Colombia is a big nation, with all kinds of landscapes and experiences to discover. Whether you might be in search of journey actions, cultural sights, or a possibility to loosen up on beautiful seashores, Colombia has all of it.
I’ve beforehand shared intensive itineraries for Colombia for backpackers on lengthy journeys wanting to depart no stone unturned. In this Colombia journey information I’ll deal with a simple route that’s excellent for a shorter trip.
If you’ve 1 week in Colombia, your greatest guess is to deal with one space of the nation. Some of the most well-liked focal factors are Bogota, Medellín, and Cartagena. Each of those cities is exclusive and presents many alternatives for exploring the encompassing space.
This information is particularly for 1 week within the North of Colombia, the place you may discover the attractive colonial metropolis of Cartagena, benefit from the tropical seashores of the Rosario Islands, and go to espresso farms and expertise the Colombian jungle in Minca.
1 Week Itinerary
This one-week itinerary features a little bit of every little thing, is straightforward to do, and is in part of Colombia identified for its good security ranges. It’s supreme for first-timers in Colombia, {couples}, and households as nicely.
Transportation, lodging, and actions will be simply booked via on-line platforms or via native brokers (e.g. for bus or ferry tickets it may be simpler to purchase straight on the terminals).
You can observe this common define:
Day 1 + 2: Cartagena
Arriving in Cartagena, you may be instantly struck by the attractive colonial structure and heat Caribbean environment.
But first let’s talk about some logistics. Flying into Cartagena is your only option, as it can help you actually take advantage of your one week in Colombia. When planning your journey, take note of each the associated fee and journey time required to get from place to put.
The airport is just quarter-hour from the town middle and there shall be loads of taxis ready for you, however don’t allow them to rip you off. It is usually that when Colombian taxi drivers see gringos the worth magically doubles and even triples typically.
The worth ought to be round 15,000 COP and may go up a bit extra relying on the place you’re staying, however not more than 20,000 COP.
To get the complete expertise and ambiance in Cartagena I like to recommend staying in one of many stunning colonial inns. Casa Morales is my favourite lodge in all the previous city, with its beautiful colonial-style structure and fashionable facilities. You can calm down from the tropical local weather within the pool or get pleasure from your espresso on the personal balconies.
(Book Casa Morales at Expedia, Booking, or Hotels.com.)
Once settled in, head out to discover the town.
The City of Cartagena
Cartagena was based in 1533 by Spanish settlers and have become a commerce hub for gold and slaves within the seventeenth century. The metropolis’s afro-Caribbean affect will be traced to its colonial historical past.
The city nonetheless has many colonial treasures to discover, such because the well-known Walled City. With its brightly coloured buildings, quaint plazas, and charming cobblestone streets, Cartagena is ideal for wandering round and getting misplaced on goal.
So let’s get on the market and begin exploring!
For Day 1, I like to recommend doing a tour targeted on the Walled City. This provides you with some important historic background however will even merely aid you orient your self within the metropolis.
You will get to discover all the primary sights inside Cartagena’s colonial middle, together with Plaza Bolivar and San Felipe de Barajas Castle. The previous city is sort of small, so it is possible for you to to see every little thing in just some hours.
A bit additional outdoors the previous city (however nonetheless inside strolling distance) is the San Felipe fort, the most important colonial Spanish fortification in South America.
Alternatively, e-book this personal tour through Viator. This features a shorter strolling tour within the previous city however you’ll even have a automobile with driver, so you may see sights additional away just like the hilltop Popa Convent and the San Felipe fort.
Cartagena is a well-liked vacationer city, so be ready to be approached by avenue distributors promoting fruit, Panama hats, or souvenirs. Occasionally they do get annoying, however don’t let this deter you from having fun with your time in Cartagena. Simply ignoring them often works greatest.
To get away from the hustle and bustle of the road sellers head to the Getsemani neighborhood, which is a colourful space crammed with bars, cafes, and artwork retailers.
