Colombia

Contents(Chapter)Edition 6th Edition, August 2012 Pages 12

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Coverage includes: Contents pages, On the Road, Top Experiences map, Our writters, Itineraries.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Welcome to Colombia ... 2Map .................................. 420 Top Experiences ....... 6Need to Know ................. 16If You Like... ..................... 18Month By Month ............. 20Itineraries ........................ 23Colombia Outdoors ....... 28Regions at a Glance ....... 33

YOUR PLANNING TOOL KIT

Photos, itineraries, lists and suggestions to help you put together your perfect trip

UNDERSTAND COLOMBIA

Colombia Today ............. 276History ............................. 279Life in Colombia .............. 289The Arts........................... 291The Natural World .......... 294

Colombia Today A Country on the Rise Colombia makes evangelists of all who visit it and few visitowith anything but a positive impression. And while the glo a es utters, Colombia is powering ahead full throttle as foreign invand tourists pour in. The economy has been growing steadily foryears, and Colombia’s nance minister projected a further 5%in 2012. While it’s undeniable that for many rural oor life ha

USCOLOMBIA

population per sq

≈ 32 people

10,000 BC

Some early arrivals create little stone

chips at the site of El Abra in modern-day

Bogotá – the earliest k d f

Mto

blive

ive in the 1500s. Ciudad Perdi a, the Tayronaaroun 700 AD, with hundreds of stone terraces The Muisca, one of the country’s larger indigen

resent-day Boyacá and Cundinamarca, near Boga Muisca word), and numbered 600,000 when the

Spanish ConquestColombia is named after Christopher Columbus, set foot on Colombian soil. One of Columbus’ com

Diverse Landscapes Colombia’s equatorial position a ords it a diversity of landscapes matched by few countries. A slight tinkering in altitude takes you from sun-toasted Caribbean sands to co ee-strewn, emerald-green hilltops in the Zona Cafetera Continue

ten called the Serengeti oFrom the towering dunePunta Gallinas to the Colombia’s kaleidoscopicand landscape has few riv

Outdoor Adven

Welcome to Colombia

“All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!”TONY WHEELER, COFOUNDER – LONELY PLANET

PAGE

2

PAGE

275GET MORE FROM YOUR TRIP

Learn about the big picture, so youcan make sense of what you see

Cali & Southwest Colombia Archaeology Salsa Architecture

Pre-Columbian Ruins Less than 100km apart amid stunning Andean panoram-as sit Colombia’s two most important archaeological sites. More than 500 large statues carved out of volcan-ic rock are scattered in the hills around San Agustín. At Tierradentro, archaeologists have unearthed more than 100 underground tombs.

Salsa

Paci c Coast Marine Life Beaches Nature

Marine Life Get close to massive hump-back whales at Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Ensenada de Utría or head out at night to watch nest-ing sea turtles lay their eggs near El Valle. Divers can swim among hundreds of sharks at Islas Malpelo and Gorgona.

Beaches Framed by jungle-covered

Need to Know

Currency » Colombian peso

(COP$)

Language » Spanish (+ English

in San Andrés & Providencia only)

High Season (Dec-Feb)

» Sunny skies and warmish days throughout the Andes

» Stay dry everywhere but the Amazon

» San Andrés and Providencia are gorgeous, as usual

Shoulder (Mar-Sep)

» Bogotá, Medellín and Cali suffer a secondary rainy season in April/May

» Best whale-watching is July to October on the Pacific coast

» Cartagena shines through April, hard rains begin in May

Low Season (Oct-Nov)

» Flash floods often wash out roads in the Andean region

» Cartagena is disproportionally wet in October

» A glimmer of hope in the Amazon: low water levels mean excellent hiking and white-sand beaches

When to Go

#

#

#

#

#

LeticiaGO Mar-Nov

ProvidenciaGO Jan-Sep

CartagenaGO Nov-Feb

BogotáGO Jan-Feb

MedellínGO Dec-Mar

Tropical mountain climate, mild summers, chilly wintersTropical climate, wet and dry seasonsTropical climate, rain year-roundTropical rainforest, wet and dry seasonsCold climate

