Two Weeks Traveling Around Colombia: From City to Nature to Coast

Arrive in Medellín, the city built in an amazingly green valley. It’s known as “the city of eternal spring” for a reason. The climate is mild and you'll always see flowers blooming. Stay in the El Poblado neighborhood. This area is relatively quiet and known for its many nice hotels, restaurants and the huge El Tesoro shopping mall. Bluedoors York Luxury Suites and Hotel Quinta Ladera offer great perks. For all-day food and the best coffee, go to Hija Mia.

If you are into culture and like to see the hectic center, Plaza Botero is fun. It’s filled with 23 sculptures made by Fernando Botero, one of Colombia’s most famous artists who was born in Medellín. After a couple of hours in the busy city center, head to the Laureles neighborhood for some nice food and shopping. For great coffee, stop at Cafe Revolución.

Do you fancy nature instead of more city vibes? Go further north and take the cable car up to Parque Arvi. Here, you'll find many scenic look-out points, hiking and biking trails, botanic gardens and an enormous variety of butterflies and birds. The views from this nature reserve are fantastic, and on Sundays there’s a farmers market.

Day trip time: just two hours' drive from Medellín, you’ll find El Penol, a 660-foot-high rock in the most stunning landscape. You can climb the 700 stairs (no elevator) to reach the top and enjoy the fantastic 360-degree views. The drive there in itself is so worth it — the landscape is so green and everything seems to grow here: coffee, lots of different fruits and flowers. Go early in the day to beat the crowds and, after El Penol, visit neighboring Guatape to walk through one of the most colorful towns of Colombia. Include a boat ride on the lake and learn about the history, why they flooded the original town of El Penol and see Pablo Escobar’s former mansion. We booked a private tour with LandVenture Travel and are so glad we did!

A must-see in Medellín is the Comuna 13 neighborhood. It has a difficult, violent history but, thanks to local investments in housing, schooling and public transport (escalators to take you up the hill), it's now facing better days. This part of the city is filled with street art and is a great example of a community coming together. Visit either at night (and see the millions of city lights) or either early in the day to avoid the burning sun.

At the end of the day, catch a flight to Armenia or Pereira (both an hour) to explore the beauty of Colombia’s nature.

Stay in either Armenia, Pereira or Salento and discover the magnificent naturaleza here. Words can’t describe the beauty of this area, including the famous Cocora Valley. In this valley, you’ll find hundreds of the tallest wax palms in the world, which are also the national symbol of Colombia. To reach the valley, you can hike for approximately four to five hours from Salento, or explore by mountain bike.

We booked a day trip with Biking Tour Carbonera and had a blast. The quality bikes — with double suspension — go on the 4x4, and with the crew you drive up the mountains. The highest point you’ll reach is 3378 meters (11000 feet). From there, you go on the bike — only downhill — into the valley. Such a perfect way to see this area. It includes a stop for an authentic, delicious Colombian breakfast, and if you are lucky and the weather is good, a refreshing dip in a stunning waterfall.

The active traveler can easily spend several days in the Salento area. On our second day here, we went horseback riding — not your typical touristy ride, but with the very experienced owner of Cabalgatas San Pablo, who has 16 beautiful, well-trained horses and can take you on different kinds of trails. We opted for crossing rivers, going up and down the green hills, and we stopped for coffee at a nice, small plantation. One of the best horseback riding experiences we've ever had!

Fly to Santa Marta, on the Caribbean Coast. You’ll immediately notice the change in temperature — it's much warmer and more humid. An hour drive (we rented a car) from Santa Marta is Parque Tayrona, a national park that's a hiking and nature lover's dream. In this tropical forest, the options are endless: a couple days' jungle trek, tubing down the river, scuba diving, bird watching or just relaxing in a treehouse-style cabin. We opted for a combination of relaxing at the beach and one jungle night. We stayed at the highly recommended Senda Kokkos Beach (Los Naranjos) for two lazy, relaxing days and at Villa Yira Eco-hotel for an unforgettable stay in the open air.

Drive to Cartagena in about four to five hours, either with your rental car (the roads are good) or a driver. Cartagena is a must-visit — this beautiful walled city, founded in the 16th century, is filled with colorful colonial houses, boutique shops, restaurants, bars, plazas with music, etc. Explore the small cobblestone streets in the historic center, the Castillo San Felipe and the street art in the Getsemani neighborhood. Such a vibrant place. Stay in Movich Hotel Cartagena de Indias or Hotel Capellan de Getsemani.

Time to relax! The Cartagena beaches aren’t special, but there is no need to travel far either, unless you have more days to venture out to the Rosario Islands. Just take the hotel's private boat and, in about 25 minutes, you’ll reach Blue Apple Beach. This small resort (just 11 rooms/cabanas) is a slice of heaven. Everything is special here — it's B-corp certified, offering delicious fresh food (they have their own vegetable and herb garden), the kindest and most attentive staff, fabulous music and beautiful rooms. Other than the hotel’s lovely pool area, a small beach, a horseback ride or scuba diving, there’s not much to do on this island, so it's the perfect way to completely unwind and wrap up your two weeks of travel in fantastic Colombia.