights into the finds.

In the afternoon, we visit the equally remarkable archaeological sites of El Tablón and La Chaquira on foot. Approximate walking distance today: 3.5mi (5.6km).

Accommodation: Akawanka Lodge (or similar)

We spend today exploring the countryside around San Agustín. We start with the Estrecho del Río Magdalena – here the mighty Magdalena River passes through a section of rocks only 7.2ft (2.2m) wide. The landscape around the river is exceptionally picturesque. Only a few kilometres away is the small town of Obando, where we visit tombs plus a small archaeological museum. On the way to Obando, we pass a sugar mill (trapiche) where we taste freshly prepared panela (pressed sugarcane), a product found in the kitchens of all Colombian households. At the end of the day, we visit a viewpoint of the 1,300ft (400m) high Bordones waterfall, one of the most impressive waterfalls in the country.

Accommodation: Akawanka Lodge (or similar)

A scenic drive today takes us from San Agustín to Popayán – an 85mi (140km) journey that takes around four hours (including two hours on unpaved roads). Shortly after leaving San Agustín, we make a side trip to Alto de los Ídolos Archaeological Park. After San Agustín, this is the second-most important archaeological park in the area. There are stone tombs and carvings here. Continuing our journey, we ascend and pass through forested landscapes as we cross from the Huila department into Cauca and to the small city of Popayán.

Founded in 1537 by Sebastián de Belalcázar, this colonial city has magnificent architecture reflected in the houses, churches and bridges and has earned the moniker ‘The White City’. We have a walking tour of the historical centre.

Accommodation: Hotel La Plazuela Popayán (or similar)

We drive about 3 hours from Popayán to Cali this morning.

Modern, cosmopolitan Cali is a tropical metropolis with a zest for life and an historic quarter with beautifully restored colonial buildings, numerous parks and tree-lined boulevards. On our city tour, we visit the old town, founded in 1536, a lookout point at which a statue of the founder Sebastián de Belalcázar is located, and the celebrated El Gato del Río statue by Colombian artist Hernando Tejada on the banks of the Cali River.

The city is also famous for dancing, especially salsa, and an optional (extra cost) dance class can be arranged this evening for those who are interested.

Accommodation: Hotel Boutique San Antonio (or similar)

We drive for three-four hours this morning heading into the countryside and coffee region, where we stay for two nights in a hacienda with a coffee plantation.

On arrival, we have a tour to learn all about the coffee cultivation, harvesting and production process. We work our way from the harvest on the plantation to a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The tour ends with the best part of the process: tasting the aromatic highland coffee.

Accommodation: Hacienda Combia or Finca del Café (or similar)

We start our day with a drive to the Cocora Valley, home to Quindío wax palm trees – the national tree of Colombia – which can stretch up to 195ft (60m) tall, making them the tallest palms in the world. This is an area of picturesque cloud forest and we have time for a short walk here.

Next stop is the traditional town of Salento, where we have time to walk the colourful streets or shop for handicrafts in this typical coffee region town. We continue to Filandia, another traditional town, with flower-lined balconies and brightly painted walls, doors and shutters.

Accommodation: Hacienda Combia or Finca del Café (or similar)

We are driven to Pereira or Armenia airport this morning and fly to Santa Marta, a city on the Caribbean coast. There is usually a change of plane in Bogotá.

On arrival in Santa Marta, we are driven east to our hotel near Palomino about 1hr 30min away.

Accommodation: Finca la Jorará (or similar) – please see accommodation section for more information

We leave our hotel in the morning and drive a short way along the Caribbean coast to El Zaino, the main entrance to Tayrona National Natural Park. Beginning the walk with our local guide, we reach Cañaveral beach, a wild and beautiful place, and from the top of a small hill, we can enjoy a spectacular view of the sea. The walk continues through the tropical forest to Arrecife beach. We continue until we arrive at a paradisical beach known as La Piscina, where we have time for a well-deserved swim and relax on the palm-fringed beach after our walk. We have lunch (not included) at a small, beach-front restaurant at La Piscina before returning through the forest.

There are about four to five hours of walking today (approx. 10km/6.2mi). For those craving even more adventure, there is the option to continue the hike for an additional 2km (1.2mi) to secluded Cabo San Juan. The trails ascend and descend partly over steps and wooden planks and take you through tropical forest with high temperatures and humidity. Be sure to bring appropriate footwear (e.g. walking shoes), sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water.

Due to strong currents, many beaches in Tayrona are unsafe for swimming. Please check with your tour leader before swimming.

Accommodation: Finca la Jorará (or similar) – please see accommodation section for more information

We start the day with a cultural exchange with an Arhuaco community. The Arhuaco are one of the many indigenous groups in Colombia, and mostly live in the coastal mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The Arhuaco grow coffee and sugar and raise animals.

From our hotel, we drive along the coastal road to the village of Perico Aguao (20 minutes). Here we are met by a community guide and, after a short introduction, we begin a hike through the tropical forest to the indigenous seaside village of Katanzama. Our indigenous guide leads us through the houses and community buildings and explains the traditions and culture of the Arhuacos. From there, we continue to the small plantations, where we learn about Arhuaco agriculture.

Following this experience, we drive along the coast to Cartagena, a journey of five to six hours.

Accommodation: Hotel Don Pedro de Heredia (or similar)

We have a full day in Cartagena, a city jam-packed with stories, fascinating sites and colonial architecture. We begin with a visit to the church of San Pedro Clavér and the Castillo de San Felipe, a massive fortress where legends and secrets are hidden in its stone vaults. A statue of Blas de Lezo raises his sword in front of the fortress, a tribute to the Spanish admiral who defended the city against the British in 1741.

We continue into the bustle of Bazurto Market. Fish, vegetables, meat, seafood, clothes, herbs and spices, fruits, natural remedies and other foodstuffs are sold here. We can sample fresh juices and sweet fruits before heading back to the city centre. Entering the walled city through the official entrance, the archway of the Clock Tower (Torre del Reloj), we reach the monument to Pedro de Heredia, the founder of Cartagena de Indias.

In the evening, we walk to the Getsemani district. In a bar, we try a selection of Colombian rums, catalogued as the best in the world – some as shots, others we sip, and others in cocktails. This explosion of flavours is accompanied by fine Colombian chocolate.

Accommodation: Hotel Don Pedro de Heredia (or similar)

Our adventure ends in Cartagena this morning. If you’d like more time in this beautiful, intoxicating city, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

Our adventure ends today. We’ll be driven to Cartagena airport for our overnight flights back to London.