Jewels of Colombia

OVERVIEW

DAY 1: Departure for Colombia.

DAY 2: Visit of the historical center of Bogotá, the Candelaria.

DAY 3: Day trip to the Archaeological Park of San Agustin with more than 300 sculptures.

DAY 4: Excursion to Isnos Park, the Estrecho of the Magdalena and the Salto del Mortiño.

DAY 5 : Guided tour of Popayan, the white city of Colombia.

DAY 6 : Transfer to the coffee region and discover Silvia’s market and the the Guambianos community.

DAY 7 : Day among the most charming villages of the region of the best coffee in the world.

DAY 8 : Walk in the Valle de Cocora, watch hummingbirds and maybe the Andean Condor.

DAY 9 : Departure to Zipaquirá to visit the incredible salt cathedral.

DAY 10 : Visit Villa de Leyva and its surroundings.

DAY 1: DEPARTURE FOR COLOMBIA

DAY 2: BOGOTÁ, 2,600 METERS CLOSER TO THE STARS

Discover the capital of Colombia, which is after La Paz and Quito, the third highest capital in the world.

• Visit La Plaza Bolívar, central square of the historical center of Bogotá, bordered by the presidential palace known as Palacio de Nariño, the Palace of Justice, etc.
• Discover the Gold Museum, which houses 35,000 gold objects adorned with precious stones.
• Stroll through La Candelaria, the city’s historic center, dotted with Spanish colonial style villas.
• Walk through the main streets of the city to discover the magnificent street art.
• Overnight in Bogotá.

DAY 3 : SAN AGUSTIN

The Archaeological Park of San Agustin is a group of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in the heart of the Andes dating from the 8th century AD.

• Transfer to the airport to fly to Neiva.
• Arrival and transfer to San Agustin.
• Guided tour of the San Agustin archaeological park.
• 300 monumental sculptures of great artistic quality are scattered around the park.
• The sculptures bear witness to the art of a civilisation that reached its peak during the first eight centuries of our era.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Overnight in San Agustin.

DAY 4: SAN AGUSTIN SURROUNDINGS

The archaeological park of El Alto de las Piedras of Isnos is sacred place dedicated to religious ceremonies. It is the second most important archaeological site of the region.

• Guided tour of the Archeological Park of Isnos and El Alto de los Ídolos.
• Excursion to El Salto del Mortiño, a 170 meter waterfall and El Salto de Bordones, the second highest waterfall in Latin America with a height of 220 meters.
• Discover El Estrecho del Magdalena, where the most important river in Colombia, the Magdalena river reaches is only 2.20 meters wide, due to a geological constraints.
• Overnight in San Agustin.

DAY 5: POPAYAN, THE WHITE CITY

Known as the white city of Colombia, Popayán is nicknamed for its many white buildings.

• Transfer to the city of Popayan.
• Cross the magnificent Páramo, a unique ecosystem of the tropical highlands.
• Guided walking tour of the city to visit the most important places.
• Popayan is also the only city in Latin America to have been declared a gastronomic city by UNESCO for its unique culinary traditions.
• Overnight in Popayan in a charming hotel known for its patios.

DAY 6: THE SILVIA MARKET

Every Tuesday, the Guambianos indigenous community come down to Silvia village from all over the valley to sell all kinds of products: potatoes, fruits, vegetables, traditional clothes, etc.

• After breakfast, transfer to the coffee region.
• On the way, detour to the village of Silvia and its magnificent market.
• It’s an amazing atmosphere because of the beauty of the costumes worn by the Guambianos community. Everyone, men and women, wear the same outfit.
• Arrival in a hacienda cafetera, that is to say, a colonial house located in a coffee farm.
• Dinner and overnight at the hacienda.

DAY 7: THE CHARMING VILLAGES

The coffee region is a unique and green landscape, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO as “coffee cultural landscape”.

• Visit to the village of Cordoba to learn about coffee production.
• Take a coffee tour to learn about the production of this delicious drink. 
• On the way, try local specialities like the “chicharron”, delicious fried pork belly.
• Meet with the producers of the best sweet coffee in the world.
• Typical lunch in a finca cafetera.
• Stroll through the picturesque streets of Pijao, a colonial village hidden in the mountains.
• Watch the sunset from a magnificent viewpoint in Buenavista.
• Overnight in the coffee region.

DAY 8: THE WAX PALM AND THE ANDEAN CONDOR

The coffee region is full of picturesque villages and majestic valleys with a wide variety of plants and animals.

• Typical breakfast of corn cakes called arepas, fresh bread, exotic fruits and eggs.
• Transfer to Salento.
• Ride in a jeep willis, an all-terrain vehicle widely used in the region to get to the Cocora Valley.
• Arrival at the Cocora Valley, home of the national tree: the wax palm. These trees, which seem to defy the sky, rise to more than 70 meters high.
• Hike 1 to 2 hours in the valley to watch the wax palm up close.
• Maybe watch the Andean condor that roams the area.
• Typical lunch in one of the best restaurants in the area.
• Visit Salento, known as the village of 1000 colours and one of the most beautiful villages in Colombia.
• Overnight in the coffee region.