Your Daily Budget Budget less thanCOP$50,000

» Dorm bed COP$15,000-30,000

» Comida corriente (set meal) COP$5000-7000; self-catering in supermarkets

MidrangeCOP$50,000-175,000

» Doubles in midrange hotel COP$80,000–130,000

» Mains in decent local restaurant COP$15,000-25,000

Top End overCOP$175,000

» Double room in a top-end hotel from COP$160,000

» Multicourse meal with wine from COP$40,000

» One-way flight to the Caribbean coast or Amazon COP$80,000-250,000

16

JAN

E SW

EE

NEY/JA

I/CO

RB

IS ©

Parque NacionalNatural Tayrona

Santa Marta

Cartagena

Bucaramanga

BOGOTÁ

Leticia

Popayán

Cali

ArmeniaPereira

Medellín

Río Yavarí

San Agustín

Ciudad Perdida

Villa de LeyvaSan Gil

VENEZUELA

PANAMA

COSTARICA

BRAZIL

PERU

ECUADOR

PACIFICOCEAN

CARIBBEANSEA

#•

#•#•

#•

#•

Valle de Cocora

Tierradentro#•

#•

Barichara

#•

#• Desierto de la Tatacoa

#–

#•

#•

#•#•

#•

#•

#•

#•#_

#•

#•

#•

Manizales

#÷

É

É

É

É

ÉÉ

ÉÉ

É

É

One MonthThe See-(Almost)-Everything Route

The beauty of Colombia’s diverse landscapes is that you can choose to fully im-merse yourself in just one (Caribbean beaches, wildlife-rich jungle, soaring Andean highlands) or you can go for the Full Monty! Hit the ground running in Bogotá, Colombia’s Gotham, and don’t miss the Museo del Oro, one of the continent’s most

fascinating museums, and the atmospheric colonial center, La Candelaria. From there head north to Villa de Leyva. Explore its cobbled streets and enjoy its colonial charm for a day or two, then visit San Gil for hiking and rafting, making time on the way for his-toric Barichara. Pass through Bucaramanga to catch a long-haul bus to Santa Marta. It’s worth moving quicker than normal up to this point in order to free up some time here to do the sweaty, ve- to six-day trek to Ciudad Perdida or blissing-out for a few days in the beach-riddled Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Tayrona, Colombia’s most popular national park. Next stop, Cartagena – you’ll need a few days to fully indulge this exquisite colonial city.

24

PLAN YO

UR TRIP ITIN

ERA

RIES

I SBN 978 -1 -74179 -798 -5

9 781741 797985

99625

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colombia-6-cover.indd 2colombia-6-cover.indd 2 3/05/2012 1:39:23 PM3/05/2012 1:39:23 PM

©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd

THIS EDITION WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED BY

Kevin Raub,Alex Egerton, Mike Power

p115Caribbean Coast

Norte de Santander p79Boyacá, Santander &

p168

Cali &

Pacific Coast p249

ColombiaSouthwest

& ProvidenciaSan Andrés

Zona CafeteraMedellín &

Amazon Basin p262

p218

p182 Bogotá p38

YOUR COMPLETE DESTINATION GUIDE

In-depth reviews, detailed listings and insider tips

SURVIVAL GUIDE

Safe Travel ....................... 300Directory A–Z ................. 303Transportation ............... 314Language ........................ 322Index ................................ 336Map Legend .................... 343

VITAL PRACTICAL INFORMATION TO

HELP YOU HAVE A SMOOTH TRIP

ON THE ROAD

GETTING THERE & AWAY

Entering the Country Most travelers will arrive n Colombia by plane, or verland from Ecuador, Ven-

ela or Brazil. There are numerous sailboats that

avelers from Panama n Blas Islands.

a valid pass-six more

AirAirports & Airlines Colombia’s biggest inter-national airport is Bogotá’s Aeropuerto Internacional El Dorado (BOG; www.el-nuevodorado.com), which will debut a slick renovated terminal by the end of 2014. See p 70 .

Other major airports serv-icing international ights:Aeropuerto InternacionaEl Edén (AXM) In Armen(p 212 ).

