Highlands to Caribbean | Overland Journey

Welcome to Colombia! Over the next few days, let yourself be inspired by the hospitality and the small everyday treasures of Colombia, try typical delicacies and the fresh fruit! Transfer from Bogotá airport to the hotel.

Take a walk to get to know the contrast between the modern and historical part of the city of Bogotá. Walk through the mythical district of La Candelaria, decorated with its colorful colonial houses, located in the old center of the city, in its main square or Plaza de Bolívar, there you will find the government district, the Primate Cathedral of Colombia, the Palace of Justice, the Parliament and the Mayor’s Office, an important place for its historical facts.

Visit the famous museum of the Colombian artist Fernando Botero, where you will find from his sculptures in different materials, to the paintings that have made him a recognized artist, additional know an exceptional collection of contemporary art, with artists like Van Gogh, Picasso, among others.Walk through the corridors of the Gold Museum, to see a unique collection of pre-Columbian gold jewelry, made by the indigenous communities that inhabited Colombia.

It is time to leave the capital and go to the old colonial town of Zipaquirá.  You will visit its impressive underground church, which is completely carved in salt stone. Then you continue on the main road towards Ráquira, a traditional and very colorful village. This is the perfect place to find souvenir gifts and test your pottery skills.

Open the door of a pottery workshop, the specialty of the village, and look behind the scenes: A craftsman will explain to you the process of creation from mixing and firing to decoration. You are ready to create your own masterpiece. Arrival in the late afternoon in Villa de Leyva, the former summer residence of the bishops of Tunja. Take a leisurely walk through the cobbled streets and head towards the Plaza Mayor to end the day with a delicious meal.

Explore the surroundings of Villa de Leyva on a beautiful walk in the surrounding hills (2 hours, easy level). The view of the old colonial town is magnificent. Then the car tour begins to explore the surroundings of Villa de Leyva. Visit the monastery of Santo Ecce-Homo, which was declared one of the 7 wonders of the world in Colombia in 2007.  Walkthrough the charming and colorful garden of the monastery.

If you are interested in fossils, you should visit the paleontological research center. Don’t miss their reptile skeleton (Ichthyosaurus), which is no less than 8 m long! You will learn that this mountainous region was once a coastal landscape. Your next stop could be the Candelaria Monastery, also known as the “Monumento Nacional del Silencio”, an Augustinian monastery built in 1604 and considered by some as the oldest in South America. You can admire the amount of religious art that has been preserved. You will also love its colorful, peaceful and harmonious garden.

Today your driver will pick you up from your hotel to continue your journey towards Barichara, towards warmer countries. You will cross lush pastures and then follow a gorge that stretches towards the river Suárez. You can make a few stops to visit a traditional refinery, taste a typical guava mousse or try the Cuajada con Melao, a cheese cream with sugar molasses. Arrive in Barichara at 1300 metres above sea level. Feel free to stroll through the cobbled streets and colonial architecture of this perfectly preserved village, declared the most beautiful village in Colombia.

Today enjoy an easy walk accompanied by your guide, begins from Barichara to the small village of Guane (about 2 hours). You will pass through tobacco fields and pastures along this road called the Camino Real. Appreciate the fabulous view of the Suarez River valley and the surrounding mountains.

Take advantage of a stop at the Guane Fossil Museum to discover the relics of the indigenous tribe of the same name. If you want to refresh yourself after the effort, try the local specialty: Sabajon. A liquor made from milk, jam, and brandy. Surprising but unavoidable once you arrive in Guane!. To return to Barichara, you will take the bus or a tuk-tuk, typical transport in the area.

In the early morning you leave Barichara and drive to San Vicente de Chucurí. The path that passes through the Canyon del Chicamocha, where, if conditions permit, you can cross the canyon by cable car and enjoy a fantastic view of the deep gorge. You will have the opportunity to look back over the canyon and after a short break you will go to San Vicente de Chucurí.

