Colombia was one of the best vacations we ever had. The people were incredibly polite, the food was delicious and diverse, and the history was more remarkable than we knew.
Pro-Tip: Aguardiente is the liquor of choice in Colombia. Make sure you order a shot while you’re here.
Cartagena
Our first visit was to Cartagena. We came for a wedding, and left learning with great memories and a ton of knowledge.
Cartagena was the main trading port between Spain and their overseas empire. We recommend staying in traditional Cartagena, which is within their walls. One night was spent outside of these walls – while it was a change, we recommend staying in the original city.
We stayed at the Casa Claver within the walled city. The host was fantastic and spoke excellent English. The rooms were spacious and air conditioned. The best part though, was the rooftop pool and hot tub. There are fantastic views of the city, and a great place to relax after touring the city all day.
Cartagena Events We Recommend
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
Since Cartagena was the main focal point of trade in the Spanish Empire, making it an attractive target of Caribbean pirates. It was the most looted port in the New World until Spain built this fort.
We recommend giving yourselves at least 90 minutes to tour the fort. Aside from the amazing views, they give recordings that tell you about the fort’s history. You’ll learn about all the battles that took place, from pirates to opposing countries, and realize that even in the 1600s, the world was incredibly connected.
Island Hopping
Cartagena has several beautiful islands just outside of the city. We took a speedboat out to see the islands and take a quick swim.
It’s amazing to take a step back and realize that people live and work in these islands. Several times, boats would come up to us selling lobsters that they caught.
KGB
KGB is ridiculous. It’s Communist-themed, which reminds you the level of influence Communism has in Latin America. The televisions play Russians marching for Putin, and the walls are painted with other Communist propaganda.
Cartagena Restaurants We Recommend
La Cevicheria – The best ceviche we ever had, we went here three times, and it still didn’t feel like enough. They have several different varieties of ceviche, and all of it tastes incredible. Make sure to try them all.
Sinko Bar – great ambiance and excellent service. We recommend getting the salmon, chicken, and spring rolls.
Medellin
Medellin is absolutely gorgeous. Anybody who remembers the drug wars or has seen Narcos will be worried about the city’s crime rate. Actually, Medellin’s crime rate has plummeted, and it’s no more dangerous than Orlando, Florida.
We stayed at the Hotel NH Collection Medellín Royal – the service was excellent, and the lobby and room were gorgeous. With that said, we did our best to not spend much time at the hotel or around the area. The city is spread out, so you’ll need to use the metro and taxis often to enjoy the city.
Medellin Events We Recommend
Botero Plaza
Botero Plaza surrounds the Museum of Antioquia and the Rafael Uribe Uribe Palace of Culture, is a large outdoor park that displays 23 sculptures by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, who donated these for the museum’s renovation in 2004.
Jardin Waterfall Coffee Tour
We can’t say enough about how amazing this tour was. A bilingual guide picked us up at our hotel and drove us 2 hours to the coffee farms outside of Medellin. We learned how the coffee markets work, met some farmers who grow coffee, and rode a horse around the area.
The coffee market was very interesting – the world’s top coffee companies compete on the best beans. Notice how Nespresso is buying the top two highest quality coffee beans.
We also enjoyed spent some time with coffee farmers, and had lunch with them. It’s incredible that this is the farmers’ view everyday.
Our guide taught us how to find high quality coffee beans. The fuller the beans are, and the less parasites inside, the higher quality the bean is.
We also rode on horseback through the farm. The farm is loaded with amazing views, we couldn’t get enough of it.
The tour was capped with a hike through a jungle, which ended at a breathtaking waterfall. This was a fantastic change to the Colombia we saw in Cartagena.
Medellin’s Metrocable
Medellin’s public transit system is one of the city’s best highlights. Incredibly, their metro played a pivotal role in reducing the violence in Medellin. It just so happened that by making commuting to jobs easier, people were less inclined to work for drug dealers. The risks weren’t worth the rewards.
The cable cars, which climb both sides of the valley in Medellín, travel deep into the far-flung and formerly difficult-to-reach favelas (shanty towns) that are located in the surrounding hills.
Medellin’s Metrocable is the most budget friendly way to get incredible views of the city. If you do take the Metrocable, we recommend visiting Arvi Park as well.
Arví Park
Arvi Park is a massive ecological nature reserve and pre-Hispanic archeological site. As soon as you get off the Metrocable, you’ll find beautiful gardens all around you.
Our only warning about this park is that it does take a long time to arrive at. The scenery is gorgeous, but make sure you have three hours to dedicate to the metro ride and sightseeing.
There are over 57 miles of walking trails in this park, so feel free to walk around and enjoy this beautiful forest in Colombia.
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