(

Tic Colomcally at lhave an othey’re allocountry. Aiagents quitethis, and no a one-way ticalready haveet. Upon arrihowever, hartion o cials present you

The trickrefundable credit cardfund upoIf arrivinof an ualso the

Transportation

PAGE

36

PAGE

299

Look out for these icons:

Our author’s top recommendation A green or

sustainable option No payment required

Every listing is recommended by our authors, and their favorite places are listed first

BOGOTÁ . . . . . . . . . . . .38AROUND BOGOTÁ . . . . . . 73North of Bogotá . . . . . . . . 73West of Bogotá . . . . . . . . . 75South of Bogotá . . . . . . . . 76

BOYACÁ, SANTANDER & NORTE DE SANTANDER . . . . . . . . 79BOYACÁ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Tunja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81Villa de Leyva . . . . . . . . . . 83Around Villa de Leyva . . . 90Santuario de Iguaque . . . 91La Candelaria . . . . . . . . . . 91Sierra Nevada del Cocuy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92El Cocuy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94Güicán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) El Cocuy . . . . . . . . 96SANTANDER . . . . . . . . . . . 99San Gil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99Barichara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Parque Nacional del Chicamocha . . . . . . . . . . . 106Bucaramanga . . . . . . . . . . 106NORTE DE SANTANDER 111Pamplona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111Villa del Rosario . . . . . . . . 114

CARIBBEAN COAST 115CARTAGENA & AROUND 117Cartagena . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117Fuerte de San Fernando & Batería de San José . . . 133

On the Road

See the Index for a full list of destinations covered in this book.

Islas del Rosario . . . . . . . . 134Playa Blanca . . . . . . . . . . . 134La Boquilla . . . . . . . . . . . . 135Volcán de Lodo El Totumo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135NORTHEAST OF CARTAGENA . . . . . . . . . . . 136Barranquilla . . . . . . . . . . . . 136Santa Marta . . . . . . . . . . . 139Minca . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145Taganga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146Palomino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Tayrona . . . . . . . . . 150Ciudad Perdida . . . . . . . . . 153LA GUAJIRA PENINSULA 156Riohacha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156Cabo de la Vela . . . . . . . . . 158Punta Gallinas. . . . . . . . . . 159VALLEDUPAR . . . . . . . . . . 160SOUTHWEST OF CARTAGENA . . . . . . . . . . . 161Tolú . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162Islas de San Bernardo . . . 163Turbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164Capurganá & Sapzurro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

SAN ANDRÉS & PROVIDENCIA . . . . . . 168SAN ANDRÉS . . . . . . . . . . 170PROVIDENCIA . . . . . . . . . 176

MEDELLÍN & ZONA CAFETERA . . . . . . . . . 182MEDELLÍN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

AROUND MEDELLÍN . . . . 195Guatapé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196Piedra del Peñol . . . . . . . . 197Santa Fe de Antioquia . . . 197Río Claro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199ZONA CAFETERA . . . . . . . 200Manizales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200Around Manizales . . . . . . 203Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados . . . . . . . . . . . 205Pereira . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207Finca Villa Martha . . . . . . 209Termales de Santa Rosa . . . . . . . . . . . . 209Termales San Vicente . . . 210Santuario Otún Quimbaya . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210Parque Ucumarí . . . . . . . . 210Armenia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211Around Armenia . . . . . . . . 213Salento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214Valle de Cocora . . . . . . . . . 216

CALI & SOUTHWEST COLOMBIA . . . . . . . . 218CALI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220AROUND CALI . . . . . . . . . 227Parque Nacional Natural Farallones de Cali . . . . . . . 227Pance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227Lago Calima . . . . . . . . . . . 228Darién . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228CAUCA & HUILA . . . . . . . . 229Popayán . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229Coconuco. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234San Agustín . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Tierradentro . . . . . . . . . . . 239Desierto de la Tatacoa . . . 241Villavieja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242NARIÑO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243Pasto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243Laguna de la Cocha . . . . . 245Laguna Verde . . . . . . . . . . 246Ipiales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246Santuario de Las Lajas . . 247

