Colombia
Leaving behind Africa to discover a new continent, we shifted gears and prepared ourselves for South America. Our plan was to start at the top and wind our way down through as many countries as we could. Other than this, our itinerary was loose, and our expectations were mixed. There were so many bucket list items and childhood dreams available for us to tick off so we were very excited but our heads were also filled with stories of pickpockets, abductions and muggings so we were a little wary. Any apprehension was unfounded though, as throughout our time in South America we didn’t have a single problem. Never once did we feel unsafe, threatened or in danger. Maybe we were lucky, naive or just sensible – most likely a combination thereof!
For example, our first destination Colombia has a very mixed reputation – ask many people what they associate with Colombia and they will answer; cocaine, Pablo Escobar, Narcos and perhaps a high murder rate. Incidentally if you mention any of the above to a Colombian, they will be extremely offended and quite rightly so, this was something we tried to be extremely mindful not to do. For example, our tour guides in Bogota wouldn’t even mention Escobar’s name in public, for fear of angering locals and have ironically nicknamed him Voldemort (he who shall not be named) so that tourists know when they are referring to him.
In any case, Colombia was a complete surprise to us and a truly wonderful one. It very quickly became one of our favourite countries that we have ever visited. The troubles of the past have been almost left behind (although the scars remain) and what you will find is a stunningly beautiful country with the friendliest people that you could ever meet. We were treated like family by so many people and taken in and looked after, in a way that we’d never experienced before. This was by far the friendliest destination of our entire trip. Add to this – the vibrant fun cities, characterful country towns, historical architecture, great music, delicious food, picturesque national parks, beautiful beaches, historical ruins, jungle treks and perhaps the best party atmosphere in the world and you will see why Colombia offers the perfect travel destination for those willing to take on the challenge. We left with new friends and feeling like this was a country we would like to live in one day.
Bogota
Our journey started in Bogota – the capital. Being completely honest, I don’t think we had really expected to like Bogota, but we were proved wrong – so much so that we ended up extending our stay to double what we had initially planned. Yes – at first sight it is an immense urban jungle, its elegant colonial architecture mixed in with high rise towers and shanty towns. We stayed in a cute AirBnB within a high-rise apartment block, that was walking distance from everywhere and gave us a real sense of day to day life in the capital.
A really good way to get your bearings is to book into one of the free walking tours that run every day. These tours are run by young knowledgeable guides and are great fun. They are about 3 hours long and take you through all the main areas of the city, learning about Bogota’s history, visiting several attractions and even stopping in for free tastings of chocolate and local delicacies – you just leave a tip at the end.
For the culture vultures amongst you, there are lots of museums and art galleries to keep you amused for another couple of days. Our favourites were; the Gold Museum, which showcases a mind-blowing collection of pre-Colombian gold artefacts in well-designed exhibits and the Botero Museum, which showcases the paintings and sculptures of one of South America’s most famous artists, in a beautiful historical building which also houses 3 other museums and is free. Strolling around the historic Candelaria district is a must – the atmosphere is fantastic, and the street art and historical buildings are a photographer’s dream. Other than that, the historical centre of town has many interesting churches and buildings that you can visit and photograph. The Iglesia de Santa Clara and Iglesia de San Francisco were definitely worth a visit – although in general we just wandered and lost ourselves. One day, whilst exploring the area where all the political buildings are located, we heard the sound of a marching band in the distance – we followed the music to a military base where an enormous marching band was practicing a flag ceremony – it was quite the spectacle.
One thing that we had to acclimatise to, was the altitude (2600m). We had spent some time at high altitude in Africa but only for a day or two, so this was our first experience of sightseeing at altitude and to start with, it takes some getting used to. We experienced a bit of breathlessness and fatigue but nothing too serious. In general, with altitude we found that coca tea helps, alcohol makes it worse and that taking it easy for a couple of days is the best remedy and you soon grow accustomed to it.
In Bogota we had our first taste of delicious Colombian cuisine, our favourite dishes being; Ajiaco – a stew of chicken, rice, corn, avocado, potato and fresh herbs and Bandeja Paisa – a Colombian mixed grill with a side of beans and an egg. Foodies will be delighted by the range of restaurants and cuisines on offer. We enjoyed La Puerta De La Catedral for a more upmarket meal. The popular set lunches “almuerzos” – are a great way to get a tasty and generous feed on a budget and they are available throughout the city. You pay a set fee and usually get a soup, a main course and a juice. Café Pasaje is situated in a square next to where the “unofficial” emerald salesmen trade their gems, it is an old-school locals place which is great for a coffee, empanada and some people watching. As for bars and nightlife – we enjoyed the craft beers at Bogota Beer Company, who have a few bars around the city.
