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Colombia
Colombian
Peso
Español
Bogotá
Cartagena
Medellín
Santa Marta
San Gil
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Salento
Bogotá
San Gil
Santa Marta
MedellÃn
Salento
Cartagena
Getting Around
Extra Recommendations
Bogotá
Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia and is located on a plateau in the Andes Mountains at an altitude of 2640m above sea level. If you haven't already acclimatised to high altitude, it may take a few days once you have landed. Bogotá has a rich history and even though I hated history at school, the walking tour was extremely interesting and I would recommend doing it. I did the Historic Candelaria tour with Beyond Colombia and my guide Angie was super knowledgeable and engaging. We visited significant locations and got to try the local beverage chicha (corn beer). Another popular activity is hiking up Monserrate Mountain for an incredible view of the city. If you don't want to hike, you have the option of buying a ticket for the cable cart or funicular. There are also lots of museums to visit such as the Gold Museum or you can head outside of the city to visit the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá which is an underground Roman Catholic church.
Hostel
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The Cranky Croc Hostel - Nice location in La Candelaria, dorm rooms were nice with comfy beds and the hostel has a kitchen you can use. The atmosphere was pretty chill when I was there.
Veggie Food
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Nativo Arte y Comida Natural (Vegan)
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Marvelous Vegan Plant Power Food (Vegan)
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Pasta y Pesto - Had veggie options
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Casa Galeria - The best hot chocolate with cheese (a common combo in Colombia)
Other
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Theatron, one of the biggest nightclubs in South America with 13 different rooms
Santa Marta is a city located in northern Colombia on the Caribbean coast. It took a 14 hour overnight bus from San Gil to get to here, then from the bus station I got a local taxi to my hostel as there were no Uber drivers around at 8am on a Sunday. Santa Marta is one of the few places on my South America trip where I felt uncomfortable walking around alone, even in the daytime. Luckily, I was only here for a pit stop as there is nothing to do in the city centre, and the attraction to Santa Marta mainly lies in its surrounding areas; Taganga, Minca, Buritaca and Tayrona National Park. One attraction is the Ciudad Perdida trek, a 3, 4 or 5 day trek through the jungle to 'The Lost City' (not Atlantis). Although you can get picked up and dropped off for this trek from any of the surrounding locations mentioned previously, I wanted to complete this hike ASAP as there are many hikes in this area of Colombia and I wanted to space them out over the time I had. Check out my 4-Day Ciudad Perdida Trek or Tayrona National Park Trek blog posts for all the details!
Santa Marta
Hostel
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Masaya Santa Marta - Would not recommend. The staff were unhelpful and uninterested and the dorms had no natural light.
Veggie Food
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Ikaro Cafe (Vegetarian) - Lots of vegan options, but I did not like my food, I ordered the cauliflower sandwich and got a whole head of cauliflower between 2 pieces of bread, the top one wouldn't stay on and the bottom one was soaked with whatever sauce, whilst I tried to eat my way through an entire cauliflower...no bueno.
Minca
To get to Minca I had to take a collectivo from Mamatoco, and if you keep repeating Mamatoco and Minca, eventually you'll end up at the right bus stop. I bought my ticket once I got here and waited for the collectivo which crammed us in and took us on the bumpy 45 minute journey to Minca. You can opt for a private taxi or moto, however these cost considerably more than the collectivo. I did take a moto to Marinka falls where you can swim, but you can hike 1 hour to it, however as it had rained the day before the road was extremely muddy and after my 2 previous multi-day treks, I couldn't be bothered. You need cash for the motos and to pay for entry at the waterfalls. There are many other waterfalls in Minca you can trek to and swim in and you can also have a cacao experience or go on a coffee tour.
Hostel
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Casa Loma - I liked this hostel however you have to climb up and down roughly 300 steps to get to it. It's location is on a hill so the climb is worth it for the views as you can lay in a hammock and watch the sunset, but if you want to go into the town there's no avoiding the steps. Luckily this hostel has a restaurant with only veggie and vegan options and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also a bar and an area for live music. The hostel gives you a wristband so you tap tap away, accumulating the costs until you get the bill on the last day...
