Stay : A month on the Pacific coast and in the Andes
One month is perfect for a road trip through a wide variety of regions, with the possibility of getting off the beaten track. In just three weeks, you can avoid Medellín and the Pacific, or the south. Over five or six weeks, you can explore other regions, such as Santander, the Amazon or the Llanos, or the rest of the Caribbean coast and the archipelago of San Andrés and Providencia.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
30 days
€€ - Charm and comfort
Where to stay - Bogotá ?
The map of your stay - Colombie
Detail of the stay : A month on the Pacific coast and in the Andes - 30 days
Day 1: First night a little closer to the stars
Intercontinental flights often arrive late. The first day is limited to settling into the hotel and recuperating from the trip, with perhaps a quick trip to a nearby café to acclimatize.
Day 2: Bogotá, La Candelaria
Steps: Bogotá
Wake up early (jet lag). We stroll through La Candelaria: Plaza de Bolívar, the pedestrian section of Carrera Séptima to Parque Nacional, passing by the Museo Nacional. We climb the Monserrate in the late afternoon for a fine view of the capital. Getting tired, we eat an ajiaco and go to sleep.
PLAZA DE BOLÍVAR / MUSEO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA / PARQUE NACIONAL ENRIQUE OLAYA HERRERA / CERRO DE MONSERRATE
Day 3: Bogotá, beyond La Candelaria
Steps: Bogotá
This second day can be devoted to the Gold Museum and the Botero Museum, which will be quite something. You can also take a graffiti tour by bike, or a solo visit to the Paloquemao market (preferably in the morning) or the Botanical Gardens if the weather is fine.
MUSEO DEL ORO / MUSEO BOTERO / JARDÍN BOTÁNICO JOSÉ CELESTINO MUTIS / PLAZA DE MERCADO PALOQUEMAO
Day 4: Medellín, "the city of eternal spring
Steps: Medellín
Departure in the morning for Medellín. We remain in the urban atmosphere but with a more sympathetic climate. No old colonial houses here, but a subway and cable cars that go up in the comunas. In the afternoon we will go to the center, to visit the Museo de Antioquia and to caress the curves of Botero on the square in front. Festive night at the Poblado for some, or just a good restaurant in Manila.
MUSEO DE ANTIOQUIA
Day 5: Medellín goes green
Steps: Medellín
You can also visit the botanical garden and/or the Parque Arví in the heights to enjoy the freshness and an unforgettable cable car ride. If you are more into graffiti, you should definitely visit San Javier, a neighborhood in Comuna 13.
PARQUE ARVÍ
Day 6: Guatapé
Steps: Guatapé
Day trip to Guatapé, a picturesque and colorful village, with facades decorated with zócalos, friezes in relief on the walls of the houses. We walk around the village and we don't forget, for those who can, to go up to the Peñol rock, an enormous monolith of 220 m high, for an unforgettable panoramic view of the region.
PIEDRA DEL PEÑOL (PEÑÓN DE GUATAPÉ)
Day 7: Nuquí or Bahía Solano
Steps: Nuqui, Bahía Solano, El Valle
From the small airport located a few minutes away from the Poblado, in the middle of the city, we board a propeller plane to reach the Pacific coast, with a choice of Nuquí or Bahía Solano. Arrived in the tropical humidity, we go by lancha in one of the lodges around Nuquí, or by tuk tuk to El Valle. We enjoy the wild beaches and the local dishes with fish. The frequent rain refreshes us.
Day 8: Diving or surfing?
Diving, fishing, surfing, jungle trekking and swimming in crystal-clear waterfalls. These are just some of the activities offered by hotels (sometimes included in full-board packages). If you're here between July and October, you can go humpback whale watching, but without disturbing them too much.
Day 9: Utría National Natural Park
Steps: Parque Nacional Natural Utría
Another day to enjoy the nature and the adorable welcome of the Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations. We do as the day before, or we change activity. The Utría National Park is a good option to immerse yourself in nature.
Day 10: Medellín-Salento
Steps: Pereira, Armenia, Salento
Back in Medellín, head for the green valleys of the Eje Cafetero. By bus (approx. 6 hours to Salento) or plane to Pereira or Armenia, then a 1-hour bus ride. Stretch your legs as you wander through the steep streets of this typical coffee-region village, at an altitude of 1,900 m. Enjoy trout dishes with all kinds of sauces and good coffee. Overnight in Salento.
Day 11: Cocora Valley
Steps: Salento
Early morning departure in a Willys Jeep for the Cocora Valley, famous for its forests of wax palms, the national tree, a giant that can exceed 60 m in height. Ride or walk through the valley on well-marked trails. Return in the afternoon and overnight in Salento, after a game of tejo.
Day 12: Filandia
Steps: Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados, Filandia
Another small town with traditional architecture, colorful facades and flower-filled balconies. We stroll through Filandia, then reach the mirador for a beautiful panorama of the valley and the peaks of Los Nevados National Park. On the way back, stop off at the stalls on "Craftsmen's Street", and visit the cultural center devoted to the handicraft of bejuco weaving, the vine with which baskets have been woven for generations.
Day 13: Barbas Bremen and Pijao
Steps: Filandia, Armenia, Pijao
In the morning, guided tour of the Barbas Bremen nature reserve to discover an extraordinary biodiversity and go in search of a family of howler monkeys. Return to the hotel and departure for Pijao via Armenia. End of the afternoon in Pijao, the "slow" village of Colombia, still very authentic. Night in Pijao.
