Miraviva

Colombia

  • Isla de Providencia

    Isla de Providencia

  • Salt Cathedral, Zapiquira

    Salt Cathedral, Zapiquira

  • Sierra Nevada cloud forest

    Sierra Nevada cloud forest

  • Colombia

    Colombia

  • Tayrona National Park

    Tayrona National Park

  • Salt Cathedral, Zipaquira, Colombia

    Salt Cathedral, Zipaquira, Colombia

  • The Montserrate, Bogota, Colombia

    The Montserrate, Bogota, Colombia

  • Cartagena

    Cartagena

  • Gold museum, Bogota

    Gold museum, Bogota

  • Colonial style window grills, Colombia

    Colonial style window grills, Colombia

  • Espacio Odeon, Bogota

    Espacio Odeon, Bogota

  • Cali street art

    Cali street art

  • Barichara

    Barichara

  • The Cathedral, La Candelaria, Bogota

    The Cathedral, La Candelaria, Bogota

  • San Agustin statues

    San Agustin statues

  • Mask, Gold Museum, Bogota

    Mask, Gold Museum, Bogota

  • Medellin cable cars

    Medellin cable cars

  • Islas Rosarios

    Islas Rosarios

  • Cartagena horse cart

    Cartagena horse cart

  • Cali cathedral

    Cali cathedral

  • Zip lining in Chicamocha Canyon (courtesy of Vice Ministry of Tourism, Colombia)

    Zip lining in Chicamocha Canyon (courtesy of Vice Ministry of Tourism, Colombia)

  • Botero art

    Botero art

  • Colombia

    Colombia

  • Sierra Nevada

    Sierra Nevada

  • Botero sculptures, Medellin

    Botero sculptures, Medellin

  • Cartagena old town at night

    Cartagena old town at night

  • Guatape, Medellin

    Guatape, Medellin

  • Sailing in Rosarios Islands

    Sailing in Rosarios Islands

  • Villa de Leyva

    Villa de Leyva

  • Islas Rosarios

    Islas Rosarios

  • Salento

    Salento

Rich colonial history, unparalleled bird watching, beautiful landscapes and a vibrant urban art and gastronomic scene

We spent six weeks between us travelling around Colombia in 2017 and the overwhelming impression which we took home was of a wonderfully open and friendly people, full of optimism and a country with a highly developed infrastructure and some of the best hotels in South America. Add to this a host of UNESCO World Heritage sites, stunning mountain landscapes, cloud forests, pristine beaches and clean, buzzing modern cities it is easy to see that Colombia set to become one of the main tourist destinations in South America.

The capital city Bogota has a new airport and enjoys direct flights from London, the USA and Europe, making it a very convenient starting point for a holiday. This city of ten million people has a charming historic centre, La Candelaria, but also dramatic modern architecture, excellent museums (including the ‘must-see’ Gold Museum) and some of the most interesting street art and modern art galleries we have come across in South America. One of Colombia’s gems is Villa de Leyva, a remarkable preserved colonial town approximately three and a half hours from Bogota by car.

Cartagena has always been famed for its outstanding colonial architecture and has long been a stop on the Caribbean cruise circuit. However, with its art and music scene, the proximity of the Rosario Islands and its great hotels, visitors should stay for at least a few days.

To the east of Cartagena close to Santa Marta lie the Tayrona and Sierra Nevada National Parks, home to some of the best bird watching in the world and where the altitude rises from sea level up to over 5,000 meters on one of the northernmost outcrops of the Andes.

In order to bag more of Colombia’s bird species (at almost 2,000, it has the largest number of any country in the world), nature lovers can then continue to the Amazon, flying to Leticia where the Colombian border meets Peru and Brazil for an amazing rainforest experience.

For those in search of tranquility and unspoilt Caribbean beaches, we recommend Providencia Island, a remote island off the coast of Nicaragua with limited wifi and few cars.

Colombia’s second city, Medellin, is known as the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ due to its pleasant climate. Once considered off limits to many, this city should now be very much on the visitors list with its cool hotels, vibrant night life and of course the arts scene including the Botero Park (Plaza de las Esculturas). In Financial Times Postcard from Medellin journalist Paul Richardson writes about this re-invented city during a recent visit.

Heading south, the city of Cali is the Salsa centre of the country where guests are encouraged to try their moves with an instructor. From here, visitors should travel to Popayan to visit the fascinating ancient statues at San Agustin and enjoy the local scenery.San Agustín Archaeological ParkSan Agustín Archaeological Park

No visit to Colombia would be complete without a visit to the Coffee Region where you can stay in beautiful old haciendas in lovely countryside and experience the production of what many consider to be the best coffee in the world.

Perhaps the thing which surprised us most about Colombia was the outstanding quality and variation of the cuisine throughout the country. Visitors to Cartagena and Bogota are literally spoiled for choice, and the extraordinary variety of local ingredients will be well and truly confirmed by a visit to the food market in Bogota.

To discover more about Colombia and the broad variety of experiences it offers, give us a call or send us a message.

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