Updated on 04/04/2024
Greetings,
I’m Frank, the proprietor of a premier tour operator based in Bogota, dedicated to crafting personalized and luxurious travel experiences throughout Colombia.
As you navigate through this guide, anticipate discovering a compilation of additional invaluable travel itineraries for your exploration of Colombia.
Content
Colombia Trip Summary
Day 1 – Bogota
Day 2 – Bogota – Caño Cristales
Day 3 – Caño Cristales
Day 4 – Caño Cristales
Day 5 – Caño Cristales
Day 6 – Caño Cristales – Bogota – Leticia
Day 7 – Leticia – Puerto Narino
Day 8 – Puerto Narino
Day 9 – Puerto Narino
Day 10 – Puerto Narino – Leticia – Bogota – Salento
Day 11 – Salento – Cocora Valley – Filandia – Salento
Day 12 – Salento – Quindio
Day 13 – Salento
Day 14 – Salento – Medellin
Day 15 – Medellin – Departure
Planned Places/Cities
Bogota
Bogotá is Colombia’s capital and has over 10 million inhabitants. It is Colombia’s political, economic, cultural, and tourist center, accounting for most of the national GDP. It is the third-highest capital city in South America as it sits on over 2.600 meters (8.600 feet) above sea level. With average temperatures of 7°C – 20°C (45°F – 60°F), the climate varies between cold to temperate. Bogotá has an area of 1.775 km2 (685 Square miles), which is more than twice the size of Singapore. It was founded in 1.538 by the Spaniards but was already inhabited by the Pre-Muiscas. Most of the tourist attractions are in the historic center “La Candelaria”. The city’s wide cultural offer represented in museums, theaters and libraries has granted it the name of “the South American Athens”. Some important places to visit in Bogotá are Monserrate Monastery, Gold and Botero Museums, “Paloquemao” and “La Perseverancia” food markets.
Caño Cristales
Caño Cristales, often referred to as the “River of Five Colors” or the “Liquid Rainbow,” is a breathtakingly beautiful natural wonder located in the Sierra de la Macarena National Park, in the Meta Department of Colombia. This vibrant river is celebrated for its stunning array of colors caused by the presence of aquatic plants and algae that paint the riverbed in various shades.
Caño Cristales is famous for its distinctive colors, which include hues of red, blue, green, yellow, and black. The river’s appearance changes throughout the year, with the most vibrant colors usually visible from July to November.
The river’s vibrant colors are primarily attributed to the Macarenia clavigera algae, which thrives in the clear, mineral-rich waters of Caño Cristales. When the algae bloom, the riverbed transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors.
In addition to the Macarenia clavigera algae, other aquatic plants and minerals in the river contribute to the unique coloration, creating a spectacular visual spectacle.
Caño Cristales is part of the Sierra de la Macarena National Park, which was established to conserve the natural beauty and unique ecosystems of the region. The park is also home to diverse flora and fauna, making it a significant conservation area.
Due to its unique beauty, Caño Cristales has become a popular ecotourism destination in Colombia. Visitors can take guided tours to explore the river’s mesmerizing colors, hike along the riverbanks, and witness the enchanting landscapes.
To preserve the fragile ecosystem of Caño Cristales, the number of tourists allowed to visit each day is regulated, and specific guidelines are in place to minimize environmental impact.
Caño Cristales is located in a remote area of Colombia, and reaching the river usually requires traveling by land and then by riverboat from the town of La Macarena.
Amazonas
The Department of Amazonas is one of Colombia’s most remote and least populated regions, located in the southernmost part of the country. As its name suggests, the department is predominantly covered by the vast Amazon Rainforest, making it a biodiverse and ecologically significant area. Here is an overview of the Colombian Department of Amazonas:
Amazonas is characterized by its dense rainforests, lush jungles, and meandering rivers. The department is part of the larger Amazon Basin, one of the world’s most biodiverse regions. The area is home to an incredible array of plant and animal species, including rare and endangered species such as jaguars, pink river dolphins, and various species of monkeys.