Veggie Food
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Marhaba - Lebanese restaurant with great food and veggie and vegan options.
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Taco y Chela Minca - Mexican restaurant with a handful of veggie options that can be made vegan.
Other
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Rio Elemento - Throws pool parties that are open to non guests. The pool was manky so I wouldn't recommend getting into it but there was a DJ, bar and a giant hammock that swings over the river.
Buritaca
Tayrona National Park is close to Buritaca, therefore a lot of people will spend a few nights in this area so they can leave their big bags at the hostel and not have to take all their things with them when overnighting in the National Park. As there's lots of hostels here, I'll tell you where I went.
Hostel
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La Ponderosa Reserve - This quiet, relaxed hostel is placed in the jungle along the Buritaca River and is a 45 minute moto ride from the main road, followed by a short raft ride across the river. The hostel serves 3 vegetarian meals a day (at a cost) at set times, whilst there are a couple of options for breakfast, everyone eats the same thing for lunch and dinner but the portions were generous and the food was good. The hostel has a bar with a pool table and also a small gym area. It has more of a hippy, eco hostel type vibe which is the opposite to most other hostels in the area. As for activities, you can go tubing, swimming, hiking, lay on the beach or learn about permaculture.
Hostel
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El Rio Hostel Buritaca - The complete opposite of La Ponderosa is El Rio Hostel, a major party hostel which attracts guests from all over with their big events, so don't be disheartened if you don't manage to make a booking, anyone can attend. There are lots of different food options here, almost like a food court with different stations for pizzas, desserts, drinks and more I can't remember. It has its own beach area where you can swim or chill on the floating platform and as it is on the river, you can also go tubing here. I paid extra for a smaller dorm with AC as the 25-bed dorm only has fans. If you value your sleep, I'd suggest staying at another hostel and just coming here for the parties and food as regardless of what dorm you're in, you can hear the music and people are constantly in and out the rooms throughout the night. Both La Ponderosa and El Rio Hostel operate with a wristband payment system so you only pay at the end of your stay when they shock you with your bill.
Taganga
Just a 15 minute ride on a local bus from Santa Marta takes you to Taganga. This fishing village is popular among travellers as it is a relatively cheap place to get your PADI Scuba Diving certification. With still conditions, 30 degree celsius water temperatures and great visibility, it's an easy place to learn. Some of the dive sites include a small wreck and various spots in Tayrona National Park, but check the park's website as they close for maintenance 3 times a year for 2 weeks which means you won't be able to dive here. For new divers Taganga is a great place to learn and all the open water course students I met loved the dives they did. Personally, as someone who has been diving for a while and been to many places, I found the dives a bit boring with not much happening on the reef. The wildlife was quite common such as lobsters, trumpetfish, sergeant majors and sea cucumbers. You don't have to stay in Taganga to dive, as the drive is short you can travel in from Santa Marta.
Hostel
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Divanga Hostel - The hostel itself is quite nice, with both a small restaurant (basic veggie options) and a kitchen for guest use. There is a pool, however during the day this is usually used for pool sessions related to diving courses. The hostel has a partnership with one of the dive shops so you can book your course or fun dives through them (they did apply my pros discount but you have to ask). Other than this, there wasn't much going on in Taganga, there is beach but it wasn't that nice and is was mostly filled with dive and fishing boats along the shore.
Veggie Food
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Restaurant & Pizzeria Ambos Mundos, didn't find much else going on for us veggies.
San Gil
Just an 8 hour bus away from Bogotá is the Andean town of San Gil, known for adventure sports. There is so much to do here and I filled my days easily with lots of activities at low costs. There's white water rafting where you have the option of grade 1-3 or 4-5 rapids, I had never done it before but grade 4-5 was manageable and so much fun. There is a 70m bungee jump which I also did for the first time and it definitely got my adrenaline pumping as you plunge towards the river. You can paraglide over Chicamocha Canyon, the second largest canyon in South America and enjoy some incredible views. You can take a local bus from San Gil, then hike 45 minutes to Balneario Pescaderito which has natural water slides and swimming holes you can swim or dive in. I felt really safe during all of the 'extreme' activities I did and the safety briefings were thorough. Aside from these activities, you can go caving and kayaking or visit the Juan Curi 180m waterfall, the botanical garden or Barichara, Colombia's prettiest town.
