The information below is by no means a comprehensive list of things to do, instead, we want to give you some ideas to get you started on your trip planning.

Villa de Leyva

We're getting married here, if that conveys anything about the town. It's beautiful and relaxing, and there's plenty to do.

Things to Do

  • Hikes up the mountain! - One side of Villa backs up directly to a mountain, so there are a few trails leading out of town and up the hill. The views of town are great, and if you're a real go-getter you could get up before dawn to catch the sunrise over town. (Keep in mind that the sun rises around 5am every day, so that's some real go-getting.)
  • ATV rental - We've never done it, but there are a few outfitters in town that rent ATVs to take tours around the area.
  • Square - One of the most beautiful town squares you could hope for. It's all cobblestones, around the edge are shops and restaurants, and from one side you get a beautiful view of the church with a massive mountain as a backdrop. During the golden hour it's a sight to behold.
  • Winery - There's a winery nearby, so if you're curious you can go try Colombian wine. The wine at the wedding will be from other South American countries, but it might be an interesting thing to check out if you've got time.
  • Abbey - In the same direction as the winery is an abbey that's perched on the other side of the valley from Villa. Beautiful views, and an interesting look at the lives of the monks who lived there.
  • Dinosaur museum - The entire area is full of fossils, so you'll probably see fossilized shells in rocks scattered around town, but just outside there is a fully intact sea creature that's the size of a small bus. Your inner 10-year-old will really, really enjoy a trip to the small museum built around the site of the main fossil. There are tons of other smaller artifacts in the building as well.

    • Bogotá

    With almost 9 million people, Bogotá is a big, busy city. If you like cities, you may like Bogotá, if you are more of a personal space kind of person, Bogotá may feel a bit overwhelming. As with any other major city, there are lots of things to explore, and the internet has plenty of resources on things to do and places to see.

    Museums

  • Museo Del Oro - Lots of amazing items and information from early indigenous cultures.
  • Museo Botero - Not only fat people.
  • Museo Nacional - Changing exhibits, beautiful building and good cafe. This is next door to Ibis Hotel.
  • MamBo - Modern art, some rough war exhibits.

    • Sights to see

  • Graffiti! - There is so much amazing street art in the city, we recommend you don't miss it. There are walking graffiti tours in english (we may set one up for everyone), or you can simply walk around La Candelaria and see it. If you are staying in La Macarena (Ibis), it will be hard to miss.
  • Centro - Downtown has interesting little restaurants, the government buildings and a few other historically significant sights.
  • Zona T, Zona G, Zona Rosa - Nice area to go out for cocktails, dinner or walk around. It is the wealthier area, so will be a bit pricier.

    • Restaurants and Bars

  • Salvo Patria - oh, so good! Get the calamari.
  • Mesa Franca - Delightful, but a bit slow.
  • Sandwich Taller - If you stay at Ibis you must go here, the place is awesome and these sandwiches are way too delicious.
  • Mono Bandido - Nice beers and hip cocktails.
  • Rin Rin - Nice cocktails and tapas.
  • Maria Antonieta - Great coffee and pastries, and also one of my best friends. Pretty close to Ibis, make sure to stop by!

    • Cartagena

    On the Caribbean coast, probably one of the most visited places in the country. There's stuff for everyone here. The city has an beautiful old town full of history, good food and beautiful houses. For a good overview, check out Lonely Planet's Cartagena listing.

    Things to do:

  • Chiva Rumba tour - A ridiculously fun, drunken way to spend an evening in Cartagena. Even the staunchest boring gringo will end up dancing.
  • Donde Fidel - Huge hectic beer garden just inside the old city's wall. Great for people watching and beer drinking.
  • El Baluarte - Restaurant on top of the wall with cocktails and a great view for sunset.
  • La Cava del Puro - Cigar shop with a completely insane selection of cigars and rums. If you want to buy a bottle of rum that's older than you are, this is your best bet.
  • Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas - As Lonely Planet says, it's the best fortress in Cartagena. There are tunnels to explore and views to soak in along the walls, so it's a pretty fun place to visit. It gets insanely hot in the afternoon, so you probably want to get there when it opens.
  • Walk on the wall - There are a bunch of ramps to access the top of the wall from within the Old City, so as you're wandering around you can get a bit of breeze and sea view by walking along the top of the wall.
  • Convento de la Popa - A convent high on a hill above the Old City with amazing views of the modern port, modern city, Caribbean Sea, etc. Beautiful architecture and amazing views.
  • Palacio de la Inquisition - An incredibly beautiful old building, with exhibits about the Spanish settlement of Colombia and the Inquisition, and a rotating art museum. Last time we went it had a cool modern exhibit, but who knows what will be there in June. Definitely a good way to spend a few hours, especially if it's a rainy day.

