Colombia had been on my radar for several years. Back when I was planning my trip to Guatemala, I was frequently coming across people who would compare the two, mentioning that they were their favorite countries in all of Latin America. But with the ongoing battle between the government and FARC and all the drug cartel crime, Colombia was always under a Travel Warning, and I just wasn’t sure I was comfortable with the safety level there yet.
Then the peace deal with FARC was made, and the safety continued to improve in the country. I felt like now was the time to see it, just on the cusp of the tourism industry expanding. We never once felt unsafe while we were there, but we also would go days without seeing a single other tourist. It was perfect.
Highlights
Barichara – Everything aligned perfectly in Barichara. I fell in love with the beautiful Spanish colonial architecture and cobblestone streets. I fell in love with our house. I fell in love with the wonderfully fragrant park and the vegetarian-friendly restaurants around it. I fell in love with paragliding, at the nearby Chicamocha canyon. I loved the peace, the beauty, the wonderful weather. I loved the people. To be honest, I can’t think of one complaint. Well, maybe the unpredictable hours of when the restaurants would be open. But that’s pretty minor.
During our entire stay, we started hatching plans of when we’d come back and who we’d bring with us to introduce to this beautiful place.
The people – It always seems to be the places that have a reputation of being “dangerous” and crime-ridden that we find the warmest, friendliest people. We (well, mostly Anthony, given my ineptitude at speaking Spanish) interacted with more people on this trip than any other, and all of them were kind and helpful, always smiling.
The driver in Salamina, eager to show us the sweets and sites of his country. The old woman and her family, excited to show off her English and Italian skills to us in tiny San Felix. The hotel staff worker who spent 10 minutes showing us a map of Jardin and recommending which hikes or tours we should do and how to start them. The Uber driver in Medellin who was excited to have Anthony’s help in learning English so that he could better serve his English-speaking customers. The veg restaurant owner in Barichara who took five minutes to go over the menu with us and made sure everything was to our liking. The man on the Camino real who seemed genuinely happy to see us and tell us what all we had coming up on our hike and how much longer it would be. The girl on the bus who quickly alerted me to Anthony leaving behind his wallet. The paragliding guides, who through our communication barriers still managed to reassure me that Anthony was fine and taken care of and made me feel the same while I was with them. The woman at the Bucaramanga airport, dealing with the same flight delays as us but still smiling and initiating conversations with us, wanting to be sure we were enjoying her country.
All of them wanted to know what we thought of Colombia, what we thought of the Colombian people. I hope our enthusiasm came across to them.
Samaria – While most people go to Salento to hike the Valle de Cocora, Anthony and I had the wax palm forest of Samaria all to ourselves, our guide – the owner of the farm – giving us his undivided attention, his adorable dogs entertaining us all along the way.
Seeing the wax palms in person is truly special. Towering over us as high as 200 feet, lining up and down the beautiful green hills of the region. There are few sites as beautiful as that with blue skies and sunshine forming the backdrop.
What I Would Do Differently
Fewer destinations (or more time) – Honestly, one or two extra days would have been perfect for this trip. Though then I would have wished for just a couple more to add another region. But alas, I only had the 11 days, and I wasted too much of that time sitting in airports waiting out flight delays or sitting on buses. Doing either a combination of just Medellín and Jardín, or a combination of just Salamina and somewhere near Manizales (I did find an awesome looking glamping place just south of Manizales…) would have worked out better. But trying to do it all, considering the treks it took to get to and between them was just a bit much.
Stay in Getsemani – We picked a place right in the heart of the Walled City in Cartagena, and it was really a wonderful location. Anthony and I, though, preferred the Getsemani neighborhood, which is just outside the Walled City to the south. We found ourselves gravitating to that area again and again, to enjoy the restaurants, the liveliness of the locals, and the variety of street art. The historical center of the walled city was just too much hurrying down the sidewalks, repeating “No gracias” to all the street vendors over and over again. Though it’s definitely worthy of time spent there.
Colombia is a beautiful country, and we were barely able to scratch the surface. Whatever your timeframe, prioritize your interests, try to have a minimum of two nights everywhere you go, and plan it from there, knowing you won’t be able to see everything you want to see. I have a whole list of other places for us to visit whenever we make a return trip :).