Everybody knows three things about Colombia: Shakira is Colombian, we don’t talk about Bruno, and the Cartel. What many fail to see is just how much Colombia moved on from the image of violence and narco cartels. While the scars of history are still visible, they make this destination all the more appealing.
Located on top of the South American continent it is the only country on the continent with a coast on both the Pacific and the Atlantic ocean. The country has dramatically different landscapes – oceans, mountains, volcanoes, and the jungle, but the magic of Colombia lies in its people. Charismatic, friendly, loud, vibrant personalities all over the country await to show you why Colombia is an amazing country. The gem of South America, Colombia has something for every traveler.
Colombia at a glance | What to expect
Language: The official language of Colombia is Spanish.
Currency: The currency of Colombia is known as the Colombian peso (COP).
Safety: Since a 2016 accord ended the civil war between Colombia’s government and the FARC, Colombia has been in peace. It’s overall a safe and travel-friendly destination for visitors. You’ll want to watch your belongings from pick-pocketing in the major cities, and use general precautions when traveling alone or at night.
Weather: Colombia’s location near the equator means that the tropical climate is pretty consistent throughout the year.
Food and Drink:
- Arepa: Arepas are the primary bread products eaten in Colombia.They are round and small-ish – think about the size of cookie up to the size of a corn tortilla, but much thicker. They are often served grilled.
- Ajiaco Soup: This is very traditional and popular soup in Colombia, particularly in Bogota. It is made with 3 types of potatoes, chicken, corn, and capers.
- Patacones: They are doubled fried plantains. They may have some sweetness to them (when ripe plantains are used) or be more salty and savory (my preference) when the plantains are greener. They are often served with guacamole, beans, or meat.
- Empanada: Empanadas are half circle shaped pastries that are filled with a savory (usually meat filling) and then baked or fried.
- Guanabana: While the exterior of this fruit is bright yellow and spikey, peel the rind off and you have a soft, white fleshy center that you can bite into. The flavor is mild and sweet.
- Chicha: Chicha is an ancient, traditional Colombian drink made from corn. It has an interesting taste and smell, kind of like a mix between drinking corn bread and apple cider together. It is also described as similar to kombucha.
- Hot Chocolate: Colombians love a good “chocolate con queso” or chocolate with cheese. This is often known as Chocolate Santafereño and is one of the more unusual things to eat in Colombia. A chunk of cheese is served next to the cocoa, which you are then supposed to submerge completely in the chocolate until it is gooey and melty. Use your spoon to lift up a piece of the melty cheese or drink it with the chocolate.
- Obleas: This is essentially a sandwich cookie, with two thin, crispy, and lightly sweetened wafers on the outside, and a filling – usually arequipe, but could be jam or chocolate as well – on the inside.
We used Kensington Tours to help iron out the details of our trip and to ensure we have a seamless vacation without any worries. This is our 3rd time using Kensington and I highly recommend them for planning bigger trips! Our guides were AMAZING, we got to plan our itinerary exactly how we wanted, the service was 10/10 and they worried about all of the extra stressors so we could just show up and enjoy our vacation!
We started our trip in the capitol Bogota, flew up to the coffee region of Armenia, and then to the coast to Cartagena.
Colombia 9 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Bogota/Zipaquira
Hot off the plane, we met our guide and jumped in the car for a 2 hour drive to Zipaquira and the Salt Cathedral.
Zipaquira is most famous for its Cathedral carved underground in a still functioning salt
mine just west of the town. There are 14 Stations of the Cross as you descend in to the mine, each station
sculpted by a different artist. At the deepest point of the cathedral, 180m below the earth’s surface, you encounter the 16m high central cross. It is truly incredible to see. To make things even cooler, there is a spa down there. Desal spa offers salt treatments 180M under ground. We had a salt scrub and massage – it was very relaxing.
For dinner we ate at the famous Andres. This 7 story restaurant is just something to see and experience. Each floor is a different floor to heaven with crazy decor, live music, this was the place to be in Bogota. We had traditional Colombian food and the steak was delicious!!
Day 2: Bogota
Today was a booked and busy day as we had a full tour of the capital of Colombia, Bogota.
We started our busy day off at Plaza de Mercado Paloquemao. We got to see all the beautiful flowers – Colombia is a huge exporter of roses – local fruits/vegetables, and probably the most delicious arepa of my life. We watched the lady make it from scratch and I still have dreams about it.
After the market we met up with Chef couple Jorge Sonya for a cooking class. If you have been here awhile, you know we always try to do a cooking class while traveling. We made traditional Colombian potato soup, Ajiaco Soup, empanadas, and got to try some local Colombian beer. It was a lovely afternoon sharing stories and cooking together in their kitchen.
After an architectural walking tour of the historic city centre of La Candelaria where we saw important government buildings, some beautiful murals, and charming streets, we had a visit to the Museo Botero – a famous Colombian artist. Fernando Botero, Colombia’s most famous artist who’s “oversized” art is instantly recognizable. There are several rooms over 2 floors with displays of his work. The museum not only houses work by Botero but also other world famous artists such as Dali, Monet and Van Gogh.
For our last meal in Bogota, we went to hands down the coolest food experience of my life. Frenessi is a futuristic, theatrical, gastronomical experience. You are transported to different worlds all while exploring your culinary senses. Starting in the arctic, to the Amazon forests, to the clouds, to space, to under the sea, to an Alice in Wonderland world – the best way to describe it is just out of this world. Check out this VIDEO to get a sneak peek because words cannot even describe it.