Hostel
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Macondo Hostel - Cannot recommend this hostel enough! The owner Sean was amazing and gets hostel guests together on Tuesdays to play Tejo, a traditional Colombian sport. He is really knowledgable about the area and the staff are great at helping you plan your time in San Gil. The hostel has a pool, kitchen and hammocks to chill in, and the dorms were quite spacious.
Veggie Food
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Gringo Mike's has great food - Vegetarian menu with some vegan options and the veggie burger was beaut.
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The D1 Supermarket - Really close to the hostel and there were lots of fresh fruit and veg stores so I cooked dinner most nights in San Gil.
- There are also nice bakeries in town as well.
Other
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There is a taller bungee jump at 140m however the hostel owner recommended we stay clear of this place, as they don't maintain it often and there have been complaints of injuries and the experience feeling iffy. Stick to the 70m bungee with Colombia Bungee Jumping if you want a safe experience.
Getting Around
Whilst travelling between most places in Colombia is doable by bus, in the interest of saving time you can opt for domestic flights. I flew from Cartagena to Medellín with Avianca and had no problems with them.
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The buses in Colombia were not as fancy as those in Brazil as the seats did not recline and they were quite close to each other, however it was still the cheaper option for travelling around. On long journeys there is a pit stop for you to grab food and snacks, and checked-in bags are given a tag and you are given a ticket to collect it with.
I travelled with Copetran, Expreso Brasilia and Flota Occidental which got me to my destinations safely, however there were always delays in the departure and arrival times.
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Uber is cheap to use in Colombia. I felt very comfortable and safe walking around alone except in Santa Marta where I was starred at and heckled.
You need to pack with the weather in mind as it can get quite cold up in the Andes in Bogotá, but it's boiling on the northern coast in Santa Marta and Cartagena.​
Almost everywhere I went, card was accepted, but I needed cash during multi-day hikes from Santa Marta and when taking local buses.
Extra Recommendations
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Jardin - 3 hours from Medellín and 5 hours from Salento, this small, colourful town is a less touristy, quiet getaway. In Jardin you can go canyoning, hiking, visit different waterfalls or go on a coffee tour.
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Cali - The home of salsa dancing where you can take lessons or join people in the streets dancing until the morning.
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Malpelo - For the more advanced divers, there is a liveaboard that goes around Malpelo Island which is said to have similar marine life to The Galápagos, but you have to book it well in advance as it gets sold out quickly. You also need to have done at least 100 dives.
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Arepas - Flatbread made from ground maize dough that can be eaten plain or with different fillings.
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Chicha - Traditional alcoholic fermented corn based drink which comes in different colours and flavours.
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Aguardiente - Liqueur derived from sugarcane and flavoured with anise.
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Hot chocolate with cheese.
Salento
Just a 6 hour bus away from Medellín, Salento is a famous coffee region and is also known because of Cocora Valley. I'm not a coffee drinker, and by this point in my travels I had been to enough chocolate/cacao tastings, so I didn't bother with the coffee tour or chocolate experience. That being said, if you're interested and haven't done these activities before, this is the place to do it. I took a bag of ground coffee home for my coffee drinking family and they said it was the best coffee they had ever had, the bag barely lasted a week! Another popular activity is hiking around Cacora Valley where you can take photos with some really tall palm trees. In Salento's main square you can purchase a round trip ticket on a 4x4 to the valley, the journey takes less than half an hour. Once there you have two options, a shorter 4 hour hike or a longer 5-6 hour hike. There's lots of spots for photo opportunities so your overall hike time is affected by how long you stop to take pics. Other than this, from Salento you can also visit the hot springs. Oh, almost forgot, but it's actually quite cold in Salento which was a shock considering how warm it was in Medellín, so make sure you've got lots of layers for the evenings in particular.
Hostel
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Coffee Tree Boutique Hostel - Spacious, clean dorms with comfy beds and the location is away from the noisy town centre. They also have 2 of the cutest hostel doggos (Bernese Mountains Dogs). They help connect you with people from the hostel who want to do the same activities as you as well as take groups to play Tejo once a week (a traditional Colombian sport)
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Viajero Salento.