Head to one of many native spots for a cheeky 15,000 COP menu del dia. These day by day set menus are widespread in Colombia and often embody a soup, contemporary fruit juice, and a foremost plate with meat or fish and patacones (fried plantain slices). The menus del dia are a enjoyable and cheap approach to get acquainted with the native meals. Alternatively, get pleasure from my favourite ceviche place, La Cevecheria for among the freshest seafood within the metropolis.
On Day 2, head to the Totumo mud volcano. This is the proper exercise for youths as they will climb within the mud and run round. Just beware that it will get very messy!
It is a few half hour to the volcano and I like to recommend taking a half-day tour to take advantage of your time on this distinctive location. There are departures at 7.30 AM and 1 PM. For an early begin, contemplate getting the 7.30 AM tour. You can e-book this expertise at GetYourGuide or at Viator.com.
After getting again into city and washing up — which you’ll actually need to do after having mud in your entire nooks and crannies — you may spend the remainder of your day additional exploring Cartagena by yourself, or hitting up considered one of its many seashores.
If you needed to take some social media-worthy snaps now’s the time, as a result of Cartagena has simply so many stunning partitions with avenue artwork, colourful buildings, and vintage doorways that make for nice backdrops for some selfies.
Cartagena is a variety of enjoyable to wander round as there are quite a few boutique retailers, cocktail bars, and specialty cafes. Colombia is, in fact, famed for its implausible arabica espresso beans — and as of late they do a tremendous job roasting them as nicely. My favourite place for a batch brew or V60 is Café La Manchuria, which additionally sells its personal beans and different artisanal native merchandise.
Craving some seashore time? The hottest seashore is Playa Blanca, which has stunning white sand and turquoise water. If you desire a extra secluded expertise, head to Boca Chica or San Lázaro as an alternative. These are a lot much less crowded so it is possible for you to to loosen up and benefit from the views in peace.
For the night, head to the highest 10 bars within the WORLD which is positioned in Cartagena. Alquimico is a three-story bar with the very best cocktails and is a can’t-miss evening out in Cartagena. The afrobeats, reggae and salsa music will get you dancing very quickly.
Day 3 + 4: Rosario Islands
After just a few days in Cartagena, it’s time to get away from the crowds and head to the Rosario islands. This is a small cluster of islands simply off the coast of Cartagena, which supplies you a real tropical getaway.
A variety of vacationers go to the primary island of Isla Grande just for the day, however I don’t advocate it. With the seashores in Cartagena being fairly crowded, I counsel staying on one of many islands for no less than one evening. This method you may actually loosen up and luxuriate in this stunning tropical oasis.
The white sand and turquoise water seashores are unmatched by Cartagena, making it the prime spot to chill and loosen up or attempt your hand at water sports activities like kayaking and scuba diving.
Getting to the Rosario Islands is sort of straightforward. You might want to head to Muelle de la Bodeguita to catch one of many ferries. The trip to Isla Grande solely takes round 45-60 minutes, and all ferries depart no later than 9:30 within the morning.The tickets for the ferry vary from 55,000 COP to 90,000 COP. The final ferry from Cartagena to Isla Grande leaves at 09:00 within the morning, and the final ferry from Isla Grande to Cartagena leaves at 15:00.
Considering the ferry schedule, should you did a day journey you’d solely have 6 hours of enjoyable within the solar, which is why it’s nicer to spend two days there.
Hotel Isla Bella is the proper place to remain on Isla Marina, an unspoiled smaller island subsequent to Isla Grande, with a spread of bungalows positioned proper on the beachfront. You can get pleasure from waking up every morning to the sound of the waves, swinging in your personal hammock in your balcony and taking within the tropical vibes.
Spend your days exploring the island, renting one of many paddle boards or kayaks and hitting the waves, or attempt your hand at snorkeling and diving within the crystal blue water. And don’t overlook to take a sundown stroll alongside the seashore!
And should you’re feeling adventurous, head out for an all-day journey by yourself personal yacht. You will be capable of snorkel, get pleasure from your lunch and loosen up on a gorgeous seashore, all whereas floating alongside the large blue sea.
