Colombia adventure holiday, viva Colombia
Optional Single Supplement: from £620.
Please note some itineraries are reversed.
Description of Colombia adventure holiday, viva Colombia
Head off-piste with a Colombia adventure holiday that will reawaken your passion for travel and showcase a country that has shaken off a troubled past to focus on its natural and historic attractions.
From the capital, Bogota, with its Gold Museum and stunning hilltop look-out, Monseratte, you’ll head to the fascinating Salt Cathedral of Ziapquira, an underground Roman Catholic church that has been intricately carved into the tunnels of a salt mine. Flying into Armenia, you’ll arrive in the very heart of Colombia’s legendary coffee plantation district, to stay in a traditional hacienda. Using it as a base, you can enjoy hiking or horse trekking through the Manizales region, as well as visit Santa Fe de Antioquia, the oldest settlement in the country.
You’ll spend a day in the dynamic city of Medellin, now well-known for its amazing nightlife and cuisine, before flying on to Santa Marta on Colombia’s idyllic Caribbean coast. Here you’ll do some atmospheric jungle trekking, and naturally there will be time set aside so you can reward yourself stretching out on relax on the white sand beaches of Tayrona National Park.
The trip finishes in the colonial city of Cartagena, but before your small group heads off in their own separate ways there will be a visit to one final landmark – the Volcan de Lodo El Totumo, a volcano that erupts mud instead of lava. It’s great for your skin, so feel free to jump into the mud pools.
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Optional Single Supplement: from £620.
Please note some itineraries are reversed.
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Holiday information
Reviews
1 Reviews of Colombia adventure holiday, viva Colombia
Reviewed on 20 Sep 2017 by Dave Kerr
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Most memorable was our visit to Comuna 13 favela in Medellin. Most exciting was probably our trip to the Hacienda in Manzales
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be prepared for a couple of significant walks.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
I think that the local people (especially Medellin) appreciated us coming to their towns as improves that the image of Columbia is changing for the better.
Not sure about the environmental and conservation issues, we certainly didn't impact them negatively.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
GREAT!! Lots of variety, a good cross section of Columbia and wonderful guides.
Responsible Travel
Planet
The itinerary includes one domestic flight between Medellín and Cartagena, otherwise relies on overland travel throughout Colombia, combining shared group transport, Medellín's metro system, and walking-based sightseeing.The tour provides opportunities to experience Colombia's coffee landscapes, wax palm forests and orchid-rich habitats while supporting local tourism businesses.
Travellers are encouraged to reduce single-use plastic waste through the use of refillable water bottles.
People
This journey is designed to ensure that tourism spending benefits local communities across Colombia. Throughout the itinerary, accommodation is chosen with a preference for locally owned hotels, guesthouses and haciendas rather than international hotel chains, helping to keep tourism revenue within the destinations visited. A notable example is Hacienda Venecia, a working coffee farm where guests stay alongside the plantation and gain insight into local coffee production while supporting a business that contributes to community development initiatives. In Salamina and Aguadas, accommodation is provided in locally operated heritage properties, offering travellers an authentic experience while supporting the preservation of historic buildings and local livelihoods.The itinerary also creates economic opportunities beyond accommodation. Local guides are employed throughout the journey, providing expert insight into the destinations while ensuring tourism directly supports local employment. Travellers visit a range of independently run businesses and community enterprises, including Paloquemao Market, coffee and cocoa farms, orchid reserves, artisan workshops and community-led tourism projects in Comuna 13. By extending beyond Colombia's better-known destinations such as Bogotá and Cartagena to places including Honda, Salamina, Aguadas and the rural coffee region, the tour helps distribute visitor spending more widely across the country.
A particular highlight is the visit to Aguadas, where travellers learn about the traditional production of the iconic aguadeño hat. This craft supports local artisans and relies on iraca palm fibres grown in the region, helping to sustain both cultural heritage and local economic activity.
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