We read up on the country and spoke with friends who are Columbian and then booked the trip through Buena Vista Travel which is run by a Columbian woman, who made recommendations and suggestions. We felt safe the entire time, found the country so full of varied activities and landscapes and loved the trip.
Full Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Bogata.
Transport arranged ahead of time to hotel.
Sleep: Embassy Suites by Hilton, Bogota. One(1) Two room Suite with breakfast and evening reception www.embassysuites.com. Calle 70 #6-22, Bogota, Ph (571) 317-1313
Day 2:
Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral with a stop at Carne de Res Restaurant. Private service. The crazy restaurant is a must see, but check to see what days it’s open as we changed our schedule after realizing it wasn’t open the day we had planned to go. It was en route back from the Salt Cathedral. We had dinner with family friends at their home.
Sleep: Hilton, Bogota
Day 3: Bogota ½Day City Tour (4 hours) Including Gold Museum, Zona Rosa and Candelaria. Took the gondola up the mountain to see the view etc.
Sleep: Hilton, Bogota
Day 4: Fly to Coffee Region – Armenia. 1 hour flightAVIANCA 9941 02AUG BOGOTA – ARMENIA 10:53A-11:55AGot taxi to take us to our hotel. Our taxi driver Carlos (who also it turns out was an Olympic marathon runner for Columbia!) luckily spoke great english and we ended up hiring him for rest of stay in Armenia to be our driver as it was a tough area to be without a car. We wouldn’t recommend the hotel/town we stayed in.
Sleep: La Floresta Hostel Campestre, Armenia www.laflorestahtelcampestre.com
Day 5:Rio la Vieja rafting trip on bamboo raft. stopped for picnic lunch. terrific day!
Sleep: La Floresta Hostel Campestre, Armenia www.laflorestahtelcampestre.com
Sleep: La Floresta Hostel Campestre, Armenia www.laflorestahtelcampestre.com
Day 7:Tour to Salento and Cocorna Valley. This area has amazing tall, skinny palm trees like nowhere else. It’s spectacular. We did what we thought was going to be a short hike, with a guide that didn’t have great english or ability to communicate distances well, and the short hike ended up being maybe 4-5 hour loop. But it was quite awesome – forest, mountains, the trees, rope walkway bridges, a stop at the top of the mountain in a cabin for hot chocolate with cheese in it. Afterwards we stopped by a terrific town where we would have stayed if we’d known about it. We ended the day at hot springs.
Day 8 Fly to Santa Marta
Van booked ahead of time through Rancho Luna to drive us up to the hotel – which is off the beaten track and takes a while to get to . It’s past the Tyrona Park. It has no electricity, is on the beach and no A/C, outdoor showers and you stay in big bungalows. We were the only ones there. The car takes you part way there and then we had to walk the last part as the road/driveway was too muddy to drive. We loved it! It was our splurge destination of the trip.
Sleep: Rancho Luna Ecological Hotel, Santa Marta IN06Aug-OUT09Aug (3 nights)One(1) Cabaña for five(5) persons. All inclusiveowner: Azucena Zamudio
Day 9Trip to the waterfalls up the road a bit. Hiked in and had great time climbing and jumping from the various falls. Really beautiful hidden spot.
Sleep: Rancho Luna Ecological Hotel, Santa Marta
Day 10 Day trip to the Parque Tayrona. Were driven there and figured out our hiking trail which too us the to beach and then back. Longer thatn we anticipated, but was a great day. Had lunch at the beach – you can only hike in.
Sleep: Rancho Luna Ecological Hotel, Santa Marta
Day 11: Driver took us to Cartegena. Checked into hotel – not in old town but on the beach area. We had a quck taxi ride to old town. We stayed here for 5 nights, which was probably 1 or 2 nights too many. We should have spent the night or two on an island instead.
Sleep: Hotel Capilla del Mar, Bocagrande Cartagena IN09Aug-OUT14Aug (5 nights) www.hotelcapilladelmar.comOne(1) Suite Especial w/2 rooms/balcony with breakfast *(see attachment)
Day 12-14:Did a guided morning tour of Cartegena first day whic gave us good lay of the land and history. Explored city on our own in afternoon. One day went to Isla de Pirates for a day trip. Hung out at the island during the day reading, swimming etc which was nice – we didn’t go to other parts of the island (there is an aquarium and some other things) as we wanted to just relax. Poured rain on boat trip back!Other days expolored Cartegena, went to the beach across the street from our hotel etc.Headed home after two weeks in this beautiful country!