The route to San Vicente del Chucurí is marked by the Topocoro reservoir, created in 2014. The lake is part of the Hidrosogamoso Project, a large hydroelectric power plant that generates energy from the Sogamoso River. A newly built road runs along the eastern shore of the reservoir and offers an impressive view of imposing bridges. The new road has considerably shortened the travel time, so that San Vicente, the center of Colombian cocoa cultivation, is now easily accessible.

Today’s program is a  tour to the cocoa plantations. Accompanied by a local producer, you will discover the different colors of the cocoa fruits, from yellow to purple and green, and learn all about the transformation of a precious bean into delicious chocolate. You will be able to grind your own chocolate and take a sample home with you. After lunch on the coffee farm, the journey continues to Barrancabermeja in the Valley of the Rio Magdalena where you will spend the night. Barrancabermeja is an industrial city located just 75 meters above sea level. It is one of the hottest cities in the country with an average temperature of 32°C.

Today’s adventure starts by a boat trip through the Magdalena River. Far away from the roads, the river curls his way through the landscape. After 5 hours, you reach El Banco, a small village in the south of the department Magdalena. A hundred years ago this was the only access from Bogotá to the Atlantic coast. From El Banco, the route takes you two more hours by car to Mompox, a magical colonial town in the north of Colombian, which teaches you a lot of history, romance, and nostalgia in every corner of this village.

Walk among the antiquated streets through the main sights of this town, where it is possible to appreciate and study the colonial architeture, unique due to its blend of mudejar and baroque styles. The “Calle Real del Medio” stands out with its whitewashed walls and stately homes behind imposing wooden doors with latches and knockers all of varying styles and the finely carved wooden balconies that spill over with the flowering plants.

The scenic Calle de la Albarrada runs alongside the river. Visit the colonial churches in town, the most striking of which is the Iglesia Santa Barbara in front of a plaza by the same name and beside the river. Constructed in 1630 contrasts with its yellow and white paintwork and is unique in Colombia in that it has octagonal Moorish and baroque bell-tower with balconies at the top. The Iglesia San Agustin houses the ornate golden Santo Sepulcro which is carried through the streets on the shoulders of the Nazarene Pilgrims during the Semana Santa processions. Continuing to the Cementerio  Central, perhaps the most interesting and atmospheric place to visit. Here it becomes clear that the old tales from Mompox are still very much alive. The white tombs are lined up one above the other and form walls of memories around a central chapel.

Leave the quiet Mompox for the very famous and colorful Cartagena today! Finally on the Caribbean coast, take the time to stroll through by yourself the lively streets, taste the seafood specialties, and have a drink on the terrace if you can stand the heat!

Get to know the picturesque streets of Cartagena, its republican and colonial architecture full of history such as the Plaza de la Aduana, where the slave market, the Plaza de Bolívar and the Gold Museum used to be, admire the Inquisition Palace and appreciate the architecture of the Heredia Theatre. In the old city meet the convent and church of San Pedro Claver with its construction of the mid-seventeenth century, walk through Las Bóvedas place that houses a colorful craft market.

Visit the Castle of San Felipe, one of the most important forts in the city built on the mountain by the Spanish, during the tour you will be able to contemplate a spectacular view of the city and its coasts. Climb to the highest point of the city to visit the old Convent of La Popa and enjoy the panoramic view of the city.

Cartagena has the biggest aviary in Latin America, around two thousand wonderful birds with exotic and coloured feathers fly across the surroundings of Colombia’s National Aviary, located in Barú Island. Enjoy the most wonderful tour around 7 different environments, with 21 exhibitions and more than 1900 specimens of the 165 bird species. Moreover, you will explore three ecosystems: rainforest, coastline and desert, a path that is six metres high.

An exclusive and expert guide will come along with you during your visit. You have the opportunity to interact with hundreds of birds in one of the biggest and outdoor aviaries of South America. Wander the space that serves as a home for captive breeding preservation and reproduction of endangered species like: harpy eagles, different species of macaws, flamingos, storks, alcaravanes, parrots, condors, cardinals and paujiles. You can also visit the migrating birds that arrive to the aviary’s 21 stations.

Transfer from the hotel to Cartagena airport. It’s time to say goodbye to Colombia. You will leave your hotel in order to return to Bogotá where you will wait for your international flight.