We also had a great time in Zona Rosa which is one of the entertainment districts. We had a delicious Italian Meal at Luna restaurant before finding one of our favourite spots, which was “Cachao”, a Cuban salsa bar which had a live band playing Cuban salsa tunes into the wee hours. The atmosphere was electric and whilst we weren’t brave enough to dance we enjoyed sipping amazing rum cocktails at the bar watching everyone shake, twist and whirl before our eyes. We had a great chat with a guy at the bar, who we suspected was some sort of kingpin. There was just something about him, everyone seemed to know him and come to say hello, whilst he sat drinking neat rum and all his drinks were “on the house” – maybe it was our overactive imaginations, but he was pleasant enough to talk to. As mentioned above we never felt unsafe on the streets at night, that said, we tried to be sensible and it’s not to say that we didn’t get offered drugs by some very unusual characters … oh and we were propositioned by a ladyboy – both which we politely declined.
Villa De Leyva
We’d had a lot of fun in vibrant Bogota and decided to take it down a notch by visiting the quaint rural town of Villa De Leyva next, which is a 4-hour bus journey North (although it took a little longer in reality). The Lonely Planet describes it as a beautiful colonial settlement that has been preserved in its entirety and a place to relax and escape Bogota. We had heard that it was enchanting and photogenic with its cobblestone streets, whitewash buildings and huge town square.
As it turned out, we got a bit more than we bargained for. Villa De Leyva is indeed all of the things it had been described as, it is a truly charming and beautiful place that should be included on any Colombian itinerary. However, what we didn’t realise when we arrived, was that we had accidentally chosen the weekend of the “fiesta de pueblo” to visit this usually sleepy town. The fiesta is a 5-day public holiday in honour of the town’s patron saint the Virgin del Carmen, who is also the patron saint of truck drivers and automobiles.
Translated…this is a 5-day 24 hour a day party and celebration for the townspeople as well as a huge influx of others from the local rural villages and towns. The quaint town square is filled with beer tents, food stalls and a big festival market. There is a huge stage erected with a an even huger sound system. Throughout town there was a carnival/festival atmosphere. At 5am (yes you heard correctly) the marching band started their parade through the town every morning. After that there was non-stop bands, dancers, carnival processions and live music blasting from all directions with what we came to call Colombia’s reggaeton heartbeat never far away. By the time we left our accommodation in the mornings, most people were already on the beers (the whole family, from the teens to the grandparents) and having a great time, in true Colombian style. At night everyone danced in the square and one night we were treated to a procession of trucks decorated like carnival floats with balloons and icons, all honking their horns and playing music out of mega sound systems. The Sunday had more of a religious slant with a huge procession where a statue of the Virgin del Carmen and various other icons were carried around town followed by an immense crowd. You had to be there to understand the scale of the party, it was our first experience of the South American “fiesta” but certainly not our last.
We thoroughly enjoyed Villa De Leyva and would love to return to explore it more on a quieter weekend, although we were glad to have the fiesta experience on this occasion.
Despite the partying, during the daytime we managed to escape the mayhem by going on hikes to nearby attractions. This is highly recommended as a nice distraction. You can visit a dinosaur fossil by walking up the road toward Santa Sofia. It is approximately 6 kms, 1-hour walking and a pleasant hike. We found the fossil itself to be quite impressive, a baby Kronosaurus and the most complete example of a marine reptile fossil. Back in town you’ll want to walk around all the little back streets and photograph the beautiful buildings, churches and visit some of the museums.
You will be spoilt for choice for food and bar options as the streets are lined with rustic and more upmarket options. The menus tend to be quite meat centric – we had roast pork from one of the food stalls one day and roast lamb in a nice restaurant with live music on the second day. It’s worth noting that lunch seemed to be the main meal of the day and not everywhere stays open late for dinner. In the evenings we gravitated back toward Bogota Beer Co, which we’d discovered in Bogota. We also frequented a small bar off the square with friendly staff and a great atmosphere, here we discovered a drink called Canelazo….this sweet, delicious nectar tastes like a ginger, lemon and honey hot toddy BUT it is laced with copious amounts of Aguardiente; Colombia’s national anise spirit. Drink with care – this stuff is strong and fun….and hurts the next day. To end on a sweet note; don’t leave without trying Milhojas, which is the local take on a Millefeulle with layers of pastry, cream and dulche de leche – mmmmmm!
