As you learned a few weeks ago, I count Colombia as my 100th “country”.
For this first trip, I stuck to the cities – Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena. And this was a great lesson on keeping an open mind, you never know what you will like. If asked before the trip, I expected to like Cartagena, Medellin, and Bogota (in that order). I only went to Bogota because it is the Capitol and frankly we had to transfer through anyway from Santiago Chile. I actually enjoyed Bogota the most and Cartagena the least. And I was pretty sick while in Bogota, so I can’t imagine if I had been running at full steam.
We only had a week and I feel like I could have spent at least three weeks seeing everything I wanted. If I’d had more time, I would have gone to the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, San Agustin to see the ruins, the far south to spend time in the Amazon, and the five day trek to see Ciudad Perdida (the lost city).
I definitely recommend going to all three in order to decide for yourself. Here are our highlights:
Bogota:
As I mentioned, I loved the Old City of Bogota and La Candeleria neighborhood. I thought it was quaint and charming. It wasn’t overcrowded. It was a “living city.” There were plenty of places to eat. It was well kept with an old-world charm.
We stayed at the La Candeleria House which was beautiful and charming. Both the rooms and the bathrooms are large. And you cannot beat the location!
Restaurant el Son la Grille was outstanding. They had a large menu, helpful staff and great food. This was one of my two favorite meals all week. My traveling companions also really enjoyed La Puerta de La Catedral.
Botero is one of the country’s most famous artists. The Botero museum is free and connected to several others. This is a large complex of exhibits, and it would be easy to spend at least two hours here.
The Gold Museum is also reputed as one of the best in the world. For me, it is worth a quick stop but I don’t have enough interest to study the nuances of the different origins and designs.
Plaza Bolivar is a must stop for any visit, and on the weekends has a large market.
Because I was not feeling well, I skipped Monserrate and the views of the city, but my friends said it was worth it. You can either walk or take the cable car up.
We were there for 1 ½ days. 2-3 days is probably about right with the addition of the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá.
Medellin:
Medellin was definitely not what I expected. Based on the rave reviews from most travelers, I expected to love it. However, I would definitely recommend it because I loved our two-day tours.
El Penon de Guatapé was a great day trip. The rock is so unusual and just one of a few free-standing rocks that you can climb. While the over 600 steps sound dauting, it should only take 15-20 minutes. The surrounding views were spectacular. Most day trips also include a boat ride, lunch and a trip to nearby towns. If we had time, I can see why many recommend staying in Guatapé instead of Medellin, but logistics and time to / from the airport didn’t make this practical for us.
Visiting Coloma 13 with Zippy13 was a group favorite and maybe one of my favorite tours EVER. Our tour guide Stevin definitely knew how to engage us and tell a story. I learned more about Colombia during those few hours than I did the rest of my trip combined. Until fairly recently, Coloma 13 was one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. Local ingenuity and resilience have turned it around and it is now a story of hope. Our tour was from 10-2, we walked around and had lunch on our own afterwards, and then took the cable car up Coloma 11 for the views. You can also take tours of Coloma 4 which is earlier in the revitalization process.
We stayed at Refugio de Jaguar. I was a little nervous about it. It is pretty causal and a little quirkier than I usually do with friends. It was a huge hit and everyone’s favorite place over three weeks of traveling. The staff was very friendly. It was a fantastic location. Everyone loved the indoor hammocks. And while it was unusually hot, and there was no air condition, the fans cooled the rooms down enough at night.
Cartagena:
I had high expectations for Cartagena. I wanted to love it. But I thought it was hot and overrun with hordes of tourists and vendors. And most disappointing, it is no longer what I could consider a “living city.”
But the old colonial buildings have been preserved and are beautiful. We did a free walking tour and learned about the 600 years of history.
I recommend you leave the old walled city to visit nearby colorful Getsemani which is home for both tourists and locals.
We enjoyed the Naval Museum more than I would expect. Even though it was mostly in Spanish, the displays were still interesting and interactive. We had a good time just goofing around.
We also splurged and instead of cramming onto a tour, we rented our own boat to visit the Rosario Islands. We had an amazing day, and it was worth the additional price. The tours looked miserable. Just being on the water and snorkeling was my favorite part of Cartagena and in the top 5 activities of my month-long trip. While sailing, we stopped for lunch at Aura Hotel Baru. The food was delicious with a tranquil atmosphere and an attentive staff. If looking for just a relaxing beach vacation, I would be tempted to come back here.
And on that note, to give credit where it is due, Cartagena has fantastic food. These were my favorites:
La Brioche for breakfast – everyone loved their dish and we went back a second time. I had their avocado toast which was outstanding.
Di Silvio had outstanding Italian food and was my favorite meal in Colombia, tied for my second favorite meal on my one-month trip and in the top five of my favorite meals in 2023.
And gelato from Crepes and Waffles hit the spot and was my favorite dessert of 2023.
General Thoughts:
You will need proof of an onward ticket when flying to Colombia from the United States.
Ubers were cheap and easy in all three cities.
For Cartagena, check the cruise schedule and try to plan your time around when they are not in port.
Life Kinetic Travel Research 