14 Day Colonial Colombia

Today, we will head out on a half-day visit to the historical centre of Bogota, also known as La Candelaria. This historical suburb is of great significance to the country ́ due to its cultural heritage and its stunning Spanish colonial architecture. The city’s main Plaza is the Plaza de Bolivar, where the statue of Simon Bolivar is found. The plaza was originally used for civil and military purposes The Cathedral, found on the plaza's eastern side, is constructed on the same spot where the first-ever church was built in 1539. The Capilla del Sagrario is located just beside the Cathedral and is a great example of religious architecture. It houses valuable pieces of colonial religious art by Gregorio Vasquez de Arce y Ceballos. The Capitol, built between 1847 and 1926, shows both renaissance and neoclassical influences with intricately carved stonework and tall columns. The central area of the Capitol, known as the Elliptic Hall is where congress meets and is the actual chamber for the Senate. Around the Plaza de Bolivar are buildings such as the Palacio de Justicia, the Mayor of Bogotá’s offices called the Edificio Liévano, the oldest school in the county called San Bartolome and the Casa de Los Comuneros.  We will continue with the Botero Museum, a colonial house exhibiting some of Fernando Botero ́s works of art and in addition pieces from his own personal collection that includes works by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí Matisse, Monet and Giacometti.  We will then head to the Gold Museum which has a permanent exhibition of some 32,000 pieces of gold, 20,000 stones, ceramics and textiles, belonging to the Quimbaya, Calima, Tayrona, Sinu, Muisca, Tolima, Tumaco and Magdalena civilisations of Colombia.  End the day with a visit to the Santuario de Monserrate, an important symbol of Bogotá. Ride the cable car up the 500 metres to soar above the city. The site offers incredible panoramic views with the city on one side and the Andean mountain range on the other.

Today we will leave Bogota to travel to Zipaquirá, the spectacular Salt Cathedral. The name Zipaquirá refers to Zipa, the leader of the Muisca tribe and the chief of these rich salt mines. We will head through a tunnel in the cathedral, taking us to the dome. After we will reach the enormous cross carved into the saline rock and finally the three naves of the Cathedral that represent the birth, life and death of Christ. In the central nave is the main altar, with the huge cross made by the Colombian artist Carlos Enrique Rodriguez. This is the largest cross made from salt in the world. We will then head to the salt mine. The trip ends at a water mirror where it is possible to see the spectacular visual effects of water on carved rock. 

We will then continue to Villa de Leyva in the afternoon. In colonial times, Villa de Leyva played a central role to gain independence. Today, the city is a colonial jewel with the main square surrounded by Spanish colonial houses, small alleys, cobblestone streets and the 17th century parochial church. This is where we will spend the evening.

Today we can enjoy Villa de Leyva by visiting its cultural and ecological attractions. There are many important museums such as the Colonial Art Museum and the Museum of Maestro Acuña, which exhibits works of this influential painter, sculptor and writer. The Fossil Museum, founded in 1977, was built exactly where a kronosaurus, a marine reptile of more than 120 million years old and 20 metres in length was discovered. On the outskirts of the town, there is also "El Infiernito", a pre-Hispanic Muisca site, where around 30 megaliths are located. It is believed that these columns are about 2,200 years old. Some believe this site belonged to an ancient fertility cult, due to its phallic-shaped stones, others, believe that it was used as an ancient astronomical observatory. Just a few kilometres from Villa de Leyva is the Convento del Santo Ecce Homo founded by the Dominicans in 1620 and considered a most outstanding Spanish building in the town. The pavement is made of local stone full of fossils and ammonites, and the chapel has a magnificent golden altar.

Today we will leave Villa de Leyva and travel to Barichara, where we will spend the evening.

This town was declared a National Architectural Monument in 1975 for the well-preserved urban structure and colonial Spanish-style architecture. The houses are large and have a cloister style design around internal gardens, intricate stonework and clay tiles on the rooftops. The cobblestone streets represent the culture and the population of this town, known for its cuisine, stonemasonry, weaving, tobacco growing and gathering “hormigas culonas”, which are large ants fried up and eaten for their aphrodisiacal properties. 

