Cities of 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 eastern side of the plaza, 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. 

Today we will head back to the El Dorado Airport airport for your flight to Medellin. Our driver will be waiting at the Medellin airport to take you to the hotel in the centre of the city.

After breakfast, we will head out on a specialist “Social Transformation” Tour to visit the places that best represent the social transformation that has taken place in Medellín. The tour will show parts of Medellín from the 1980s, when the city was one of the most dangerous globally, to the current day, including many social projects that transformed the city to what it is today. Back in the early 90s, the search for the infamous Pablo Escobar was underway and the reign of “El Patrón” came to an end. The search for his successor continued well into the year 2000 and since 2002, Medellin’s renaissance began. Local politicians started to invest heavily in infrastructure and public education. Today the “City of Eternal Spring” is one of the most innovative metropolis’ in the world. Visit the Barrio San Javier, which used to be one of the most unsafe suburbs of Medellín. We will arrive by the metro cable car that joins the north-east area with the city centre, which has been life-changing to many of the inhabitants of Medellín. We will explore Medellin’s newest invention: the electric stairways of the district Comuna 13, discover stories about its history, see the interesting political graffiti that symbolizes expression in the local community while admiring the fantastic views over the city from the balconies of San Javier. Finally, we will head to La Plazoleta located in the city centre, in an area that fell into decline in the 1980s and today houses 23 sculptures of Fernando Botero.

After breakfast, we will head to the airport for our flight to Cartagena. Our driver will be waiting in Cartagena to take you to your hotel.

Today, we will head out on a tour of the city, and 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 not only of the city, but also the coast and port, one of the most important in the Caribbean. We will then head to the San Felipe Fortress, erected in honour of the poet, Don Luis Carlos López, from the city. It was built on 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.

After breakfast, we will head to the beautiful island of Islabela for the day. We will be able to admire the impressive landscapes of the islands with their crystal clear waters and gentle breezes. You will enjoy some free time on the beach to take in the spectacular scenery and kick back and relax. Islabela is the perfect place to enjoy the spectacular beach, delicious cocktails and a beautiful view. This island is surrounded by coral reefs and crystal clear waters, which create the habitat of a great variety of marine fauna and is perfect for snorkelling. Situated in one of Colombia's 46 National Parks, this area was created to protect one of the most important coral reefs on the Caribbean coast. The archipelago of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, as well as the Islands of Barú, Rosario, Múcura and Maravilla, are all found in this national park. We will then head back to Cartagena for the evening.

After breakfast we will transfer you to the international airport in time for your departure back home or onto your next exciting destination!