    • Islas del Rosario

    Islas del Rosario is an hour by boat away from Cartagena, and is an underwater national park. The bioluminescent lagoon is an unforgettable experience, so if you're in that part of the country and you're not sure how to spend a couple of days, we highly recommend staying on Isla Grande, eating fish and drinking cocktails.

    San Andres

    Coming soon! Or you can google it

    Palomino

    Near Santa Marta and Riohacha, a nice and relaxed beach area, kind of on the hippie side. It is a good option if you want to go lay down on a hammock all day long by the beach and not do much more. At night you'll often find people hanging out on the beach with a fire and a drum circle.

    Tayrona

    Tayrona is one of our favorite national parks to visit. It is a magical place where a giant mountain meets the ocean and makes up for an amazing landscape. This place is hard to beat if you want a beach vacation but you don't want a 100s of people resort vacation. There are walks around the area to see the local indigenous communities, snorkling, beach lounging and sweet lodging. Start here if you want to visit one of the most beautiful beaches in the caribbean coast. If you decide you are headed there, let us know and we can help with your planning. Some vaccines may be mandatory to enter the park as a foreign citizen.

    While you are in the area, you may also want to think about going to Ciudad Perdida, it is a 4 day not too hard but not trivial when wet kind of adventure. You get to visit a pretty amazing archeological site of the Tayrona people. You even get to walk through their little towns although they will ask you to not interact with them if possible. Lots of river crossings, swimming and beautiful mountains. More here

    Guajira

    La Guajira is so different from the rest of the country, you may forget you are in the tropic, sort of. In a land where everything is lush and green, this area is basically never ending sand dunes and beaches. The logistics of visiting are a bit complicated, as there are no roads so you'll need to hire a driver to drive you over sand without getting stuck, mostly. The place is beautiful and the beaches never ending. The water is warm, the fish is fresh, the vibe is chill. It is also a very interesting, as mostly indigenous Wayuu people live here, under somewhat different rules than the rest of the country. wikitravel has a bit more information. If you are interested, we are happy to tell you more and help out with the logistics.

    Amazonas

    It is hard to find a jungle more jungly than the Amazon jungle. It is hot, humid, filled with giant bugs everywhere and it is also amazing. The river is massive, the birds abounding, the trees loud. There are monkeys and snakes and spiders and all sorts of creatures to remind you that you are a tiny human in this massive planet. We are planning to head to Leticia and stay in the area for about 5 days. More on this later, but if you want to join us, you will need to let us know. Worth it every bug bite.

    Medellín

    We don't know much about Medellín, but there are those who think this should be the capital of Colombia. The city is very progressive, and they have pretty great weather. If you have clothes with "Made in Colombia" tags (you probably do) this is where they came from. Flying to Medellín from Bogotá is both easy and cheap. If you want to make your visit mostly about the cities, this can be a good other place to visit.

    Zona Cafetera

    The coffee region is obviously famous, as there's lots of coffee produced in Colombia. There are plenty of options here, from camping to renting beautiful houses in the middle of coffee fields. The mountains in the area are amazing, and you get the crazy contrast of super tropical vegetation with ice capped volcanoes in the background. A good option would be going to Los Nevados. Lonely Planet has plenty of info on other options as well.

    Barichara

    Widely considered the most beautiful town in Colombia, Barichara is perched above a steep Andean river valley. If you're looking for a tourist friendly small town experience, Barichara should definitely be on your list. It's hot, so life moves a little slower there. Expect to take naps every day you're there to escape the mid day heat. Lonely Planet's Barichara listing is pretty sparse, but to be fair it's not easy to write much about a town where everyone knows each other and naps are the norm.