Alternatively, contemplate any of these Rosaria Island excursions which can take you to the very best bays and islands.
Day 5 – 7: Minca
After enjoyable on the islands, it’s time to go inland and discover Colombia’s lush inexperienced mountains.
Minca is a small mountain village positioned 1 hour away from Santa Marta. It’s considered one of my favourite locations in Colombia, identified for its unbelievable views of the Caribbean and its surrounding jungle.
It’s an ecotourism hotspot, residence to some beautiful eco-lodges, nice mountain climbing trails, waterfalls, and bird-watching spots.
Getting to Minca takes a little bit of time and a bit of effort however it’s 100% price it. You might want to take the bus from Cartagena to Santa Marta, which prices round 80,000 COP. The bus terminal in Cartagena is positioned on the outskirts of the town, so count on a taxi there from the middle to take about half-hour. The bus journey to Santa Marta can take 4 to five hours relying on site visitors. It takes some time, however on the plus aspect, the journey is fairly comfy and also you’ll get to see a few of Colombia’s pretty landscapes from the window.
Once you arrive in Santa Marta, the best and most handy approach to get to Minca is by taxi, it takes about 45 minutes and can value round 80,000 COP. You may also take the native bus, which is less expensive however will take about double the time.
There are a ton of wonderful locations to remain in Minca — from high-end eco resorts to extra budget-friendly hostels and leases — however the one place I extremely advocate staying is Masaya Casas Viejas.
This stunning jungle lodge is ideal for these seeking to escape the town and luxuriate in nature within the coronary heart of Colombia. And the infinity pool overlooking the jungle is the proper place to chill off and loosen up.
(You can e-book Masaya at Expedia, Booking, or Hotels.com.)
Spend Day 1 in Minca enjoyable after your lengthy journey, and take within the stunning views out of your lodge. Consider a stroll into Minca city for a meal at the Lazy Cat, some native specialty espresso at Caficosta, or some amazingly yummy artsinal icecream at WAIRA.
On Day 2, you’ll want to make sure that to discover the encompassing space. There are tons of nice hikes that lead via espresso fields or up waterfalls, together with zip strains and horseback driving excursions for these in search of a bit of extra journey.
All these actions can both be accomplished independently or will be booked at native brokers without having to pre-book on-line. If you’re unsure what to do, go to Jungle Joe in town’s foremost avenue the place you may collect all the data.
In the afternoon, make sure that to go to the Pozo Azul, a gorgeous set of waterfalls and two pure swimming holes to chill off in after a day of mountain climbing.
Minca can be an important place to expertise many alternative unique birds of their pure habitat, making it the proper vacation spot for birdwatchers. Jungle Joe’s bird-watching tour is unbelievable, providing the prospect to identify the elusive toucan and plenty of different creatures.
And no journey to Minca can be full with out visiting a espresso farm. Colombia is likely one of the prime coffee-producing nations on this planet, so don’t miss out on taking a tour of considered one of its many native plantations. You will learn the way they make their distinctive espresso processing and luxuriate in a cup of their freshly brewed brew.
On Day 3, I counsel both doing extra actions round Minca, or to take your likelihood to see one of the stunning locations in all of Colombia, Tayrona National Park. This large 1,200-hectare park stretches alongside the coast of Colombia and is residence to beautiful seashores and unbelievable wildlife.
The hottest approach to discover Tayrona National Park is by a day journey from Santa Marta. So you will have to make your method again to the larger metropolis and head to one of many many tour firms. You may also contact your tour supplier and ask if they provide a pick-up from Minca. This is the most well-liked tour choice on Viator, whereas you may get an analogous Tayrona tour via GetYourGuide.
They will prepare for a roundtrip transport and entrance charge into the park, in addition to providing a number of totally different mountain climbing excursions all through the jungle areas inside Tayrona National Park.
