Top & bottom photos from Cantagena de Indias
Ι visited Colombia last March, a great month to wander around the whole country without any weather problems. Me and my co-traveler flew via Canada – Toronto (which we also visited on our way back). Starting our trip from the capital, Bogota, we spent a total of 3 wonderful weeks constantly alternating landscapes and experiences in this magnificent country of South America. Speaking mostly Spanish, we traveled by airplanes, buses, wooden boats, jeeps, and with 6 domestic flights, flying thousands of kilometers from Amazonia to the central Caribbean Sea, having one-day tours to 2 neighboring countries, multi-hour trekking in nature, hiking up to almost 3,000m, we visited 8 different areas.
This time I did not visit museums and archaeological places, I mainly emphasized on the natural wonders of the country and the colonial-style cities, famous for their colorful buildings and lively nightlife. I organized everything on my own, except for the 4-day private tour in the Amazonia, where I used the local travel agency “Αmazonas jungle tours”. We didn’t meet a lot of tourists, just a few south Americans and even less Europeans. So maybe this is the best time to visit this country, one of the very few in the American continent that is not yet open to mass tourism.
Regarding criminality, policemen were found everywhere and everything felt safe, except for the capital. Robberies are the major problem for tourists, but thankfully police officers make patrols frequently, so there is a general safety. The dangerous places that a tourist cannot really visit are known, both within cities and across the country. Detailed posts and additional information will follow up soon, so now, relax and enjoy magical Colombia through the following photos:
Wandering around the colonial La Candelaria, the historical center of the capital Bogotá, located at an altitude of 2.600m.
The Monserrate mountain as seen from Plaza de Bolivar, Bogotá
Visiting the Brazilian town of Tabatinga in the Tres Fronteras area of Amazonia for a few hours
Panoramic view of the Colombian town of Leticia in the Tres Fronteras area of Amazonia. Our first night at the Amazon river region
Boat ride in the Amazon river on our way to the first destination into the jungle, Puerto Nariño
Exploring the amazing rainforest of Puerto Nariño with our local guide Pedro…and a howler monkey 😀
Behold the Cayman of the Amazonas in Puerto Nariño! Beautiful or creepy?
The native gray (and pink) dolphins of the Amazon river in Puerto Nariño
Staying for a night with the Tikuna tribe in their village at the Lake Tarapoto, Amazonia
That’s Oje, the biggest tree of the Amazonia region! We saw it while exploring the nearby Peruvian island of San Antonio de Cacao for a couple of hours
Moving into another great area of the country. On our way to Armenia from Bogotá by a local bus, crossing the Colombian Andes
That’s our first stop to the famous coffee region of Colombia: the colorful colonial village of Salento!
The central square of Salento built on the Andes mountain range. We spent 1 night and a whole day here exploring the cute colorful streets and the vivid local life.
Next stop, the breathtaking Valle de Cocora (the Cocora valley).
We spent two nights in this wooden cabin of the eco-hotel “Las Palmas de Cocora“ facing the imposing wax palmtrees
While hiking the famous Valle de Cocora we crossed rain forests, cloud forests and gorgeous nature up to….
….the incredible valley itself: the “Valle de Cocora” home to numerous wax palmtrees, the tallest palmtrees of the world!!!
Time for fun and relax at the stunning Caribbean waters of San Andres island, placed about 750km north of the Colombian mainland coasts
Last but not least, our final destination: Colonial style Cartagena de Indias, full of wonderful street art and colorful graffiti