Day 3: Armenia/Quindio Coffee Region
After a quick 45 minute flight up north to the beautiful mountainous coffee region of Colombia, I was most excited for this hotel because you might recognize it from the famous Disney movie, Encanto. Hacienda Bambusa is the hotel where the Disney producers stayed at while they were creating the movie Encanto. They based the Madrigal house off of this hotel.
This hacienda is also on a cacao farm, so we got to see how chocolate is made from the cacao plant to the drying of the seeds to the grounding where they then ship it off to be made into chocolate. We got to make our own hot chocolate from scratch, and even had it the Colombian way with a small block of white cheese. It was very unique but really tasted good! When in Colombia, you do as the Colombians do!
This evening was actually New Years Eve so we brought in 2024 with the staff of the hotel and partook in some traditional Colombian New Year Eve traditions. We wore yellow undies for good luck, we burned “old man dolls” to start the new year young and fresh, and we ate 12 grapes at midnight to equal 12 wishes for the new year. It was a very special way to ring in the new year.
Day 4: Cocora Valley
Cocora Valley is home to the world’s tallest palm trees. These wax palms can reach up to 60m (200 ft)! Due to its high elevation, the cool temperatures and rainfall cause low-hanging clouds to form in the Cocora Valley, turning the region into a mysteriously-looking cloud forest. You can discover this natural paradise on foot, by mountain bike, or on horseback. We opted for the hike – it was a moderate trail that anyone with reasonable fitness can easily do.
After our hike, we explored the colorful town of Salento. Known for its colorful homes and undeniable charm this was the perfect spot for a traditional Colombian lunch and some shopping!
That evening, the hacienda set up an Aguardiente tasting. Aguardiente, translated from Spanish, reads “firewater.” It is an extremely high in alcoholic content liquor. We got to try a bunch of different types and had a lot of snacks along the way. It turned into a wild night with the hotel staff!
Days 5/6: Rosario Islands
A long day of travel was ahead of us to the coast of Colombia and the Rosario Islands. Started the morning with a 1.5 hour flight to Cartagena. From here we hopped in a car and a ferry to the beach bliss of the secluded Rosario Islands.
We stayed at Hotel Las Islas and the grounds were stunning. We were lucky enough to have a bungalow room on the private island that included it’s own private pool. A haven of tranquility, Hotel Las Islas is a wonderland offering numerous on-site activities.
Hotel Las Islas is located on a peninsula of Corales del Rosario National Park. Host to the largest coral reef system in Colombia’s Caribbean coastline, it is an excellent location to participate in a snorkeling adventure.
We spent these 2 days relaxing and soaking up the sun and lounged on the beach. This was a great break in our busy adventure.
Day 7: Cartagena
Today started our last league of the trip to the colorful city as Cartagena. Cartagena is known for its colonial architecture, lively squares, very well preserved historic center and great night life. Because of its location on the Caribbean coast, it has a very different vibe than the rest of the country. The city is full of color, tropical vibes and undeniable old world charm. It’s hands down one of the most beautiful cities in South America.
We started our evening watching the sunset at the best place to see it, Cafe Del Mar.
Cafe del Mar is located right on the wall and is a very popular place to watch the sunset in Cartagena. It starts getting busy around 4 pm, so I suggest showing up around that time to score a table. And if you want one of the tables with the best view right along the wall, be sure to make a reservation. If the place is packed and you are not able to get in, any spot along the Wall is great to watch the sunset. Grab a cold drink from one of the vendors, find a spot along the Wall and enjoy the view. There will be lots of other people doing the same.
If you love Salsa music and are looking for a fun night out, you can’t miss Café Havana. It’s just down the street from Plaza de Trinidad and it’s considered one of the best Salsa Clubs in the world. Café Havana opens around 8-8.30 pm, although the band doesn’t start until 10ish. The place gets packed later on, so if you’d like to score a good seat at the bar, don’t wait too late. Café Havana is closed on Sunday and Monday nights.
During our stay in Cartagena we stayed at Nacar Hotel Cartagena – it was the perfect location situated inside the walls. We loved the rooftop pool and bar and had some delicious grab guacamole!
Day 8: Cartagena
We started our second day exploring one of the biggest attractions in Cartagena, Castillo San Felipe de Barajas. The castle was built by the Spanish to fend off the invaders and after nearly a century of construction, it was finally completed in 1657. Castillo San Felipe is one of the biggest and most impressive fortresses in Latin America.
One of the most popular things to do in Cartagena is to walk along the city walls. The Walls, that go around the entire historic center of Cartagena, were built at the end of 16th century to protect the city from constant pirate attacks. They are an important part of Cartagena’s history, but also one of the main attractions. So many fun shops to pop into, we learned so much history about the colors, doors, and history of the city.
Be sure to get a picture with Palenqueras.
As you walk through the streets of Cartagena, you’ll quickly notice women wearing bright colored dresses balancing bowls of fruit on their heads. They are Palenqueras. They come from San Basilio de Palenque, a small village south of Cartagena, which was the first free town formed by Africans who escaped slavery in Cartagena. Back in the day, the women of Palenque used to walk each day to Cartagena with baskets of fruit to sell it. While you can still buy fruit from them, Palenqueras make most of their money by posing for pictures with tourists. The expected tip is 20,000 COP.
Probably our favorite meal in Cartagena was Restaurant Cande. With its live dancing and authentic menu, Cande is a restaurant that offers culture, music, and tradition night after night – through cuisine, colonial architecture, and warm service. Live entertainment and the freshest seafood makes this a must stop! Note: reservations are required.
Day 9: Cartagena and home
We spent our last few hours wandering the city walls, popping into shops and eating the last arepas before packing our bags and headed home after an amazing trip with memories to last a lifetime.
Leave a Reply