Coffee Mountains & Colorful Villages

Welcome to Colombia! | Arrive in Medellin & Enjoy the City of Eternal Spring

It is great to have you here in Colombia! We are delighted about your visit and we’ll make sure you will enjoy your stay.

Welcome to Medellín, the City of Eternal Spring. You will be picked up with a welcome sign at Medellín Jose Maria Cordova Airport by a private transportation service and taken to your hotel.

The drive will be approximately 40-60 minutes to your hotel. On the way, your English-speaking guide can give you all the recommendations you may like to get the most out of your stay.

Colorful Colombia: Flowers, Nature & Villages: Silletas, Guatapé & El Peñol

You will start the day in the small village of Santa Elena which is located only an hour outside of Medellín. It is home to a great variety of traditional flower farmers.

The flower arrangements of the Flower Festival (“Feria de Flores”), called “silletas” have an impressive history and are now regarded as a cultural symbol of Medellín.

On this tour, we will be visiting an organic flower farm and experiencing the traditional peasant culture of Santa Elena.

After that, we are going to drive to Guatapé which offers a peaceful break from the city while also featuring a stunning panoramic view of nature and the surrounding scenery from the top of its hill.

Upon arrival, we will start off with the Rock of Guatapé in Antioquia. This is among the main attractions of Medellín. This gigantic granitic monolith is pretty much visible wherever you are in the city. This massive stone has been formed millions of years ago. The ancient Tahamies Indians, former inhabitants of the region, used to worship the Guatapé Rock.

Climbing the rock will take 740 steps and is approximately 220 meters high, but will be very rewarding. As you reach the top, you can get a panoramic view of the beautiful Peñol Reservoir. The magical and breathtaking views of the region will surely render you speechless.

The fingers of the lake sprawling amid the vast expanse of the green mountains, this 360-degree magical view is a must-see in Colombia.

After that awe-inspiring experience, you will be transported to Guatapé proper. It is famous for its church and colorful village. Whether you love photography or not, you surely won’t get enough of this place. It is renowned as one of the most colorful towns in the whole world.

Truth be told, it will be pretty hard to find a street in Guatapé that is not worthy of being admired and photographed. Ready your lens and take as many pictures and videos as you like.

Guatapé is known for the fresco-like adornment of its traditional houses with brightly painted bas-relief depictions of people, animals, and shapes. Walk through the streets, where your specialized guide will inform you about the history of typical houses, ¨zocalos¨, and this unique culture.

Enjoy a delicious typical Colombian lunch at the waterfront of the Guatapé reservoir. You may also explore the lake on a boat ride and take time to stroll and relax at your own pace.

Jericó, The Town of 16 chapels and Carriel Workshops

Visit Jerico, the town of the 16 chapels and Carriel workshops. It centers around the main square physically and spiritually. Named one of the 18 heritage towns in Colombia, Jerico in Antioquia is highly famous for its high-quality handicrafts including their creations of artisan small leather goods. The town is packed with mesmerizing architecture with beautiful facades.

On this day, you will learn more about their tradition in the local “Carriel” workshops. This is an autochthonous, signature garment of Jerico with a unique design that’s been in use for over a hundred years. The “Carriel” bag is a small leather bag that features twelve pockets or compartments in its interior where muleteers of the old times used to keep their knives, tobacco, religious stamps, and even amulets. They even use it to protect love letters and photographs of loved ones which is very popular in this romantic land.

After learning about the Carriel workshop, we will walk through the Botanical Garden up the Cristo Rey monument to enjoy the magnificent and breathtaking view of the town and the beautiful mountains, valleys, and rivers surrounding the place.

When visiting Jerico, you should never miss its 16 chapels. They are considered the true jewels of architecture. Do not leave the town without tasting their famous and luscious “Luisa” pastries and unique cardamom sweets.

Jardín, The Village of Nature and Colorful Houses

Jardín is nestled in the green hills and surrounded by coffee and banana plantations. It is famous for its colorful houses with balconies that you would surely love to take photos of.

The main park has been declared a national monument. The guided village tour starts at the museum Clara Rojas, where the history of the region comes to life.

After tasting the award-winning sweets of Doña Mariela, you leave Jardín and arrive at Medellín in the evening.

To cap off the second day, we will go to the sweet shop “Dulces de Jardin” to try the best candies in the area. You might also want to buy extra for your loved ones to taste when you get back home.

Jardín to Pereira - Colombia in one taste, smell, and color. The experience of Orchids and Coffee

Love coffee? On this day, you get to enjoy the Coffee Region of Colombia!

Pereira is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It is located in the foothills of the Andes in a coffee-producing area of Colombia officially known as the "Coffee Axis".

The Coffee Region is a rich tapestry of historic villages, charming coffee farms, fantastic nature reserves, and grand mountain peaks.

Coffee is more than a cash crop here - it is a way of life. You’ll never look at your morning cup the same way again once you taste and get to experience this special tour.

Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011, the Coffee Cultural Landscape extends through the departments of Quindío, Caldas, and Risaralda, with their respective capitals: Armenia, Manizales, and Pereira.

Salento, Filandia, & the Valley of Wax Palms

Salento is an Andean town in Colombia located west of Bogota. It is popular for its coffee estates and verdant scenery. On the east side of Salento is Cocora Valley where lofty wax palm trees are home to rare parrots and other birds.

In 1985, Ceroxylon Quindiuense, a distinct species of a palm tree, was declared the country’s national tree.

We will begin the tour by visiting the Cocora Valley.

First, you'll have a welcome cocktail called "Canelazo." With the assistance of a specialist eco guide, we'll be ready to start the introduction to the natural reserve of Cocora.

You will then be transferred to the fog's forest to witness the biodiversity of fauna and flora. There you’ll find the highest wax palm in the world and the tour won’t be complete without connecting with the earth. We will do a special ritual planting of some palms to pay our respect and appreciation to the wonderful gifts of Mother Nature.

After the planting, we'll go to the typical village of Salento, a heritage town characterized by its stunning and colorful traditional architecture. We will stop for lunch and continue visiting Filandia, a little town where you can walk through and adore its colonial streets and beautiful crafts.

You will also have the opportunity to visit the "La Colina Iluminada" lookout point. It offers a panoramic view of the mountains of the coffee region and you have to get your cameras ready.

Finally, we will visit a traditional basketry workshop where you will learn the art of making baskets using vegetable fibers.

*Note: The Quindio viewpoint is closed every Monday and every Tuesday when Monday is a holiday in Colombia.*

Charming Towns and Special Coffees - More coffee and more scenic town views!

Córdoba, Pijao, and Buenavista are part of the Coffee Region that offers unique coffees.

We will bring you back in time as we visit the first stop in Cordoba. You will be accompanied by a passionate coffee grower that will teach you all the secrets of the Colombian coffee bean and the reasons for its recognition as the softest coffee in the whole world.

You will also get to enjoy a delicious, traditional lunch at the coffee farm.

On the path towards Pijao, the southeastern part of Quindio, you can start a landscape hunt while climbing the central mountain range. The pathway allows you to admire the foothills of Quindío and the ever-changing mountain colors between green and blue.

Walk its streets, receive a surprise in latte art, and know why the lovely Pijao is known as the “slow city” of Latin America.

The day ends at a viewpoint in Buenavista to enjoy the sunset that offers a spectacle of colors to the picturesque scenery.

Pereira to Cartagena, Walking tour in Cartagena & Meeting a Colonial Architect Expert

Flight from Pereira to Cartagena. Private Transportation Service

Welcome to Cartagena! You will be picked up with a welcome sign at Rafael Núñez Airport by a private transportation service and be transported safely to your hotel.

You can relax during your approximately 15-20 minutes drive. On the way to your hotel, your English-speaking guide can give you all the recommendations you may like to get the most out of your stay.

Discover the Queen of America

The city is designed like a fortress because it used to be the principal shipping port of gold from the New World back to Spain.

The stone ramparts helped protect it from countless pirate attacks, including Sir Francis Drake's most famous of all.

Talking about this rich history, on this day, you get to visit numerous plazas, the church, the monastery of San Pedro Claver, and the Basilica Minor cathedral.

This is another great chance to stroll along the narrow cobbled streets lined with colonial houses.

Then, you will visit the Castle where the Spaniards sought to protect the city from the attacks of the English in the seventeenth century known as "El Castillo De San Felipe de Barajas."

Visit the Getsemani neighborhood, one of the most traditional and popular sectors of the city. You will enjoy a guided scenic walk and get to visit different streets. You will surely appreciate the graffiti that adorn some streets in the area.

Barú Town & Beach at the Rosario Islands

Indulge yourself in the warm, crystal waters of the Caribbean. You will be picked up from your hotel and transported to Barú for about an hour of travel.

Barú is a peninsula often called an island, bounded by the Bay of Cartagena, the Dique Canal, and the Caribbean Sea.

Upon arrival, you will enjoy a typical breakfast in a local family house of one of the native people.

After that, we will take a boat to Isla Grande in the archipelago of the Rosario Islands.

The Rosario Islands are an integral part of one of Colombia’s most important national parks. The only park in the country that is primarily underwater. As such, the islands and surrounding waters are well preserved and protected which means you can enjoy their wonders as nature intended.

The fun tour doesn’t end there. We will stop at one or two spectacular spots for snorkeling. Then, you will finally be able to enjoy and rest at the beach.

A luscious lunch with fresh fish prepared by locals will then be served. It is an experience you wouldn’t want to miss when visiting Cartagena.

Departure - From Cartagena to Rafael Núñez International Airport

Today is your last day in Cartagena. Enjoy breakfast at your hotel, and based on the time of your departure flight, you will be taken from the city of Cartagena to the Rafael Núñez International Airport by a private transportation service.

Thank you so much for visiting Colombia. It is a great honor to tour you in our country. We hope you had a great time and we hope to see you again.

Have a safe flight back home!