Colombia: Coffee to Caribbean

Destination 01

Bogotá

10 places

High-altitude capital with Colombia's best museums and a colonial core. Stay 2 to 3 days.

• Photo: Hermes van Amstel · Google

  Museo del Oro

  More than 30,000 pre-Hispanic gold objects, including the Muisca raft linked to the El Dorado legend.

  Tip Free on Sundays; closed Mondays.

  SeeLa Candelaria$2 hrMorning
• Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta · CC BY-SA 3.0

  La Candelaria

  Colonial quarter of cobbled streets, churches and street art around Plaza de Bolívar.

  Tip Join a free graffiti walking tour, then explore by day only.

  SeeLa CandelariaFree2.5 hrMorning
• Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta · CC BY-SA 3.0

  Museo Botero

  Fernando Botero's donated collection of his own work plus pieces by Picasso, Monet and Dalí.

  Tip Free entry; pair with the adjoining Banco de la República art museum.

  SeeLa CandelariaFree75 minAfternoon
• Photo: Felipe Restrepo Acosta · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Monserrate

  Mountaintop church at 3,152 m reached by cable car or funicular, with views across the city.

  Tip Ride up in the morning before clouds roll in.

  SeeSanta Fe$2.5 hrMorning
• Photo: Luis Carlos Dominguez · Google

  Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá

  Underground church carved into a salt mine 180 m below ground, about an hour north of Bogotá.

  Tip Weekends are busy; go midweek.

  SeeZipaquirá$$3 hrWeekday morning
• Photo: Paul Chan · Google

  Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao

  Bogotá's big fresh market, with tropical fruit stalls, flower sellers and lunch counters.

  Tip Flowers are best before 8am; try lulo and granadilla.

  ShopPaloquemao$1.5 hrEarly morning
• Photo: Henrique Magalhães · Google

  Usaquén Flea Market

  Sunday market of crafts, jewelry and food stalls around Usaquén's old village square.

  ShopUsaquén$2 hrSunday
• Photo: Valeria Flores · Google

  La Puerta Falsa

  Tiny cafe near Plaza de Bolívar serving ajiaco, tamales and hot chocolate with cheese since 1816.

  Tip Expect a short line at lunch.

  EatLa Candelaria$45 minLunch
• Photo: Andrés Carne de Res Chía · Google

  Andrés Carne de Res

  Sprawling steakhouse-party in Chía with handmade decor and dancing late into the night.

  Tip Book a table and arrange a ride back; it is 45 minutes north of the city.

  EatChía$$$4 hrSaturday night
• Photo: Bogotá Beer Company · Google

  Bogotá Beer Company

  Local craft brewery with pubs across the city, pouring its own ales and stouts.

  DrinkZona Rosa$$1.5 hrEvening

Destination 02

Salento

10 places

Colorful village in the Coffee Region, base for Cocora's wax palms and farm tours. Stay 3 days.

• Photo: Angela Calle and Daniel Di Palma · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Valle de Cocora

  Cloud-forest valley of towering Quindío wax palms, Colombia's national tree, with a loop trail.

  Tip Start the loop by 8am; jeeps leave Salento's plaza from early morning.

  OutdoorsCocora$5 hrEarly morning
• Photo: Francisco Arce · Google

  Calle Real & Mirador de Salento

  Main street of painted balconies and craft shops ending in steps up to a valley lookout.

  SeeCentroFree75 minLate afternoon
• Photo: Finca El Ocaso Salento · Google

  Finca El Ocaso

  Working coffee farm near Salento offering tours from plant to cup with a tasting.

  Tip Walk or take a jeep; the road is about 4 km from town.

  DoVereda Palestina$2 hrMorning
• Photo: Hdhdhdyboot · CC BY-SA 4.0

  Filandia

  Quieter coffee town with a wooden lookout tower and basket-weaving tradition.

  Tip Climb the Mirador Colina Iluminada at sunset.

  SeeFilandiaFree3 hrAfternoon
• Photo: Parque del Café. · Google

  Parque del Café

  Coffee-themed park near Montenegro with a cable car, coffee museum and rides.

  DoMontenegro$$5 hrWeekday
• Photo: Patricia Huerta Riofrío · Google

  Termales Santa Rosa de Cabal

  Hot spring pools beneath a tall waterfall in the hills above Santa Rosa de Cabal.

  Tip Weekdays are much calmer than weekends.

  OutdoorsSanta Rosa de Cabal$$4 hrWeekday
• Photo: Rune Kickler · Google

  Los Amigos Tejo

  Local hall where you throw metal pucks at gunpowder targets in tejo, Colombia's national sport.

  Tip Buy a round of beers and staff will set you up.

  DoCentro$1.5 hrEvening
• Photo: Brunch de Salento · Google

  Brunch de Salento

  Long-running traveler cafe known for big breakfasts and peanut butter brownies.

  EatCentro$60 minBreakfast
• Photo: Gabriel Tovar · Google

  Helena Adentro

  Filandia restaurant with modern Colombian dishes and cocktails using regional ingredients.

  Tip Book on weekends.