BARBAS BREMEN RESERVA NATURAL
Day 14: Pijao
Steps: Pijao
Discovery tour of the coffee world, with visit of a typical finca and tasting in the village's coffee shops. We put ourselves to the local rhythm, and so new night in Pijao, before leaving the region the next day.
Day 15: Route Pijao - Cali
Count in 4 hours of road to reach Cali, while passing by Armenia or Caicedonia. The world capital of salsa is waiting for you for a night where you will have a lot of fun. Do not forget to visit the district of San Antonio, but also the center (during the day) to feel the human warmth of this city, where "women are like flowers, dressed in a thousand colors".
Day 16: Departure for Popayán
Steps: Popayán
a 2.5-hour bus ride to Popayán, the "White City", one of the country's religious capitals, where Holy Week is celebrated with great fervor. We stroll from one colonial church to another, through the streets of the vast historic center, and admire the sunset from the Morro de Tulcán, a hill sheltering a pre-Columbian archaeological site.
Day 17: Silvia or Puracé volcano
Steps: Silvia
If you are there on a Tuesday morning, it is worthwhile to go to the market of Silvia, a small town inhabited by the Gambianos Indians, one hour and a half from Popayán. Otherwise, sportsmen will climb the Puracé volcano (4,780 m), with a local agency, or go on a mountain bike tour in the area to thermal waters. Another night in Popayán.
Day 18: Tierradentro
Steps: Tierradentro
A long trip of 5 hours by bus to reach the indigenous village of San Andrés de Pisimbalá, close to the archaeological site of Tierradentro, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Evening and night in this peaceful village where we go to bed early.
Day 19: Tierradentro
Visit the archaeological and ethnographic museums, then discover the archaeological park, which contains the largest group of pre-Columbian burial sites (hypogea) in the country. The setting is magical, and the sites are visited via a loop circuit.
Day 20: San Agustin
Steps: San Agustín
Short hike early in the morning to reach sites not realized the day before, then departure for San Agustin, where the other major archaeological site of the country is located. Count 5-6 hours of bus. Well-deserved rest in a hostel or a hotel of this pleasant village. Preparation for the next day's activities.
Day 21: San Agustín
Follow in the footsteps of pre-Columbian civilizations in the archaeological park. Allow 3-4 hours for the visit. The passport is valid for two days and allows you to visit the Isnos archaeological sites, for those who want to stay a little longer in the area, where there's also plenty to do in terms of outdoor activities (rafting, horseback riding, hiking, etc.).
Day 22: Transit San Agustín-Bogotá-Santa Marta
Steps: Santa Marta, Taganga, Minca
Flight to Bogotá from Pitalito airport, 45 minutes from San Agustín. Then flight to Santa Marta, to reach the Caribbean coast, the last region of this trip. Discover South America's oldest city and spend the night there, or in one of the nearby villages: Taganga on the coast, or Minca in Santa Marta's Sierra Nevada (for a cooler night's sleep).
Day 23: Discovery of Taganga and/or Minca
Steps: Santa Marta, Taganga, Minca
Discovery of the waterfalls and the natural environment of Minca, or idleness in Taganga. We sleep in the same place, festive evening in Santa Marta or Taganga, more peaceful in Minca.
Day 24: Tayrona National Park
Steps: Parque Nacional Tayrona
Early departure for the Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona of all beauty, between sea, forest and mountain, with magnificent beaches and paths in the jungle. Night in hammock or in one of the hotels inside the park.
Day 25: Buritaca or Palomino
Steps: Ciudad Perdida, Palomino, Buritaca
If you've got time on your hands, you can enjoy the seaside at Buritaca or Palomino, before treating yourself to a two- or three-day excursion to the Guajira peninsula, or a four- or five-day trek to Ciudad Perdida in the Sierra Nevada... We've only got a month, so we're heading for Mompox. About 5 hours by van from Santa Marta. Spend the night in a charming hotel by the river, and take an evening stroll through this splendid colonial town.
Day 26: Mompox
Steps: Mompox
It's hot and humid, but the setting and atmosphere are from another time. It's like being in García Márquez's Macondo(One Hundred Years of Solitude). Take a boat trip through the aquatic labyrinth that surrounds the town, discover Mompox's renowned filigree art and, of course, enjoy this well-preserved jewel of colonial architecture.
Day 27: Mompox-Cartagena
Steps: Cartagena De Indias
Departure by van for a 5 hour drive to Cartagena. After a good nap, discovery of the old city. Sunset from the wall or from a rooftop of the historical center. In the evening, we make the tour of the terraces and bars to dance the salsa or the champeta. Night in a beautiful colonial house.
Day 28: Islas del Rosario
Steps: Islas Del Rosario
Departure in the morning for the Rosary Islands, a paradise for snorkeling, siesta and tasting fruit juices and cocktails... Night on the island of your choice.
Day 29: Cartagena
Steps: Bogotá
Return in the morning to Cartagena. We take advantage again of the colonial city, a little shopping then departure by a flight in evening for Bogota. We offer ourselves a good restaurant in the Zona G, and we follow by a night out in the Zona Rosa. We keep some thousands of pesos however for his last day.
Day 30: Departure
Luggage preparation, strolls around town and final shopping at craft markets. Evening departure.
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