Classic Colombia

Today, we will head out on a half-day visit to Bogota's historical centre, 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 Simon Bolivar's statue 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. 

After breakfast, we will head to the local airport for our flight to Neiva, then on to the town of Villa Vieja to the Paleontology Museum. We will then continue through the impressive Tatacoa Desert formed by years of erosion. We will arrive at our final destination of San Agustín, appreciating along the way, the extensive floodplains of the Magdalena River valley.  

After breakfast, we will head to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of The San Agustín Archeological Park. Here we can see the enormous stone statues and the impressive raised plateaus, specifically built to observe the stone monuments and passing over sacred grounds. We will walk on to the ceremonial Fuente de Lavapatas before heading up the hill to the Lavapatas terrace, with its remarkable views over the surrounding countryside. We will also visit the small museum. In the afternoon, we will head to the wonderful Colombian massif and the source of the Magdalena River, an impressive rocky gorge that forces the river through it. We will then drive back to San Agustín for a short visit to the town.

After breakfast, we will drive to Popayán, the capital of the department of Cauca. The spectacular scenery will accompany us on the journey, with the Andean mountains and high-altitude plains. We will spend the evening in Popayán.

Today we will visit the historical centre of Popayan founded in 1537. All around the Parque Caldas, we can appreciate the main religious and government buildings, as well as the Torre del Reloj, considered one of the main sites in the city. We will then head towards the Puente de Humilladero, built in 1873 to allow access from the city centre to El Callejón, the Iglesia de Santo Domingo, a baroque style church designed by the Spanish architect Antonio García, the Iglesia de San Francisco, considered the most beautiful baroque church in town, and the Panteón de Los Próceres. We will then head to the Religious Art Museum and the Casa Museo Mosquera. We will then head to the city of Cali for the evening. Cali is the third-largest city in Colombia, officially known as Santiago de Cali. This city boasts wonderful warm weather, as well as being known for its world famous salsa and warm hospitality of the local people!

After breakfast, we will visit  the most important historical and cultural sights of Cali, such as the 19th-century Municipal theatre of Enrique Buenaventura, the Casa Proartes, the Centro Cultural and the Museo de Oro Calima. We will then head to Cali’s historical San Antonio district's viewpoint and for a stunning view of the city. Next, we will head to The Iglesia San Antonio, home to some well-preserved artwork and impressive wooden sculptures. Then we will head to the Iglesia Sebastián de Belalcazar and the Iglesia de la Ermita. We will then head to the architectural complex of “la Merced”, the Plazoleta de San Francisco, with its impressive tower; the Plaza de Caycedo, the city’s main square, La Tertulia Museum; and the monument of Cristo Rey on the Cerro Los Cristales. After visiting all these impressive sites, we will head to Pereira, where we will spend the night in a typical hacienda.

Today we will head out to the coffee plantations along the steep hills of Pereira. The scenery is formed by this green carpet of coffee plants that spread out as far as the eye can see, only interrupted by the occasional Finca and beautiful heliconia flowers. 

We will head to the San Alberto, a coffee estate located near the town of Buenavista Quindío. The tour begins with an introductory talk about coffee, its preparation, toasting, characteristics, quality and the properties that make the best coffee. We will continue through the plantations, appreciating the daily toil of the coffee pickers as well as understanding the famous characteristics of classic Colombian coffee. We will see how the coffee beans are harvested, dried out in the sun and the techniques of the land. This volcanic terrain along the Central Andean Mountain Range has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Most of the plantations in Colombia produce Arabica beans, which produce a delicate and light tasting coffee widely recognized and consumed worldwide. We will then head back to Pereira for the evening.

After breakfast, we will head out on a visit to the Cocora valley, located in the central mountains of the department of Quindío. This valley forms part of the Parque Nacional de Los Nevados and is the ideal place to marvel at the “Quindian wax palm”, the national tree of Colombia. This tree can reach a massive 60 metres high and is the home of a number of bird species, such as the hummingbird and the endangered palm parrot.

We can get to the valley either by hiking or on horseback and we will head into the cloud forest to witness its incredible biodiversity of flora and fauna. On our way back to the hotel, we will make a stop off to visit the tallest wax palm in the world.  We will learn why the indigenous people of the region, worshipped this tree. In the afternoon, we will head to the traditional town of Salento to enjoy a city tour, visiting the Plaza de Bolívar with its colourful balconies, the Calle Real, the handicrafts shops and the Cocora mirador. We will then head to Filandia for the evening, a traditional Colombian town of colonial buildings, the Plaza de Bolivar, and many coffee shops. This is the perfect place to absorb the traditional atmosphere and perhaps some local spirits before returning to the hotel for the evening.

Today we will leave early for our next destination, the famous city of Medellin.

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 in the world, to the current day today 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 cities 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.

Today we will take a flight to Cartagena. Our driver will be waiting at the  airport to take us to the hotel.

Today, we will head out on a tour of the city, to witness 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 over the city, 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. We will learn about 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 Cartagena's city wall 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 islands of the Rosario National park for the day. We will admire the islands' impressive landscapes 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. During the colonial period, the islands were inhabited by African slaves who dedicated their time to fishing. Nowadays, the islands are a tourist destination for their natural marine diversity and beaches. We will then head back to Cartagena for the evening.

After breakfast, we will head to the breath-taking Tayrona National Park, where pristine nature, diverse flora and fauna, sandy beaches, jungle trails, rough waves, tall palm trees and lots of sunshine, make this unique park an incredible place to visit.

Free day to relax on the beach or enjoy the many different activities on offer. The perfect place to spend your final evening on this classic tour.

Today is our final day of this 17 day itinerary. After breakfast, we will head to Santa Marta airport to take our flight to Bogota, which marks the end of this amazing adventure!