  EatFilandia$$1.5 hrDinner
• Photo: Gary Brazel · Google

  Café Jesús Martín

  Specialty coffee house run by a local grower family, with tastings and roastery tours.

  DrinkCentro$45 minAfternoon

Destination 03

Medellín

9 places

Valley city with year-round spring weather, cable cars and a busy food scene. Stay 3 days.

• Photo: Carolina Rico · Google

  Comuna 13

  Hillside neighborhood transformed by outdoor escalators, murals and hip-hop, best seen with a local guide.

  Tip Book a tour led by residents; mornings are less crowded.

  SeeSan Javier$3 hrMorning
• Photo: Grettel Ulloa · Google

  Plaza Botero & Museo de Antioquia

  23 bronze Botero sculptures in the plaza and a museum with his paintings.

  Tip Keep valuables close in the busy downtown area.

  SeeLa Candelaria$2 hrMorning
• Photo: Paul Rivera · Google

  Parque Arví

  Forest reserve above the city reached by Metrocable Line L, with trails and a farmers' market.

  Tip Line L may close Mondays for maintenance; check before going.

  OutdoorsSanta Elena$4 hrMorning
• Photo: Jardín Botánico de Medellín · Google

  Jardín Botánico de Medellín

  Free botanical garden with an orchid house and the wooden Orquideorama canopy.

  OutdoorsAranjuezFree1.5 hrMorning
• Photo: アジアの休日 · Google

  Pueblito Paisa

  Replica Antioquian village atop Cerro Nutibara with views over the city.

  SeeGuayabalFree60 minSunset
• Photo: توفيق الضبيبي · Google

  Guatapé and El Peñol

  Climb 700-plus steps up a granite monolith over a reservoir, then walk Guatapé's painted streets.

  Tip Go on a weekday and leave Medellín by 7am.

  DoGuatapé$8 hrWeekday
• Photo: Fernando Gallo B · CC BY 3.0

  Carmen

  Chef-run restaurant in El Poblado pairing Colombian ingredients with modern technique.

  Tip Book ahead; the tasting menu is the move.

  EatEl Poblado$$$$2.5 hrDinner
• Photo: Steve Takata · Google

  Mondongo's

  Popular Medellín institution for mondongo soup and bandeja paisa.

  EatEl Poblado$$75 minLunch
• Photo: PERGAMINO Café Via Primavera, Medellín · Google

  Pergamino Café

  Specialty coffee bar sourcing from Antioquian farms, with pour-overs and cold brew.

  DrinkEl Poblado$45 minMorning

Destination 04

Cartagena

10 places

Caribbean port with a walled colonial center and island beaches offshore. Stay 3 to 4 days.

• Photo: Blanca Urunaga · Google

  Walled City of Cartagena

  UNESCO-listed old town of plazas, flower-draped balconies and 11 km of stone ramparts.

  Tip Walk the walls at sunset when the heat breaks.

  SeeCentro HistóricoFree3 hrLate afternoon
• Photo: Martin St-Amant (S23678) · CC BY-SA 3.0

  Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

  Massive Spanish fortress with tunnels, built on San Lázaro hill to guard the city.

  Tip Go at opening; there is little shade.

  SeePie de la Popa$1.5 hrMorning
• Photo: Marco Antonio González Restrepo · Google

  Getsemaní

  Former working-class barrio of murals and street life around Plaza de la Trinidad.

  Tip Plaza de la Trinidad fills with street food and music after dark.

  SeeGetsemaníFree2 hrEvening
• Photo: Omar F V · Google

  Palacio de la Inquisición

  Colonial palace on Plaza de Bolívar now a history museum covering the Inquisition and the city.

  SeeCentro Histórico$60 minMidday
• Photo: Paty Uribe · Google

  Islas del Rosario

  Coral archipelago in a national park about an hour by boat, with clear water for snorkeling.

  Tip Choose a reputable operator; cheap tours are crowded and rushed.

  OutdoorsRosario Islands$$$8 hrFull day
• Photo: Mauricio Arango · Google

  Las Bóvedas

  Former vaults in the city wall now holding craft and souvenir shops.

  ShopSan Diego$45 minAfternoon
• Photo: Paola Frieri-Luxury solutions · Google

  La Cevichería

  Small spot near the walls famous for Caribbean ceviches and seafood rice.

  Tip No reservations; arrive at opening.

  EatSan Diego$$75 minLunch
• Photo: Ricardo Cocoma · Google

  Celele

  Getsemaní restaurant built on research into Colombian Caribbean ingredients and traditions.

  Tip Book well ahead for the tasting menu.

  EatGetsemaní$$$$2.5 hrDinner
• Photo: ALQUÍMICO · Google

  Alquímico

  Three-story cocktail bar with a rooftop, using spirits and produce from its own farm.

  DrinkCentro Histórico$$$2 hrNight
• Photo: Baluarte Santo Domingo-Escuela Taller · Google

  Café del Mar

  Open-air bar on the old city walls at Baluarte Santo Domingo, facing the sunset.

  Tip Arrive before sunset to get a seat.

  DrinkCentro Histórico$$$1.5 hrSunset