Amazonas is inhabited by indigenous communities, including the Ticuna, Yucuna, Huitoto, and others, each with their distinct cultures, languages, and traditions. These indigenous groups have lived in harmony with the rainforest for generations and play a crucial role in preserving the region’s cultural heritage and natural resources.
Due to its remote location and challenging terrain, Amazonas has limited infrastructure and transportation links. Access to many areas within the department is primarily by boat along the Amazon River and its tributaries. The lack of extensive roads and urban development contributes to the preservation of the pristine natural environment.
The capital city of Amazonas is Leticia, a small and vibrant town situated along the Amazon River. Leticia serves as the gateway to the department and is the main point of entry for travelers arriving by air or river.
Leticia
Leticia is a vibrant and culturally diverse city located in the southernmost part of Colombia, in the Amazonas Department. Situated on the banks of the Amazon River, Leticia is Colombia’s gateway to the Amazon rainforest and serves as the country’s only port on the Amazon River.
Leticia is surrounded by the vast and biodiverse Amazon rainforest, one of the most ecologically significant regions on Earth. The city’s location provides visitors with a unique opportunity to explore the Amazon’s stunning natural beauty and abundant wildlife.
Leticia is at the tri-border area, where Colombia shares borders with Brazil and Peru. This strategic location allows visitors to experience a blend of Colombian, Brazilian, and Peruvian cultures and traditions.
The region around Leticia is home to various indigenous communities, including the Huitoto, Bora, and Tikuna people. Travelers can learn about their ancient cultures, traditions, and sustainable practices through guided tours and cultural exchanges.
Puerto Narino
Puerto Nariño is a unique and enchanting village located in the Amazon rainforest of Colombia. Situated along the banks of the Amazon River and surrounded by lush jungle, Puerto Nariño is known for its commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly practices, making it an exemplary model of eco-tourism.
Puerto Nariño is nestled within the vast and biodiverse Amazon rainforest, one of the most ecologically significant regions on Earth. The village’s remote location offers visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty and natural wonders of the jungle.
The community of Puerto Nariño is dedicated to eco-tourism and sustainable practices. The village restricts the use of motorized vehicles to reduce carbon emissions and pollution, promoting walking and biking as the primary modes of transportation.
The area surrounding Puerto Nariño is home to indigenous communities, including the Ticuna people. Visitors have the chance to learn about their ancestral culture and traditions through guided tours and cultural exchanges.
Puerto Nariño’s residents actively participate in community initiatives that aim to protect the environment and support sustainable tourism. The community’s efforts have garnered recognition and praise on both a national and international level.
The region around Puerto Nariño includes several indigenous reserves and protected areas, contributing to the conservation of the Amazon’s unique ecosystem.
Puerto Nariño offers a tranquil and remote setting, providing a chance to disconnect from modern life and experience the tranquility of the rainforest.
Colombia Coffee Triangle
The Colombia Coffee Triangle, also known as the Coffee Region or Zona Cafetera, is a picturesque and culturally rich area located in the central part of Colombia. It is composed of three departments: Caldas, Quindío, and Risaralda, and encompasses numerous charming towns and lush landscapes.
The Coffee Triangle is renowned for its world-class coffee production and is one of the top coffee-growing regions globally. Coffee cultivation is deeply ingrained in the region’s culture and history, and the area’s fertile volcanic soils and ideal climate create the perfect conditions for growing high-quality coffee beans.
The Coffee Triangle boasts breathtaking landscapes with rolling hills, emerald green valleys, and picturesque mountain ranges. The area is adorned with vibrant coffee plantations, colorful flower farms, and cloud forests, providing stunning views at every turn.
The region is dotted with charming colonial towns and villages, each with its unique character and architectural charm. Towns like Salento, Filandia, and Manizales feature well-preserved colonial-style buildings, cobblestone streets, and colorful facades, adding to the region’s allure.
