Our highlights of Colombia
For us, Colombia is one of our favourite countries we have explored in South America. Like its neighbours, it offers a diverse landscape and you will find it hard to be bored, but more than that, it still has a rawness to it from its tough and not so distant history of drugs and violence during the times of Pablo Escobar and those that followed.
We had just over two weeks in Colombia and wanted to see as much as we could, so here are our highlights:
Bogotá
Colombia’s capital is worth exploring for a few days; we stayed in Chapinero, which had a great range of restaurants and bars to frequent by night.
Old town offers an array of cathedrals and plazas to while away the hours. We particularly enjoyed the governmental buildings and browsing the artisanal markets for traditional Colombian crafts – just be prepared to negotiate hard for the best price!
We also discovered our new favourite artist, Botero, for his love of all things rotund. He donated his works to a museum which is free to enter and also showcases other artists such as Picasso.
The local food market, Paloquemao, is a short taxi ride away and is worth seeing for its vast array of flowers, fruits and local foods, which you can sample.
You can also ride a funicular or Teleferica to the highest point for a view over the city. Just be prepared to queue and don’t try walking there as we were advised it is rife for robberies.
Food recommendations:
Brot – a tasty bakery where we over indulged in a loaf of chocolate chip bread after a tasty breakfast (recommend the club sandwich!) and an awesome cappuccino.
Bogotá Beer Company (BBC) – a craft beer brewery bar set outdoors and lit by fairy lights – the jugs of beer are a must and the pizza went down well with it too!
Armenia
Part of the Quindio coffee region, Armenia offers a landscape full of coffee plantations and plantain trees. In this beautiful countryside you can take a tour of the coffee plantations and learn about the production of coffee which is such a significant industry for Colombia (85% of its production is exported).
We would also recommend staying in a Hacienda (large homes which have now been extended to provide accommodation for additional income as a result of the decline in farming in the region). We stayed at Hostal Mi Monaco, with lovely grounds, beautiful rooms, a swimming pool and simple but tasty food.
Salento
Not too long a drive from Armenia, and home to the Cocora Valley, this area provides you with an opportunity to get back to nature. We opted for a day walk in the Cocora Valley to learn about the unique flora in the area and the spectacular wax palm trees scattered on the hillsides. Although it rained and was foggy so our view was somewhat restricted!
Whilst in town, visit a Tejo club and learn to play this traditional game. The game involves throwing metal weights at a clay board with the aim of triggering a mini explosive! Great fun with a group and we were reliably informed that a beer in one hand is mandatory!
Medellin
The city at the heart of Escobar’s time has seen the violence and drug cartels that Colombia was known for. It has gone through a period of significant change, and whilst there is still a lot to do, there is a positivity to the city that didn’t exist before.
For us, the stand out thing to do here is take a tour to Communa 13. This community was run by the Guerillas, and whilst still controlled by gangs, there is more peace between each community. Positivity is channeled through meaningful graffiti, and they are embracing tourism and sharing the stories of what they experienced in order to better themselves and the community.
There are also options to take Escobar tours, but the draw of these is more the person sharing their experience rather than the places you visit, as the city has now moved on.
Food Recommendations:
Urban Burger – the only option is a beef burger at this casual burger joint, but with its tasty extras and brioche bun this is a must for the burger lover like Nav!
Carmen – modern twists on Colombian food. This was a stand out meal for us. If you go, order a few meals between the group to get a taste of each of the dishes. And make sure you order the meatballs!
Cartagena
One of our favourite places we have visited since being in South America. The colourful streets are vibrant and each plaza is full of music. Stroll the streets and get lost there, you won’t regret it! Another option is to walk the perimeter of old town on its wall – this is a lovely walk but take plenty of water! It was so hot when we did it, we were forced to stop and have a beer in one of the plazas to cool off!
If you want to pick up some gifts, head to Los Bovedas. This is a row of artesian shops using the arches of the old town wall; formerly store rooms and also prison cells.
Food Recommendations:
Secondas Oportunidades (Second chances) – this is a project to prepare women who find themselves in prison to provide integration back into society. All the chefs and the waitresses are inmates. The set menu which includes three courses and a fruit juice is designed by a number of Colombian chefs and it really was a good meal, not just the novelty factor.
Cafe de la Trinidad – set in a little square in Getsemini, just outside old town, this local restaurant was a great find for good value breakfast options, where you can sit outside in the shade and people watch.
Pezetarian – an alternative option is this Sushi restaurant. Order at the counter and collect your tray when it’s ready, this is a functional restaurant but the sushi is so incredibly good, we went there three times in four days! They also offer hot bowls, soups, salads and ceviche – none of which disappointed us.
Playa Blanca (Isla de Baru)
It would be rude not to take advantage of the Caribbean Sea and have a few beach days. We researched Santa Marta and boat trips around Isla de Rosario, but opted to spend two nights in Playa Blanca instead. This is on Isla de Baru; only accessible to tourism in recent years with the addition of a bridge joining it to the mainland. As a result, it has experienced rapid growth in tourism and be under no illusion this is an overcrowded beach resort, but sections of it are pretty, the sea is turquoise and warm, and it is no more than a casual, laid back beach retreat with basic facilities.
We would recommend booking a bus transfer (leaving at 8.30am) from the city. When you arrive there, ignore everyone touting for business, get on the beach and head right for at least 600m. It’s a nicer and quieter part of the now over crowded beach.
The whole beach (few mile stretch) is packed with independent businesses offering restaurants, bars and accommodation all in one. We stayed in The Wizard Hostel and Bar and can not recommend it enough. You can just turn up without reservations, and if they are full there are plenty of alternatives close by. The staff are amazing and the fresh food they serve is so so good (recommend the shrimp!)
All accommodation here is rustic to say the least – ranging from beds in beach huts, to camping or just a hammock and a mosquito net. We had the luxury of a double room in a hut on the beach front, you flush the toilets by throwing water down them, and you shower using a bucket of water with a little tap on it. But it’s all worth it for a relax and a swim in that warm sea. Be warned, prices are inflated across Playa Blanca (take your own drinks and snacks if you can). To snorkel, you need to arrange a boat trip and negotiate down any price you are given.
The standout experience for us here was a night boat trip to a lagoon area filled with plankton. We actually had no idea what we had signed up for! We were a fair way through a bottle of rum, and our hostel guy (who could not speak English) suggested we took a boat trip to see some lights in the water. We thought we were going to some random party, but ended up jumping off the boat in the lagoon in the pitch black only to see the water glow luminescent as we moved. Skimming our arms on the surface, we were covered in what looked like thousands of diamonds. This beautiful experience was the glowing plankton – neither of us have experienced anything like it.