Start your day with a fast 1-hour hike via some dense jungle-lined paths till you attain Cabo San Juan seashore. This beautiful tropical white sand seashore is a must-see, and one of the stunning in all of Colombia.
Spend the remainder of your day absorbing the solar, swimming within the glowing blue waters, or mountain climbing to some hidden spots round Cabo San Juan seashore.
I like to recommend attending to the park as early as doable, because the seashores and trails will begin to get extra crowded because the day goes on. So make sure that to get up early, pack a picnic lunch with some contemporary fruit, and luxuriate in your final day surrounded by untouched nature.
Extending your journey
If you may lengthen your time to 9 days in Colombia I extremely advocate visiting the town of Medellin. As so many worldwide flights go away from Medellin to locations round on this planet, it’s a excellent place to cease and take 1 further day earlier than heading residence.
Medellin was as soon as probably the most harmful metropolis on this planet however is now a bustling metropolis stuffed with attention-grabbing structure, unbelievable museums, pleasant locals, and a lot extra. Due to its tumultuous previous it’s the very best place to study Colombia’s current historical past. The Real City Tour Medellin is extraordinarily informative and eye-opening.
You may also wander via the street-art-covered neighborhood of Comuna 13 in your go to, as it’s a actually distinctive expertise. This provides you with a style of what Medellin went via and the way they’ve come again higher than ever.
Alternatively, in case your flight is through the capital Bogota, you should utilize your further day in Bogota to go to the spectacular Gold Museum, the Botero Museum, and take a strolling tour across the previous metropolis. Neither Bogota nor Medellin are stunning like Cartagena, however they will present you much more about Colombian historical past and tradition.
So whether or not you’ve 1 week or 9 days, Colombia is the proper vacation spot for a jam-packed journey, as this Colombia journey information has hopefully demonstrated! It is an unforgettable nation, so don’t miss out on this superb alternative to discover one of the stunning nations in South America.
Travel Tips for First-time Colombia
Do you want a visa for Colombia?
No visa is critical as most nations are granted 90 days in Colombia with out a visa.
Is Colombia secure?
Colombia is mostly a secure nation. While there could also be some dangers in sure areas, with widespread sense and a little bit of analysis you must be capable of get pleasure from your journey with none points. The nation has turn into an enormous vacationer vacation spot in recent times and has turn into very secure for guests to get pleasure from their time right here.
You can learn extra Colombia security info right here, although the previous metropolis of Cartagena, Minca, and the close by seashores and islands coated listed here are identified to be very safe and headache-free.
Do you want to know Spanish?
While figuring out some Spanish will be useful, it’s not completely essential to get pleasure from your time in Colombia. There are loads of English-speaking locals and plenty of excursions particularly designed for vacationers within the nation.
However, studying a bit of bit forward of time or utilizing a translation app may help you navigate the town and talk with locals.
What plug kind is utilized in Colombia?
The plug kind in Colombia is the usual North American type with two flat prongs.
How to pay for issues in Colombia?
The commonest choices for paying for issues in Colombia are by money or bank card. Many companies are actually accepting main bank cards, however I like to recommend all the time having money as many native locations and taxi drivers solely settle for money.
There are loads of ATMs everywhere in the nation and you could find ones with low charges making it straightforward to withdraw money.
The native forex in Colombia is the Colombian peso. The Colombian Peso is a particularly excessive forex that’s within the hundreds, so 25,000 COP is the equal of about $5.
At first, it may well appear insane when a taxi driver tells you your trip is 10,000 COP, however you’ll rapidly get the grasp of the forex and it received’t appear as daunting.
When’s the very best time to go?
The greatest time to go to Colombia is from December to February when the climate is mostly delicate and nice with hardly any rainfall.
However, that is additionally the height vacationer season in Colombia, so if you wish to keep away from crowds and better costs, it could be greatest to journey throughout the spring or fall as an alternative.
Regardless of whenever you go, with its pure magnificence and vibrant tradition, Colombia is certain to be an unforgettable expertise.
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Posted NOV 16, 2022
· Last Updated Nov 16, 2022