As a country in Latin America defined by countryaah, the country of Colombia that offers everything !! Here you will find the Andes, the Caribbean, the Amazon, Salsa, coral reefs, metropolitan pulse, colonial architecture, Coffee, Gold Museum with Native American objects, rainforest with ruins and paved paths from the heyday of the Tayrona Indians. Colombia is abbreviated as COL by abbreviationfinder.
Colombia – 15 days
Day 1 Departure from Sweden
Day 2 Arrival in Bogotá
Arrival at El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá. You will be met by your local guide for transfer and check-in at the hotel. Bogotá is a modern, fast-growing city and one of Latin America’s urban highlights with a thriving nightlife, restaurants, café and bar culture. Add to that graceful churches, excellent museums, squares and city parks.
Day 3 Bogotá
Breakfast at the hotel. Start the day with an excursion to the well-preserved historic colonial quarter of La Candelaria. At Plaza de Bolivar there are sights such as the Cathedral, the Congress Palace, the Cardinal’s Palace, the colonial church of El Sagrario, the House of Independence, the Palace of Justice and the City Hall. Do not miss the famous and “Must See” Gold Museum where the world’s largest collection of Native American gold crafts is displayed. Round off the day by visiting the Monserrate hill where you take up a cable car. From Monserrate there is a fantastic view of Bogotá. This is also a place of pilgrimage for Catholics. The evening on its own.
Day 4 Bogotá – Coffee Cultural Landscape – Filandia, Salento and Cocora Valley
After breakfast you travel to the coffee region and visit the traditional village of Filandia. Here you will visit the main attractions such as the Plaza de Bolívar, the colonial streets and houses as well as the typical “fondas” (restaurant bars) to taste the local spirit from the region. Visit the Quindío lookout point for a great view of the “Coffee Triangle”. The Cocora Valley is home to the Wax Palm, Colombia’s national tree and the tallest palm tree in the world. They can grow up to 60m high and be 120 years old. On arrival you will be welcomed with a typical cocktail called “canelazo”. A visit is also possible to the city of Salento, which was founded in 1842 and was one of the first settlements in Quindío. A typical smoked trout lunch is included in the Cocora Valley. Transfer back to the hotel for overnight stay.
Day 5 Coffee Cultural Landscape – Combia Inspiration Tour – Cartagena
Breakfast and departure to Armenia for a visit to Hacienda Combia for an Inspiration Coffee Tour. Hacienda Combia is a coffee farm that has developed a unique tour, which consists of nine stops that show the essential parts of, environmental conditions and the technical processes required to grow high quality Colombian coffee. After lunch transfer to the airport for flights to Cartagena.
Day 6 Cartagena
You will be picked up at your hotel for a half-day city tour. Five hundred years of eventful history make the city an exciting place to visit. The picturesque streets in old colonial style, the unique Caribbean atmosphere of rhythm and colors make Cartagena a must for the South American traveler. The culturally interested are captivated by the well-preserved colonial architecture with colorful facades, small beautiful squares, wooden balconies, elegant residences and patios. The city is probably the best preserved of the colonial cities of the Spanish colonizers. The evening is free for your own activities.
Day 7 Cartagena – Rosario Islands
After breakfast you go to the port for a motorboat trip to the beautiful archipelago of Islas del Rosario which is located an hour and a half south of Cartagena Bay. The island of Isla del Encanto is the destination for the day trip. In addition to 200 meters of white sandy beaches and crystal clear water, this small island also offers a pool with sea water and many hammocks to take a break and pass the time. The islands in the archipelago have been designated a Nature National Park. Here is one of the most important coral reefs along the Colombian coast. Lunch is included and in the early afternoon you return to Cartagena.
Day 8 and 9 Cartagena
Days on your own. Hot, stuffy and filled with music, color and tradition, Cartagena is deservedly Columbia’s most popular destination. Its restored colonial architecture testifies to a fascinating, dark and at times bloody history. As a shipping place for gold and silver, the city was a coveted prey for looting pirates. As a protection, a walled fortress was built which today, together with the port and monuments of old Cartagena, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 10 Cartagena-Santa Marta
Breakfast and transfer to Santa Marta (4 hrs). On the Caribbean coast, Santa Marta is the oldest Spanish-speaking city in Colombia. The proximity to the sea makes it an attractive destination in the region due to a consistently warm climate, cooling sea breezes and the proximity to Tayrona Park and the majestic Sierra Nevada. This beautiful port city has a fantastic panoramic view where it is sandwiched between the sea and the snow-capped Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta peaks.
Day 11 and 12 Santa Marta
Days on your own to enjoy beautiful beaches, crystal clear waters, off-shore reefs for scuba diving. Away from the beach, the city flourishes with its Spanish colonial charm. Walk through the historic city center, admire the whitewashed buildings and especially the cathedral which claims to be the oldest in South America.
Day 13 Santa Marta – Trekking Pueblito
After breakfast, drive along the Pan-American Highway to Tayrona National Park. The tour begins with a hike along cobbled jungle trails laid by the Tayrona Indians. After a few hours of hiking, you come to the ruins of a village that shows the ingenious engineering work done by the ancient Indians to build walls, terraces, bridges, water canals and wide stone roads along the edges of the mountain. Lunch box is included and you return to Santa Marta in the late afternoon.
Day 14 Return home
Breakfast and transfer to the airport in Santa Marta for return.
Day 15 Return to Sweden.