Today we will visit Guane, a small town located on the hillside and found alongside the majestic Suarez River. This journey can be made by car or on a 2 hour hike, along the old Camino Real. This ancient pathway was made by the pre-Columbian indigenous people and following the footsteps of ancestral civilizations. We can appreciate beautiful landscapes, valleys and fossils, as well as the local farmers' way of life as they tend to their crops. This perfectly preserved, colonial village of Guane, is found at 1100 m. We will visit the Isaias Duarte Cancino Paleontological and Archaeological Museum to see fossils from the region and various pieces from the Guanes indigenous people. The mummy of a young girl is the centrepiece, among a number of religious antiquities and objects from different eras. We will also visit the Santa Lucia Church. We will then continue to Barichara where tall palm trees elegantly surround the Plaza Principal. On the western edge of the park is the Alcaldia, a truly colonial building with large balconies. We will see the churches include La Inmaculada Concepcion and San Lorenzo Mártie which have altars bathed in gold. The Parque para Las Artes Jorge Delgado Sierra is full of interesting stone sculptures made by both local and international artists. The Casa Natal de Aquileo Parra, the 11th President of Colombia, is today a small museum and a  recreation centre for the elderly, to work on handicrafts. There are outstanding viewpoints where you can enjoy views of the Suarez river valley as well as the town’s streets and architecture. Afterwards, we will visit the Casa de Arte de Oficios, where local artists display their works before returning to the hotel for the evening. 

Today we will leave Barichara and head towards Bucaramanga making a stopover at the theme park in the Chicamocha National Park.  This is home of the majestic Chicamocha Canyon. The river of the same name can be seen in the background. The heat of the region is accompanied by a refreshing breeze, making it ideal for hiking the trails leading to various attractions in this rugged and unique terrain. There is also a cable car, said to be one of the largest and longest cable car rides in the world. It’s worth a visit to the replica of Santander town, the Guane Museum, the Monument to Santaderean culture, the Viewpoint and the Goat and Ostrich park amongst other sites within the park. We will then continue to Bucaramanga.

Today, we will head to the airport for our flight to Cartagena, where we will spend the evening.

Early in the morning, we will head out to Mompox, passing through San Juan Nepomuceno, the imposing Montes de Maria, rising up from the savannah and San Jacinto, a famous town for its wicker handicrafts. We will then continue through Carmen de Bolivar, Plato, Nueva Granada, Santa Ana, before arriving at Mompox, a magical place where time has stood still. 

We will begin our day the local way, in a moto-taxi, the perfect solution to the narrow streets of Mompox. The Calle Real del Medio is a perfect example with its whitewashed walls and stately homes behind imposing wooden doors and their carved wooden balconies, spilling over with the flowering plants. The Calle de la Albarrada runs alongside the river. We will head to the 5 colonial churches in town, including Iglesia Santa Barbara in front of a plaza and arguably the most spectacular, San Francisco, Santo Domingo, San Juan del Dios and La Concepcion. 

In the Cementerio Central, the old tales from Mompox are still very much alive. The white tombs are lined up one above the other and form walls around a central chapel. This town seems like it is frozen in time and we can see this on the visit to the filigree workshops, where talented local artisans make jewellery from threads of silver and gold, a world-famous tradition in Mompox.  

In the afternoon Embark a wooden boat with an outboard motor and head off to the Ciénega de Pijino, to marvel at these wetlands and its array of flora and fauna as well as to take a dip in the Magdalena River. We can appreciate the variety of local wildlife as we get up close to exotic species such as howler monkeys, birds and iguanas. We will then head back to Mompox for the evening

After an early breakfast, we will head back to the city of Cartagena. You will settle into the hotel and enjoy a free evening in this amazing city.

Today, we will head out on a tour of the city,  appreciating its fabulous views from the Monasterio and Iglesia de La Popa, constructed in 1606. This church and monastery are located above the city, offering a panoramic view of the city, coast and port, one of the most important in the Caribbean. We will then head to the San Felipe Fortress, built on the San Lázaro hill to defend the city from pirate attacks back in colonial times. Walk around the fortress and learn how the castle was constructed, the engineering feats, the tunnels, underground galleries and passageways. We will then visit the Ciudad Vieja (old city) with the Convent and Church of San Pedro, which was built in the middle of the 27th century We will end the tour with a visit to the handicrafts zone of the Bovedas, a collection of archways built into the city wall of Cartagena and that were used until the end of the 1700s to house weapons and then later as a prison in the 19th century.

Today is the final day of the tour. After breakfast, we will take you to the airport for your flight to Bogotá or your next exciting destination!