DAY 9: THE INCREDIBLE SALT CATHEDRAL

The Cundiboyacense altiplano is rich in history, culture and authentic villages.

• Transfer to Pereira airport to fly back to Bogotá.
• Welcome at the airport by your driver and transfer by private car to Villa de Leyva.
• On the way, discover the salt cathedral, a former mine converted into a place of worship. It has a beautiful collection of salt and marble sculptures.
• Named an architectural jewel of modernity, it is a marvel to be admired.
• Visit Raquira, a village recognized for its handcrafted terracotta products.
• Overnight in Villa de Leyva.

DAY 10 : VILLA DE LEYVA

Villa de Leyva is a small town in the mountains known for its colonial architecture. Its huge central paved square and the buildings that surround it are inscribed on the Colombian Heritage List.

• Guided tour of Villa de Leyva to visit the Antonio Nariño Museum, Calle Caliente, its incredible main square, etc.
• The city is known for being the last home of Antonio Nariño, leader of the independence movement who also translated the Declaration of Human Rights into Spanish.
• Spend your afternoon at leisure.
• Overnight in Villa de Leyva.

DAY 11: THE CRADLE OF NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE

Discover the beautiful route between the departments of Boyacá, with its green landscape and Santander, home of the Chicamocha Canyon.

• After breakfast, departure by private car to Barichara.
• Time at leisure in Socorro, a very important village in the history of Colombia. It is here that the independence movement of the country began in 1781.
• Continue the journey to the final destination, Barichara.
• Overnight in Barichara in a charming colonial boutique hotel.

DAY 12: BARICHARA, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE IN COLOMBIA

The cobbled streets, the white houses, its huge stone cathedral that turns orange under the sun and the peaceful atmosphere of the place give Barichara an undeniable charm.

• Spend your day at leisure. Take this opportunity to walk along the royal road or from Lengerke to the village of Guane.
• Guane is known in the region for its important collection of marine fossils dating back over 60 million years.
• Walk through the streets of Barichara and see its impressive cathedral.
• Overnight in Barichara.

DAY 13 : CHICAMOCHA CANYON

Covering an area of 10,000 hectares and crossed by the homonymous river, the Chicamocha Canyon is the largest in Latin America and the deepest in the world.

• Departure to the National Park of Chicamocha, Panachi.
• On the way, follow the road that traces the contours of the Canyon for a magnificent view of it.
• Cross from one cliff to another on the Chicamocha cable car, the longest in Latin America.
• Walk to the Belvedere to enjoy a breathtaking 360 degree view of the Canyon.
• Continue to Giron, a charming colonial village known for its white basilica.
• Overnight in Giron.

DAY 14: THE PEARL OF THE CARIBBEAN

You will leave this beautiful region to discover the Pearl of the Caribbean: Cartagena de Indias.

• After breakfast, transfer to the airport to take your flight from Bucaramanga to Cartagena.
• Arrival in Cartagena and transfer to your hotel, a magnificent colonial boutique hotel located within the walled city.
• In the afternoon, guided walking tour of the walled city. Visit the most important monuments such as the Palace of the Inquisition where the “sinners” were brought to “justice”; the Plaza Santo Domingo; the Street of the Martyrs; the Clock Tower, etc.
• Overnight in Cartagena.

DAY 15: THE TURQUOISE CARIBBEAN SEA

The Rosario archipelago has 27 easily accessible islands with white sand beaches, coconut palms and turquoise sea. Enjoy all that the sea has to offer.

• After breakfast, departure by boat to the Rosario Islands.
• On the way, enjoy a beautiful panoramic tour of the islands.
• Spend your day at leisure relaxing and enjoying the warm and crystal clear waters of this paradise.
• Overnight at Rosario Islands.

DAY 16: ROSARIO ISLANDS

Islas del Rosario National Natural Park was founded in 1988 to protect one of the most important coral reefs in the Colombian Caribbean.

• Spend your day at leisure. Take this opportunity to walk around the island searching for hidden and majestic beaches.
• Snorkel in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean.
• Overnight at Rosario Islands.

DAY 17: IN THE CENTER OF THE SPANISH EMPIRE

Filled with historical monuments, Cartagena will not leave you indifferent!

• Last hours in this corner of paradise.
• In the middle of the afternoon, return to Cartagena by boat.
• Overnight in Cartagena.

DAY 18: RETURN HOME

THIS PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE :

TOURS NOT TO BE MISSED

Voyage à Cartagena : 6 visites originales

Les magnifiques tombes de Tierradentro