San Gil
After an unplanned weekend of fiesta we got back on the bus and headed North to San Gil via Arcabuco. The bus journey was unfortunately much longer than planned, it took us up into the hills and into a huge storm and torrential rain. We were quite concerned for our safety for a while as the flash flooding was intense and the streets of the villages we were driving through were more like rivers than roads. We eventually made it to San Gil where the husband of the housekeeper at our accommodation had very kindly stayed late to let us in. More about our digs a bit later.
San Gil was just what we needed at this point. It is a very normal, typical Colombian city where you can experience real everyday life. There aren’t any major attractions although we thoroughly enjoyed hanging out in the town square and visiting the big park in the centre of town – Parque El Gallineral. The park is reminiscent of an enchanted forest, with huge trees covered with old man’s beard moss, pretty timber footbridges over the river and cute wildlife – such as red squirrels and capybaras. There is a small entrance fee but it is worth a couple of hours of your time to relax. We found plenty of nice places to eat and drink, and would recommend trying the set lunch at El Mana.
The main reason tourists visit San Gil is its adventure sports scene, but we weren’t really looking to do white water rafting or rappelling so we opted to visit some of the local natural, adrenaline free attractions. 30 minutes by bus were the Cascadas de Juan Curi, which is a 180m high waterfall with a swimming hole at its base. It is a short uphill hike to the waterfall, which makes the refreshing swim at the top a reward.
Our accommodation in San Gil was fantastic and the hospitality we were shown was truly an example of what Colombia should be famous for. The guesthouse was based in a converted historical house, which was somewhat like a tardis. Charming and elegant from the outside but when you stepped through the door you entered a huge open plan space with an open-air courtyard in the centre and trees and plants growing. The place was beautifully decorated and the common areas were comfortable, including a dining area, a lounge area with Netflix and a huge chef’s kitchen which was available to guests for their own use. At the back of the property a 3-story block of apartments provided sleeping quarters, with comfortable beds and views over the city. The housekeeper was extremely welcoming and hospitable, she made us the most delicious breakfast each morning, which consisted of a bowl of hot water with a poached egg, bread croutons, fresh herbs and chunks of cheese all mixed together to make soup of sorts. One day we also tried the local delicacy of hot chocolate with cheese – yes it sounds ‘different’ but is actually quite nice, I guess a bit like salt and caramel. We then had the pleasure of meeting and spending some time with the owner of the property, who owns several businesses and spends his time split between Bogota, Medellin and San Gil. The house belongs to his family and was turned into a project for his daughter, who studied tourism and languages and wanted to open a hostel. He is an extremely interesting person and we spent a whole evening talking to him into the wee hours; about family, business, Colombia and many other interesting and mystical stories that he told us about his childhood. It was truly delightful. He gave us a lift into town to buy bus tickets, sat and ate breakfast with us and generally treated us like family. When we left, he kindly gave us his personal contact details – in case we should run into any trouble along our way, he said not to hesitate to contact him for any reason at any time.
Barichara & Guane
On our last full day in San Gil we decided to take a day trip to Barichara, which approximately 1 hour away by bus. We had heard that it was in many ways similar to Villa De Leyva (historical white wash buildings, quaint cobble streets etc.) so thought we should see if we could experience a slightly quieter version of this, this time. If you have time Barichara could be a destination in itself, we could easily have whiled away a few days there. However as we’d already been to Villa de Leyva and were starting to fall behind on our schedule (due to loving Colombia so much and extending our stays in each place), we decided to make this a day trip and if you’re short for time – it works very well.
Barichara itself is like a film set from a movie, with its 300-year-old buildings and 18th century sandstone cathedral, you can lose yourself in its winding streets. However, the highlight for us was the Camino Real hike which starts from the north end of Calle 4 and takes you to the absolutely gorgeous village of Guane. It is a pleasant downhill walk on an ancient road, but it can get really hot so take a hat and water. There are also a few places you can stop along the way for a drink. Guane is postcard perfect and we found a tiny restaurant run by a rather elderly lady who seemed to be cooking, serving and managing by herself but the food was incredible – roast goat with all the sides and a soup starter. We took a moto-taxi (a fancy version of a tuk-tuk) back to Barichara to get our bus home.