Veggie Food
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Serendipia Encuentro (Vegetarian) - Has vegan options but I have to admit the lasagne was a bit weird.
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Angel Veggie Bistro (Vegetarian) - Has vegan options and the food was decent.
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Trattoria Urrea Salento, Pizza restaurant, meh.
Other
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Cancha De Tejo Los Amigos - Play Tejo and have a few drinks. There wasn't really much going on at night but usually in the main square you can find a bar to go to.
Cartagena
Cartagena is a port city located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia where the average temperature is around 30 degrees celsius. It takes about 5 hours by bus from Santa Marta to get here. To be honest, it wasn't my cup of tea but here's what I did while I was there. A good ol' walking tour with Beyond Colombia around Getsemani (a central neighbourhood in Cartagena) and 'The Walled City' a UNESCO World Heritage site. Our guide Keyla was so fun and informative, and it was really interesting learning about the history of Cartagena as it was very different to that of Bogotá. The tour meets near Parque Centenario which is where you can spot sloths in the trees in the park. The beach is a popular attraction and you can take a boat to other islands such as; Rosario, Baru and Tierra Bomba, for day trips or to stay. Cartagena has great nightlife and there are lots of bars and clubs in Getsemani, as well as street performers in the town squares where people can drink and watch.
Hostel
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Los Patios Cartagena - The hostel was nice and clean and the beds were comfy, but it was quite dead whilst I was there. In general, Cartagena was the toughest place to find a well rated hostel.
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A lot of backpackers opted for the Viajero Cartagena, however I had not heard great things about it.
Veggie Food
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Di SilvioTrattoria - Italian restaurant with quite a few veggie options, and a handful of vegan options.
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Tahini Kebab - Had a good falafel wrap.
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I didn't really find any completely vegan restaurants in Cartagena.
Medellín
Medellín is known as 'The City of Eternal Spring' due to its constant warm days and cool nights. It's Colombia's second largest city with a lot of different areas to explore. Medellín has lots of museums and I visited the Memory House Museum which highlights the impact of the city's history of conflict through the public's real experiences. One area previously known for conflict is Comuna 13 which has now evolved into a tourist hotspot that is safe to visit. I did a walking tour here with Zippy Tours and we admired the graffiti art, watched street dancers and visited local vendors. It was interesting to learn about the history behind the city and to see the changes that had been made to the area. Within the neighbourhood there are giant escalators that take you into an area with lots of shops, food vendors and bars where you can enjoy the music whilst looking at the view of the communes. I mainly used the metro which was really cheap and easy to use, once you have a metro card, you top it up and can use one card for multiple people at any station and you can also use it for the cable carts around the city. Medellín is famous for its nightlife so there's lots of options for clubs and bars depending on what you're looking for. You can also take a day trip to Guatapé where you can climb 741 steps up El Peñón de Guatapé for an incredible view of the lake. During this tour you also take a boat ride along the lake and have a few hours to explore the town.
Hostel
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Los Patios Hostel - This hostel was amazing! It's located in El Poblado, not too far from the city centre so its close to lots of restaurants, clubs and a metro station. The hostel is made up of two separate buildings which are a 2 minute walk from each other, one with a rooftop bar where are all the club crawls start from, and the other with a rooftop pool. The hostel also has a gym and kitchen and the dorms were super comfy and clean, most had a balcony. It is a party hostel but they get everyone moving to the clubs by 11pm. There is security by the door, so at night, only those who are staying at the hostel are allowed in.
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The Viajero hostel is also a popular choice, located next to one of the Los Patios buildings and with its own rooftop bar.
Veggie Food
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Helecho Vegan Sushi - Incredible vegan sushi for cheap prices.
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Real Vegetal (Vegan) - Food was also really good here, but on the pricier side.
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Zacatecas Poblado - Mexican restaurant with veggie and vegan options.
Other
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Sonorama, a techno club and although I don't like techno I had a good time here.
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Vintrash Club, has multiple floors for different genres of music.
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