Salento
Salento is a charming and picturesque town located in the heart of Colombia’s Coffee Region (Zona Cafetera). Situated in the Quindío Department, Salento is renowned for its stunning landscapes, vibrant culture, colorful architecture, and its close proximity to the breathtaking Cocora Valley.
Salento is situated in one of Colombia’s primary coffee-producing regions, and coffee culture is deeply ingrained in the town’s identity. Visitors can explore coffee plantations, known as “fincas,” and learn about the coffee-making process, from picking the beans to roasting and brewing the aromatic beverage.
One of Salento’s main attractions is its proximity to the Cocora Valley, a spectacular natural wonderland. The valley is famous for its towering wax palm trees, which are the tallest palm trees in the world and the national tree of Colombia. Hiking through the Cocora Valley provides visitors with breathtaking views of the lush cloud forest and the iconic palm trees.
Salento boasts a delightful colonial-style architecture with brightly painted houses and balconies adorned with flowers. The town’s main square, Plaza de Bolívar, is a hub of activity with colorful facades and charming cafes, providing an ideal setting for relaxation and people-watching.
The town is home to several art galleries and handicraft shops where visitors can purchase local artwork, handmade souvenirs, and traditional crafts. The artisans in Salento showcase their talents through various art forms, including pottery, weaving, and painting.
Filandia
Filandia is a charming and picturesque town located in the heart of Colombia’s Coffee Region (Zona Cafetera). Situated in the Quindío Department, Filandia is renowned for its stunning landscapes, colonial architecture, coffee culture, and warm hospitality.
Filandia boasts a well-preserved colonial-style architecture with colorful houses, adorned with balconies and flowers. The town’s main square, Plaza de Bolívar, is the centerpiece of the colonial charm, featuring a historic church and a peaceful ambiance.
As with many towns in the Coffee Region, coffee culture is deeply ingrained in Filandia’s identity. The surrounding region is dotted with coffee plantations, and visitors have the opportunity to learn about the coffee-making process and sample some of the world-famous Colombian coffee.
Filandia is situated in the hills, providing visitors with stunning panoramic views of the surrounding landscapes. The town’s Mirador de Filandia, or viewpoint, offers breathtaking vistas of the lush valleys and coffee plantations below.
The town is known for its vibrant arts and crafts scene. Visitors can explore numerous handicraft shops, where local artisans display their creations, including pottery, weaving, and woodwork. The artisanal products make for unique and authentic souvenirs.
Buenavista
Buenavista is a quaint and picturesque town located in the Quindío Department of Colombia’s Coffee Region (Zona Cafetera). This charming village is nestled amid the lush green landscapes of coffee plantations and offers visitors a peaceful escape into Colombia’s coffee-growing heritage.
Buenavista is situated in one of Colombia’s primary coffee-producing regions, and coffee culture is an integral part of the town’s identity. Visitors can explore coffee plantations, or “fincas,” and learn about the coffee-making process, from harvesting the coffee beans to the traditional roasting and brewing methods.
The town is surrounded by breathtaking scenery, including rolling hills, fertile valleys, and stunning views of the Andes Mountains. The picturesque landscapes make Buenavista a perfect destination for nature lovers and those seeking tranquility.
Buenavista showcases a charming colonial-style architecture, with colorful houses adorned with flower-filled balconies. The town’s central square, Plaza de Bolívar, is a delightful spot to immerse oneself in the colonial ambiance and enjoy the local atmosphere.
Medellin
Medellin is the most populated city after Bogotá. The city has a fortunate geographic location in the widest part of the natural region known as the Valley of Aburrá, located in the central Andes mountain range at 1.495 meters (4.905 feet) above sea level. This gives the city pleasant temperatures ranging between 14°C and 26°C (57°F to 79°F). This spring climate of the Eastern Antioquia grants the region the privilege of being the world’s second producer and exporter of flowers, that is why Medellin is known as the “city of the eternal spring” and “the mountain’s capital”.