Santa Marta & Tayrona National Park
It was time to head north again, this time toward the totally tropical Caribbean coast. It is a long bus journey (12+ hours) so we decided to take the plunge and try an overnight bus. The bus was fairly comfortable with reclining seats and it was good value for money, although we were very close to the toilet which made sleeping a little challenging. There were movies playing and lots of snack stops so all in all, a pleasant enough journey.
Our destination was Santa Marta, which proved to be our least favourite of the cities in Colombia but is the jumping off point for several nearby attractions. Unfortunately we hadn’t left ourselves enough time to do the famous 4 day Lost City jungle hike but will definitely make the time on our next visit, as all reports were very positive. Instead we focused on exploring the Tayrona National Park which offers palm fringed beaches, stunning hiking trails and can visited as a daytrip.
Santa Marta itself is seaside city which attracts many Colombian tourists. Its main streets are filled with cocktail bars and late night dance clubs and there are many beachfront apartment complexes. If you like to party, you may enjoy this city but other than partying we felt it had little to offer. The heat and humidity are intense and take a little getting used to.
Back to Tayrona – we had seen many an Instagram photo of Colombia’s most famous national park but the photos don’t really do it justice – it really is worth a visit. That said, it is very popular and this comes at a price – both literally ($54,000 COP entrance fee for foreigners) and also the beaches and trails are unfortunately quite overcrowded, which tainted the experience somewhat. We chose to take a bus to El Zaino and then hike from there to Cabo San Juan, via Castilletes, Canaveral, Arrecifes and La Piscina. The hike was hot, humid but relatively easy, if you don’t bring lots of stuff/bags, and there are lots of people selling ice-creams along the way if you need refreshment. There are people offering rides on horses and mules but the animals we saw did not look well nor did they look big enough of strong enough to be carrying tourists on their backs. Please avoid this if you can.
There are camp grounds in the park which you will pass, and which you can stay in if you want to be there more than one day. Many people choose this option as the hike is approximately 2 hours long which doesn’t leave a lot of time for each stop – but we were happy with the time we had and didn’t feel rushed. You can buy food in the park but it is expensive and not great, so bring snacks if you can. The beaches are beautiful but swimming isn’t recommended at most of them due to the strong currents. We did swim at La Piscina and Cabo San Juan despite the rough seas. We had read on several blogs that there was the option to take a boat back to Taganga (near Santa Marta) from Cabo San Juan, rather than retracing your steps and hiking back to El Zaino. Taganga was described as a fishing village and a boat trip appealed so we decided that this would be a good idea and bought our boat ticket as soon as we reached the beach and then spent a couple of hours chilling. The boat journey did NOT turn out to be what we were expecting, in fact it was one of the most harrowing experiences of our whole trip and we would not recommend you do this. At around 5pm a huge crowd started to gather on the beach, obviously fellow travellers with boat tickets. We waited patiently and then admittedly freaked out a little when we saw the vessel that we were to make our journey in appear. It was a small tin boat with wooden plank seats, which looked more like a people smuggling boat than the tourist boat we were expecting. By this time the sea was so rough and choppy that it had to make several attempts before it could land on the beach and pick us up. We were bundled onto the boat where we grabbed hold of our belongings for dear life. As we departed the swell was huge, the waves were higher than our line of sight and each time we hit one every person on the boat was propelled into the air. Everyone was literally screaming and we honestly feared for our life, which manifested itself into fits of deranged laughter! This continued for 2 hours as we slowly made our way back, meanwhile people were vomiting off the side of the boat and grabbing on to each other – half way through the journey the boat ran out of fuel and a man literally climbed over us holding a fuel can, spilling fuel as he went and refuelled in the middle of the ocean, whilst we rocked from side to side in the wild sea. Our relief upon reaching Taganga alive was short lived when realised what a dump this place is. I’m sorry but this is no longer a fishing village bur the perfect example of tourism gone wrong. It has become a gross backpacker hub with a dirty beach and young, intoxicated travellers everywhere. Not our cup of tea at all. We quickly found a taxi and returned to Santa Marta.
Cartagena
Next we took another bus to the fairy tale city of Cartagena- by far Colombia’s most beautiful city. The heat and humidity were oppressive but this didn’t take away from our enjoyment of this romantic city full of history, incredible buildings and architecture. It was probably the most touristy of all our Colombian destinations and you can see why. The walled old town is one of the most striking of all the cities we visited in South America and a must on any itinerary.
