Highlights of Colombia

It was my first trip to South America and I wanted to explore a country where we could explore the culture and history of the cities, and get some relaxation in the countryside and/or beach. Colombia was perfect for this. 

Just a 5 hour flight from LAX, we started our trip in Bogota. Our hotel was in the charming neighborhood located in Zona G (named for the area that represents its gastronomy scene). We hired a local guide to give a full day tour of Bogota - we took a cable car ride up to Monserrate Mountain for an incredible view of the city. Next we visited the main market and sampled tropical fruit, wondered the old town streets of the La Candelaria neighborhood. There is a good amount of street art in the La Candelaria neighborhood. Colonial architecture is often juxtaposed with outdoor art which showcases the mix of old and new.  We finished the day with a stop at the Plaza de Bolivar, which is the main square of the city.  

Our next stop was to visit the coffee countryside of Armenia. After a quick flight our hotel picked us up and drove us to the charming inn in a rural area. The birds, the mountain, roaming cows and lush landscape was a nice change from busy Bogota. The inn prepared us a special private dinner since we were the only guests. The following day we had a private tour of a coffee finca where we got to hike through the plants with a pack of happy dogs and the farmers. The next day we drove out to the Cocora Valley where we hiked for several hours through a misty Dr. Seuss like the landscape of following hills and the worlds tallest palm trees.  On our last day, I took a solo run through the countryside surrounding the inn. It was extremely peaceful with the exception of one grumpy farm dog who thankfully seemed to stay within his side of the road.  

 Our last stop was the Spanish colonial city of Cartagena located on the Caribbean coast. Definitely recommend staying in the Old City which is a UNESCO heritage site due to the extremely well preserved colonial architecture. We toured the city, hung out at charming cafes, and watched the sunset over the Caribbean. We also explored Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas which is an impressive fortress over the city. While Cartagena is full of tourists, we didn't see any big chain stores or restaurants. All in all, Colombia surpassed our expectation!