The city has a modern infrastructure – it is the only city in Colombia with a metro transport system- and is considered the country’s innovation center. Museums, interactive parks, churches, and urban tours are among the attractions in Medellín. Some must-do activities in Medellin are the Graffiti tour in Comuna 13, visiting the Arvi Park, taking pictures in Botero Square, and exploring the Botanical Garden.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Bogota
Arrival to Bogota
You will be picked up at the airport in Bogota and driven to your hotel.
The bilingual guide will be waiting for you at the exit of the airport.
Accommodation
Here you will find the best hotel recommendations in Bogota.
Day 2: Bogota – Caño Cristales
Travel Day
You will be picked up at the airport and taken to the hotel in the town of La Macarena where your assigned guide will introduce you and you will have an induction talk by the environmental entities in their facilities (National Parks or Cormacarena) and you will have a space to have lunch and then start with the scheduled activity. Caño Piedra, Caño Escondido or Mirador Cristalitos. A 4×4 car ride through the savannah and then start the hike to Caño Piedra or Caño Escondido, where you can take pictures and swim in crystal clear waters with colorful aquatic plants or take a canoe ride on the Guayabero River and walk for about 1 hour to the Cristalitos viewpoint.
Day 3: Caño Cristales
Full Day Tour
After breakfast you will start the day in the company of your guide with a 30 minute boat ride on the Guayabero River, and then you will be transferred in a 4×4 van from the village of La Cachivera to Caño Cajuche where you will start a one hour walk to Caño Cristales where you will visit the river of the 5 colors and have space for lunch, an ecological walk, photography and swimming in crystal clear waters with colorful aquatic plants. Return to the urban center of La Macarena where you will have a parranda llanera activity where you will experience a folkloric and gastronomic sample of the region.
Day 4: Caño Cristales
Full Day Tour
After breakfast you will start the day in the company of your guide with a 30 minute boat ride on the Guayabero River, and then you will be transferred in a 4×4 van from the village of La Cachivera to Caño Cajuche where you will start a one hour walk to Caño Cristales where you will visit the river of the 5 colors and have space for lunch, an ecological walk, photography and swimming in crystal clear waters with colorful aquatic plants. Return to the urban center of La Macarena where you will have a parranda llanera activity where you will experience a folkloric and gastronomic sample of the region.
Day 5: Caño Cristales – Bogota
You will live the experience of a llanero sunrise over the Guayabero river where you will be able to observe different species, then you will have breakfast and finally you will be taken to the airport Javier Noreña Valencia.
Travel Day
You will travel from Caño Cristales to Bogota.
Day 6: Bogota – Leticia
Travel Day
You will travel from Bogota to Leticia.
Half Day Tour Park Mundo Amazonico
You will be picked up at the airport by your guide and driver who will take you directly to the Mundo Amazónico Ecological Park, a nature reserve and environmental education center near Leticia, where you will find a restaurant with typical local food, which you will also visit:
- The botanical garden: you will see the largest collection of Amazonian plants in the department.
- The Amazon Tea House: You will learn about native plants and fruits used in sustainable development systems and learn about environmental education.
- Cultural scenarios: Have fun with archery and arrow shooting activities.
- Aquarium: Get to know the aquatic world with a great variety of fish and piranhas.
- Jungle trail: You will walk along a nature trail in the company of your guide who will teach you about the uses and traditions of the most representative plants and animals of the region.
Amazon Dinner
At night you will have a table reserved at the restaurant Tierras Amazonicas. Here you can eat local specialities like Piranha, Pirarucu, Mojojoy and much more.
Day 7: Leticia – Puerto Narino
Travel Day
You will travel from Leticia to Puerto Narino.
