There was a period around 2008 - 2011 where Colombia appeared on many "next destination" lists. The travel community had determined the country was safe and open for tourists. While there still are sections of the country that remain dangerous the North to South tourist circuit going from Cartagena to Medellin to Bogota to Cali to Ecuador is pretty well trodden. It's obvious you are in a country in transition and it's no longer a question if Colombia will be major travel destination, but when. It can be a bit difficult and long to take buses through the country so it's good to check airfare to see if the prices are somewhat comparable.
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Pete arrived a little earlier and went Tayrona National Park first before meeting me in Cartagena - you can see his photos in this Facebook Album. We spent two days there and three days in Bogota (I found a $500 flight from NYC so decided to plan a quick trip).
In September it was brutally humid in Cartagena and I was relieved to reach Bogota's higher altitudes. There's a lot to see - I really like the Botero Museum and the small town of Villa de Leyva. Through a co-worker of ouf Dad's we were able to meet up with a local who showed us around the T-Zone and other popular areas. |
TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK
Per Pete:
"Tayrona National Park is gorgeous!! Jungle meets ocean, it made me think I was Leo trekking to this secret location in the beach. This is a definite must-see in Colombia. Santa Marta has really cheap in-country flights. From there you can catch a bus for $5 US to Tayrona Park."
"Tayrona National Park is gorgeous!! Jungle meets ocean, it made me think I was Leo trekking to this secret location in the beach. This is a definite must-see in Colombia. Santa Marta has really cheap in-country flights. From there you can catch a bus for $5 US to Tayrona Park."