PACIFIC COAST . . . .249CHOCÓ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251Bahía Solano . . . . . . . . . . . 251Around Bahía Solano . . . . 252El Valle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría . . . . . . 254Nuquí . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255Around Nuquí . . . . . . . . . . 256SOUTH COAST . . . . . . . . . 257Buenaventura . . . . . . . . . . 257Around Buenaventura . . . 258San Cipriano . . . . . . . . . . . 259Guapi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259Parque Nacional Natural Isla Gorgona . . . . . . . . . . . 260

AMAZON BASIN . . . .262Leticia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263Tabatinga (Brazil) . . . . . . . 269Isla Santa Rosa (Peru) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270Parque Nacional Natural Amacayacu . . . . . . . . . . . . 270Puerto Nariño . . . . . . . . . . 270Río Yavarí . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272

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OUR STORYA beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket and a sense of adventure. In 1972 that’s all Tony and Maureen Wheeler needed for the trip of a lifetime – across Europe and Asia overland to Australia. It took several months, and at the end – broke but inspired – they sat at their kitchen table writing and stapling together their fi rst travel guide, Across Asia on the Cheap. Within a week they’d sold 1500 copies. Lonely Planet was born.

Today, Lonely Planet has offi ces in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with more than 600 staff and writers. We share Tony’s belief that ‘a great guidebook should do three things: inform, educate and amuse’.

Kevin Raub Coordinating Author; Bogotá; Boyaca, Santander & Norte de Santander; Ama-zon Basin Kevin Raub started his career as a music journalist in New York, work-ing for Men’s Journal and Rolling Stone magazines. The rock ’n’ roll lifestyle took its toll, so he took up travel writing while ditching the States for Brazil. While researching Colombia, he forced down ants with filet mignon, experienced the most frightening plane ride of his life in an aged 1940s-era DC-3, was nearly as-

saulted in the Amazon by an opossum and was detained by the Policía Nacional for over an hour at the Israeli embassy – and still loves the place! This is Kevin’s 18th Lonely Planet guide. You can fi nd him at www.kevinraub.net.

Alex Egerton Medellín & Zona Cafetera; Pacifi c Coast; Cali & Southwest Colombia A journalist by trade, Alex has been coming to Colombia for 15 years, since discovering the beauty of the country while on a mad six-week dash from Venezuela to Mexico. During that time he has learned to love aguardiente, climbed several of the country’s majestic peaks and become a big fan of tejo, but still can’t dance salsa. While researching this book, Alex learned to pull wheelies in classic WWII jeeps

from one of the best drivers in the Zona Cafetera – something he is now trying to reproduce on the streets in front of his house in rural Nicaragua.

Mike Power Caribbean Coast; San Andrés & Providencia; Colombia Today; History; Life in Colombia; The Arts; The Natural World Mike, a freelance journalist, has been coming to Colombia repeatedly since 2007, when he lived in Cartagena writing features on Colombia’s coca industry and the civil confl ict. Before that, he made his Latin bones on an overland trip from Guatemala to Panama City. He then worked as a freelance correspondent for Reuters in Panama, which resulted in

atrociously accented Spanish. On this trip, Mike scrambled up the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the Lost City, and wished he could spend a year in the ghostly deserts of La Guajira.

Read more about Kevin at:lonelyplanet.com/members/kraub

OUR WRITERS

Although the authors and Lonely Planet have taken all reason-able care in preparing this book, we make no warranty about the accuracy or completeness of its content and, to the maxi-mum extent permitted, disclaim all liability arising from its use.

Published by Lonely Planet Publications Pty LtdABN 36 005 607 9836th edition – August 2012ISBN 978 1 74179 798 5© Lonely Planet 2012 Photographs © as indicated 201210 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1Printed in ChinaAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may be copied, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, except brief extracts for the purpose of review, and no part of this publication may be sold or hired, without the written permission of the publisher. Lonely Planet and the Lonely Planet logo are trademarks of Lonely Planet and are registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. Lonely Planet does not allow its name or logo to be appropriated by commercial establishments, such as retailers, restaurants or hotels. Please let us know of any misuses: lonelyplanet.com/ip.Bestselling guide to Colombia – source: Nielsen BookScan, Australia, UK and USA, May 2011 to April 2012

Itiner-aries

Whether you’ve got six days or 60, these itineraries provide a starting point for the trip of a lifetime. Want more inspiration? Head online to lonelyplanet.com/thorntree to chat with other travelers.