Half Day Tour Puerto Narino
Your guide will pick you up at the hotel and take a river transport to the community of San Antonio Peru (the island of cocoa). Crossing the immense Amazon River to reach our destination, here we will observe sloths, varieties of birds, medicinal plants, timber, the victoria regia, the lotus flower, and a tour of the community.
Then you will go to the second destination with a river transfer to the second largest wetland in Colombia, the magical Tarapoto Lake, with an extensive biodiversity of flora and fauna, where you will enjoy a unique and unforgettable experience, and develop activities such as observation of pink dolphins, gray dolphins, piranha fishing, visit the fertility tree and communication call (capinuri), culminating the day with a refreshing swim in the lake under a beautiful sunset.
Day 8: Puerto Narino
Full Day Tour Puerto Narino
After breakfast, your guide will pick you up at the hotel and you will take a river transport to San Martin.
San Martin is a community of the Ticuna ethnic group, on the Amacayacu River, a tributary of the Amazon and border of the Amacayacu National Park. Founded in 1972 and with a population of more than 500 inhabitants, its economy is based on agriculture and fishing. In recent years, the manufacture of handicrafts and tourism have gained importance.
The indigenous communities of the Tikuna ethnic group live in harmony with nature in a simple and harmonious way, with what is necessary. You will be able to get closer to the community and see a perspective of life different from the cities, where a look and a smile transport us to a world where love and simplicity are still possible.
You will spend a morning in which you will live the following experiences:
- Visit the fields and plantations.
- Walk in the forest to observe wildlife.
- Learn about how they use the materials from the forest to make handicrafts, clothes, bags and much more.
After lunch you will visit the Woachine Reserve. The reserve is a huge farm of a gentleman where there are several ponds with aquatic plants and huge water lilies (Victoria Flower). There are also local fauna such as caimans, turtles, monkeys, birds, medicinal plants and timber plants. We will arrive at a small lake where you can observe the largest freshwater fish called pirarucu, you will finish the tour with the observation of the largest tree in Colombia.
Day 9: Puerto Narino
Day at Leisure
If you need any recommendation, we will be more than happy to help you.
Day 10: Puerto Narino – Leticia – Bogota – Salento
Travel Day
You will travel from Puerto Narino to Salento.
Accommodation
Here you will find the best hotel recommendations in Salento.
Day 11: Salento – Cocora Valley – Filandia – Salento
Full Day Filandia and Cocora Valley Tour
This tour includes two amazing destinations. The Cocora Valley is a natural reserve and one of the access points of Los Nevados national park. It is the cradle of Colombia’s emblematic tree: the Quindío wax palm, which reaches up to 80 meters in the native Andean cloud forests. Hiking the mountain foothills, you will appreciate the paradisiacal views of the valley. On your way to Filandia, we will make a stop to have lunch in a typical restaurant in the region. On the other hand, Filandia is a small colonial village that conserves its architecture and coffee traditions.
Day 12: Salento – Quindio
Full Day Towns of Quindio
The driver and a local guide will pick you up at the hotel. The tour will show you the department of Quindio and some of its most precious towns. You will visit 4 towns full of architecture and recognized culture. The first stop will be Salento, followed by Pitalito and Buenavista.
In Buenavista, you will have a two-hour walking tour around the Hacienda San Alberto, a farm and coffee shop nestled in the town of Buenavista. There you will learn about the process “From seed to cup”, you will visit the quality lab, and end with a coffee tasting using alternative methods. The café has panoramic views of the plantations and nearby villages.
Filandia as the highlight will be the last stop of the tour.
Day 13: Salento
Day at leisure
If you need any recommendation we will be more than happy to help you.
Day 14: Salento – Medellin
Travel Day
Today you will travel from the Colombian Coffee Triangle to Medellin.
Accommodation
Here you will find the best hotel recommendations in Medellin.
Day 15: Medellin – Departure
Departure
Today is the last day of your trip. Depending on the hour of your flight, a car will pick you up at your hotel and bring you to the airport.
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