While travelling through South America, everyone we met had rave reviews about Colombia. It was the "best" and we were "going to love it". Usually when there is that much hype about something, your expectations get out of control so we tried to keep them in check. But we were not disappointed...Colombia really is the best and you will love it!
We spent 5 weeks travelling through the country with visits from some Canadian special guests (my mom, my childhood best friends and their boyfriends) and we could have easily spent another month. We got off the quickly forming tourist trail a bit more with my mom and were really pleased that we did venture further South.
So what are our top 5 picks for Colombia?
We spent 5 weeks travelling through the country with visits from some Canadian special guests (my mom, my childhood best friends and their boyfriends) and we could have easily spent another month. We got off the quickly forming tourist trail a bit more with my mom and were really pleased that we did venture further South.
So what are our top 5 picks for Colombia?
#5
Becky: Comuna 13, Medellin
Everyone I met told me how much they loved Medellin. For me, it wasn't anything particularly special but one thing did stand apart- the walking tour through Comuna 13. The neighbourhood is a photographer's dream from the impossible seeming layout of the houses up the steep side of a hill, to the street art, to the set of modern escalators that makes it all accessible. Add to that the stories brought to life by our local guide and you will be amazed at how much the Comuna has changed in very recent years. |
Shane: Tejo
Found mostly in southern Colombia, Tejo mixes alcohol and explosions with competitive sport. Virtually it’s like darts on crack. You stand about 10 metres from a clay filled box with a metal ring in the middle, which has 3 gunpowder filled triangles on it. Each player has a heavy metal disc that they then toss to try an explode said triangles. Sounds simple right?? It’s takes a little to get into a groove but once you find your range it’s addicting. |
#4
Shane: Bogota & the Salt Cathedral
Just an hour outside of Bogotá, in the small town of Zipaquira, lies an underground Roman Catholic Church inside an old section of a salt mine. Unofficially a wonder of the world, the impressive mine is vast and expands deep underground and into the mountain. With the 14 stages of the cross and a large cathedral, it is an impressive feat of architecture even for the non religious. Bogotá is a fun city to explore with endless street art, a fun, busy colonial old town, and the city view from mount Monserrate as top activities. |
Becky: San Agustin
San Agustin is still relatively unknown to travellers, despite containing the largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in Latin America and being considered one of the world's largest necropolis. It takes at least a full day to wander through the main archaeological park (make sure you don't miss slightly hidden entrance to the Statue Forest) and there are other sites nearby that can also be explored. It is still a bit challenging to get to and from San Agustin, but with the increasing number of tourists each year (still only 20 Canadians in 2016!) it is only a matter of time before the tourist trail is paved out all the way. |
#3
Becky: The Caribbean Coast
This is a bit of a broad pick, but we visited many beautiful places on the coast and it is worth going to at least one of them. Tayrona National Park is a great day of hiking through lush forest and beaches. Be careful as you can only swim at a couple of them and this is enforced by life guards. A bit more out of the way, Sanguare Reserve is the perfect secluded location to relax without crowds (we rented an Airbnb there). Cartagena, Santa Marta and Rodadero are also all beach side but come with crowds, hawkers and the bustle of the city. |
Shane: Medellin
Said to be the city of eternal spring for its temperate weather, which causes year round blossoming in the city’s vast number of gardens and parks. Known globally as being the city tormented by the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar during the 80’s and 90’s, Medellin is drenched in Narco history. However, there is so much more to this lively city. Comuna 13 and Arvi Park are must sees while in the city. |
#2
Shane: Salento
Colourful, Colonial and Coffee. Salento is a tourist hot spot for its charm and activities. Visiting coffee fincas, hiking through the Valle de Cocora to the tallest palm trees in the world, or exploring the colonial town on foot which has an abundance of bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. A must see if you are in central Colombia. |
Becky: Salento
Salento is a small, colourful town settled in amongst the coffee plantations and hills. It is a wonderful place to escape the cities of Colombia and feels like a completely different place. You can spend hours wandering the little streets and the national sport, tejo, is on offer at several bars. You are also a short drive from the Valle de Cocora, a breathtaking trek that takes you through the green valley filled with the world's tallest palm trees. Check the weather though, when it rains, it pours! |
#1
Becky: Tierradentro & San Andres
I didn't know a lot about Tierradentro before we went there, except that it was another archealogical site near San Agustin. It was the trickiest place to get to as there aren't many options for buses and the road is slow and winding. We stayed in San Andres, and the bridge connecting the town to the main road had been washed out, so we had to carry our bags across a small makeshift footbridge and flag down a local truck/"taxi" to make it the final part of the way. We began our full day of trekking in San Andres, and hiked the first half to El Aguacate and then down to the Archaeological Park entrance. From there, we bought our entrance ticket and made our way through the park back to San Andres. It was a big day (you could do it in two if you're not pressed for time) but the views of the surrounding hills and valleys, along with the incredible underground tombs, make it so worthwhile. |
Shane: San Andres (Tierradentro)
The tiny town of San Andreas is at first accessible only via foot bridge, as it seems the original car bridge was washed away by the river. There are a few cars on the other side however and you can organise a ride into the town centre to save yourself a 2km uphill hike. The town itself is tiny, however it’s the surrounds that make this place so special, including entry into the archaeological site of Tierradentro and some amazing hiking trails through the hills opposite the site. We tackled the whole loop in one day which started and finished in San Andres after about a 24km hike. Although the amazing views and ancient tombs make it so enjoyable that you don’t seem to notice how far you hiked. |
And our least favourites...
Becky: The glorification of Escobar
For some, the popularization of Netflix series Narcos has made Colombia a tourist attraction for less than positive reasons. There are plenty of people who are eager to hop on this money making train and sell anything they can related to Escobar and the drug traffickers- be it tours, stories, or drugs. The truth is, Escobar caused a lot of pain and suffering to the Colombian people and they would be more than happy to forget his name and move onward and upward. |
Questions about travelling in Colombia? Email us and we will be happy to help!