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Two WeeksBogotá to Bogotá

Welcome to Colombia! Cosmopolitan cities, looming mountains, colonial villages, verdant jungles and Caribbean beaches await. Pulling off this itinerary requires 5th gear and copious amounts of caff eine – good thing you’re in the land of coff ee! Take a day or two in Bogotá, admiring La Candelaria (its colonial center), the best of

myriad museums and world-class food and nightlife. Shake off the hangover a few hours north in the calming colonial villages of Villa de Leyva and Barichara, both miraculously preserved and picturesque. Take a day to walk the historic El Camino Real to Guane. Grab the long bus ride from San Gil to Santa Marta, from where you can access Parque Na-cional Natural (PNN) Tayrona – linger on the park’s otherworldly beaches for a few days. Continue southwest along the Caribbean coast to Cartagena, Colombia’s crown jewel – a postcard-perfect old city chock full of colonial romance. It’s another long bus (or consider fl ying) to Medellín, where again you’re faced with Colombia on overdrive: culture, cuisine and Club Colombia, paisa-style. Raise a toast to El Dorado and exit via Bogotá, bowled-over by Colombia’s hospitality.

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One MonthThe See-(Almost)-Everything Route

The beauty of Colombia’s diverse landscapes is that you can choose to fully im-merse yourself in just one (Caribbean beaches, wildlife-rich jungle, soaring Andean highlands) or you can go for the Full Monty! Hit the ground running in Bogotá, Colombia’s Gotham, and don’t miss the Museo del Oro, one of the continent’s most

fascinating museums, and the atmospheric colonial center, La Candelaria. From there head north to Villa de Leyva. Explore its cobbled streets and enjoy its colonial charm for a day or two, then visit San Gil for hiking and rafting, making time on the way for his-toric Barichara. Pass through Bucaramanga to catch a long-haul bus to Santa Marta. It’s worth moving quicker than normal up to this point in order to free up some time here to do the sweaty, fi ve- to six-day trek to Ciudad Perdida or blissing-out for a few days in the beach-riddled Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Tayrona, Colombia’s most popular national park. Next stop, Cartagena – you’ll need a few days to fully indulge this exquisite colonial city.

From the Caribbean, take a bus or fl y south to Medellín, and on to the Zona Cafetera and enjoy some time in the nature reserves around Manizales and the Valle de Cocora outside Salento. Want to take a piece of Colombia home with you? Visit a coff ee finca (farm) near Armenia and stock up on single-origin coff ee beans direct from the source.

Further south is Cali and the city’s sweaty, hopping salsa joints. Travel down through Popayán to the archaeological ruins at Tierradentro and San Agustín, the two most important pre-Columbian sites in Colombia after Ciudad Perdida. Return to Bogotá via the startling Desierto de la Tatacoa and catch a fl ight to Leticia, where a wildly diff er-ent Colombia exists. Spend a few days exploring the three Amazonian ecosystems: terra firme (dry), várzea (semifl ooded) and igapó (fl ooded) along the Río Yavarí, the best spot in Amazonia to observe wildlife undisturbed in its natural habitat. Fly back to Bogotá, or, from Tabatinga across the Brazilian border from Leticia, head deeper into the Amazon via adventurous river-boat rides to Manaus (Brazil) or Iquitos (Peru).

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Parque NacionalNatural Tayrona

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Medellín

Punta Gallinas

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One MonthA Tale of Two Coasts

This is the ultimate beach junkie journey. Colombia’s contrasting coasts off er a little bit of everything to lovers of the sea, from translucent Caribbean waters to Pacifi c black-sand beaches – both against a backdrop of Crayola-green jungle. Start out east of Santa Marta at Cabo de la Vela on La Guajira Peninsula, a striking landscape

where the desert meets the sea at the top of the continent. Don’t skip South America’s north-ernmost tip, Punta Gallinas, where you can sleep in a hammock and feast on local lobster near towering dunes somersaulting into remote beaches.