We took another free walking tour on our first day which was a great way to learn about the city’s landmarks and history as well as its rich tapestry of ethnicities. We also left the walled city briefly to visit the Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, which is a fortress overlooking the city with fantastic 360 views. We did suffer from a bit of sunstroke after the walk so make sure you have a hat and a lot of water wherever you go. If you like to take photos you will want to walk around the old town as there are endless opportunities. We tried to avoid paying money to take photos of people, as this seems to be a thing here, but it was tempting – especially the Palenqueras, with their colourful outfits and fruit. One thing I couldn’t resist was trying the Hormigas Culonas – literally “big assed ants”, which are sold on every street corner. I will try most things and enjoy most things but these were a mistake, really gross and squishy – ugh.
For good set lunches venture to Getsemani where you will find good options that are cheaper and less touristy than in the old town. In the evenings, we found the local seafood to be the best – the ceviche is to die for, washed down with a pisco sour or rum cocktail.
Medellin
From Cartagena we took a shortcut by flying to the infamous city of Medellin, the epicentre of so much of Colombia’s chequered history, this city was to be another big surprise to us.
We decided to stay in Sabaneta, which is a suburb where we were told we could experience real Medellin, whilst being within a short distance of the centre and the entertainment district. We took a taxi from the airport and arrived at the apartment we had booked just as the heavens opened and it started to pour with rain. Unfortunately the person who was supposed to meet us to give us access, was nowhere to be seen and we had no way to contact them without WiFi, so one of stayed with the bags whilst the other went in search of a way to get in touch with them. This is when we encountered our first bit of Medellin hospitality. We must have stuck out like a sore thumb because suddenly everyone on the street wanted to help us. We were invited to bring our bags into a small shop and to wait there for as long as we needed to, whilst the shop owner gave us free fruit to eat and scurried off to find chairs for us to sit on. Another lady lent us her phone and then also borrowed the WiFi from the bar across the road so that she could help us. Everyone wanted to know who we were and why we were visiting. We were offered shelter, food and help – just like they had known us for years. We eventually gained access to our apartment and soon became part of the little community on our street, where everyone knows each other and says hello when they see you on the street. There was a real old world feel about the place, which was great – we even had yet another marching band and procession come past our apartment one day.
Medellin itself was a more modern city than the others we had visited but a vibrant and interesting one. There are endless food and bar options, some great galleries and museums and beautiful green spaces and parks. The Plazoleta de las Esculturas gave us another enjoyable hit of Botero, with its 23 bronze sculptures. The walk up to Cerro Nutibara was steep but the views of the city are very rewarding, and the miniature village is kitsch and fun. We also took a walk through the botanical gardens, although we couldn’t access many parts due to an event, so couldn’t really appreciate them. In the evenings the work hard, play hard attitude of the city becomes apparent and we enjoyed sipping beers, micheladas (beer + lime juice with a salt rim – like a beer margarita 😊) and aguardiente at local bars, and eating meals straight off the BBQs that you will find on many street corners. We also had a great meal at a tiny restaurant called Itaca which we highly recommend if you want to eat some local, fresh food.
Guatape and La Piedra del Penol
We took a daytrip from Medellin to Guatape via El Penol and this turned out to be another place we could have lingered in for a few days so if you can afford the time, factor it in.
Our first stop was La Piedra, which is a 200m high monolith which rises out of nowhere. You pay a small entrance fee to climb the slightly precarious staircase up to the top – it is 659 steps, which aren’t for the faint hearted but the views at the top are well worth the effort. This area is known for El Embalse, a sparkling lake, which you can see in all its glory from the top of the rock.
Then onto Guatape itself, this tiny town is full of colour and character. Its pretty streets are decorated with “zocalos”, which are colourful concrete bas-relief al frescos which were originally designed to prevent damage to the walls from children and animals but now draw tourists to this charming town. We couldn’t quite believe it when we arrived in the town square, only to realise we had happened on yet another fiesta de pueblo….cue marching band, carnival procession, circus performers, dancing abuelas (grandmas), people in fancy dress, floral displays and general celebration. This truly is a country that likes to party. Even the dogs were in the parade.
Check out our photos to see more. It was a fitting adieu to Colombia for us …… we will truly never ever forget our experiences in this dynamic, vibrant, friendly country. Colombia – you are AMAZING and we will be back!