There are two big challenges when planning an itinerary for Colombia. The first one is that it’s difficult to plan a circular route, as I prefer to do. That is because the highlights are scattered across the country. Which explains challenge #2: Colombia is so big you need much more than a month to come close to seeing most of it.
Where to start?
Let’s do the same thing as in Mexico and divide the country into zones. If you prefer the heat and beach life, fly to Cartagena. From there you can venture eastwards, towards party town Barranquilla, and beyond to do the hike to the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida). On that coastline is also the Parque Nacional Tayrona. Further eastwards? Yes, towards Venezuela and off-the-beaten-track is the Guajira desert. Westwards of Cartagena? Of course. Go to Necocli, take a speedboat across the gulf to the idyllic villages of Trigana, Capurgana or Sapzurro.
The central area is the axis Bogota-Medellin. North of Bogota are colonial villages such as Villa de Leyva and (much further away) Barichara, towards the east the El Cocuy national park. In the middle of the axis is the Rio Claro natural reserve.
From the axis you can travel further south. Below Medellin you will encounter the Zona Cafetera, colonial villages such as Jardin and Jerico, and then Cali. Even further down towards Ecuador? You will encounter colonial city Popayan, then Pasto with the Laguna Verde before you reach the Rumichaca border.
From Bogota you can travel towards Neiva. Right before that you can go to Villavieja and the nearby Desierto Tatacoa. From Neiva you can move a bit inland to the Tierradentro archaeological site. Relatively close, but difficult by public transport to connect to, are the statues of San Agustin.
Where should I definitely go?
Impossible to say. Above is already a vast amount of options, more than mentioned in the other Latin American countries covered in this book. And in almost all zones (Caribbean coast, central axis, south of Medellin, south of Bogota) you can find hiking options, art and colonial villages.
What more options are there?
Canos de Cristales is a river that gets a red hue during several months. It is apparently a unique experience, though in a difficult region of Colombia.
One area not mentioned before is the vast Amazon, making up maybe 25% of the country. The Rio Yavari area is one of the better to spot dolphins, piranhas, alligators, monkeys and much more. This is off-the-map though, in the border triangle between Brazil, Peru and Colombia.
So what about getting there and getting around?
Plenty of big cities with good airports (Cali, Medellin, Bogota, Cartagena) and even more with small runways for small planes. Because of the distances, this is a valid option when you are short on time.
The main mode of transport are long-distance buses, with a wide range of quality and comfort. They take ages though, so schedule accordingly.
| Heat and beaches | Medellin-Bogota | South of Medellin | South of Bogota |
| Cartagena 4 days |
Medellin 5 days |
Cali 2 days |
Tatacoa 3 days |
| Baranquilla 2 days |
Guatape 1 day |
Popayan 2 days |
Tierradentro 3 days |
| Ciudad Perdida 5 days |
Rio Claro Canyon 2 days |
Tierradentro 3 days |
San Agustin 2 days |
| Parque Tayrona 3 days |
Bogota 4 days incl Catedral de Sal |
Tatacoa 3 days |
Popayan 2 days |
| Guajira 4 days |
Villa de Leyva 3 days |
Jardin/Jerico/Salento/Filandia (optional) 2 days |
Pasto (optional) 4 days |
| Capurgana (optional) 4 days |
El Cocuy (optional) 4 days |
Pasto (optional) 4 days |
– |
| Arrival / departure 1 day |
Arrival / departure 1 day |
Arrival / departure 1 day |
Arrival / departure 1 day |
| Total length 19/23 days |
Total length 16/20 days |
Total length 11/17 days |
Total length 11/15 days |
If you need help putting the different ‘building blocks’ together, don’t hesitate to reach out!