Heading southwest, make your way to Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Tayrona, very popular among aspiring beach bums, and consider stopping a day or two near wonderful Palomino on the way, where you’ll fi nd the paradisiacal Reserva Natural El Matuy, a small bird sanctuary and beach off ering way more palm trees than people.

Head west to explore Cartagena, then make the arduous journey southwest to tiny Capurganá and Sapzurro, two cute beachside neighbors set right on the border with Panama. La Miel, easily reached on foot across the border in Panama (bring your ID), off ers idyllic sands.

From here fl y via Medellín to Bahía Solano on the Pacifi c coast, great during whale-watching season, and spend a few days on the spectacular rainy, gray beaches along this coastline, sandwiched between jungle and sea. There are fi ne, midrange ecolodges where you can surf and go diving near Bahía Solano, El Valle and Guachalito. A 45-minute boat ride from Nuquí brings you to multi-hued Jurubidá, where it’s a quick boat-hop to Morromico – couples might consider losing themselves on this ecoresort’s magnifi cent and romantic beach.

Suitably pampered, head back to Nuquí and travel via overnight cargo boat to Buenaven-tura, the jumping-off point for Isla Malpelo, where advanced divers can mingle with huge schools of sharks. It’s a minimum eight-day live-aboard dive cruise (reservations essential). For a less challenging taste of the Pacifi c coast’s diving, head on to Guapi and catch a weekend dive cruise to Isla Gorgona, and visit the ruins of the island’s former penal col-ony. Once you return to Buenaventura, catch a bus back to mainstream Colombia via the Buenaventura-Cali highway.

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Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría

San Cipriano

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Two WeeksZona Cafetera

In this arabica-fueled region, hearts are pumped by caff eine as much as blood. It’s serious business. Visiting coff ee farms will keep you hyped for

exploring the region’s highlights, starting with the nature parks around Manizales – Los Yarumos, Recinto del Pensamiento and Reserva Ecológica Río Blanco, the latter a bird-watching favorite. Indulge in the coff ee tour just outside town at Hacienda Venecia, with great views and an excellent overview of all things cafe. Spend a day or two hik-ing among snow-covered volcanic peaks in Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Los Ne-vados and sleep in the páramo (high-moun-tain plains) at the 4180m-high cabins at El Cisne, accessed from Las Brisas. Return to Manizales and head toward Pereira, where you can arrange an aching-muscle treatment at Termales de San Vicente, 36km east of town. Next stop: coff ee-crazy Salento south of Pereira, full of quaint charm and typical bahareque (adobe and reed) architecture. Detour just east to the numerous small pro-duction fincas (farms) around slow-paced Finlandia – and the expansive views from its mirador (lookout) – before toasting your tour in the impressive Valle de Cocora, one of Colombia’s most beautiful half-day hikes.

10 DaysPacifi c Coast

Long off -limits due to Colombia’s civil war, the exotic Pacifi c coast has reopened for tourism but remains undervisited. Colombia’s ultimate off -

the-beaten-path destination boasts tropical jungle, diving, whale-watching, world-class sportfi shing and black-sand beaches. It isn’t cheap – all transportation is by small plane and boat – but it’s worth it. Start in Bahía Solano. Numerous nearby beach resorts can organize activities, including jungle walks. From Bahía Solano, head south to El Valle. During turtle season you can spot turtles laying eggs on the beach, and visit a biological research station. Hike south to the northern end of Parque Nacional Natural Ensenada de Utría and take a boat across to the national park’s visitor center, where you can spend the night. During whale sea-son you can watch playful whales as they enter the narrow bay just off shore. Take a boat to Nuquí and visit nearby Guachalito, a beautiful beach with well-tended tropical gardens. From Nuquí, try your luck with ir-regular overnight cargo boats heading south to Buenaventura; or catch a quick fl ight. Return to Cali via San Cipriano, deep in the tropical forest and only accessible by a unique moto-propelled rail cart.

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