The Idea Takes Shape
The idea this year was to travel to Argentina in August. But then we realised that the weather there at that time of year would not exactly be ideal. So, while brainstorming in February, Canada came up — and then Colombia.
A good and very well-travelled friend of mine had visited Colombia three years earlier and was absolutely raving about its beauty and, above all, its people.
“You HAVE to go there. You will love it.”
So, Colombia it was!
We decided to organise the entire trip ourselves and opted not to travel with a group. This is certainly a more expensive option when you want to travel to a certain standard (if you know us, you know…), but it also gives you so much more flexibility: the freedom to travel at your own pace, make changes along the way, visit places that might not feature in a group itinerary and, perhaps most importantly, enjoy peace of mind.
Planning began in February, as we wanted to book our international and domestic flights early and at reasonable prices. We booked our hotels through Booking.com, following many of the recommendations of the friend who had inspired the trip in the first place.
He also suggested — and introduced us to — Angelina, a wonderful local agent who would take care of all our transfers, guides and activities, as well as restaurant recommendations and reservations.
Angelina was fantastic and extremely professional. I would be more than happy to recommend her and introduce her to anyone planning a trip to Colombia. Not once did we have to worry about timings or logistics. She was always keeping an eye on things, and we felt safe and comfortable with all the wonderful people she arranged for us.
Speaking of safety, I should mention that we never once felt unsafe during our trip. And we certainly got around!
Of course, we were accompanied most of the time and did not take any unnecessary risks. But the overall atmosphere was not one of insecurity, even in crowded areas. I have my own theory about that — but I prefer to keep it to myself!
Colombia is a vast country, blessed with extraordinary natural resources: oil, emeralds, gold, coffee, cacao… But its people have also been through a great deal.
Tourism has only really started developing in recent years, and the country is beginning to recognise the enormous economic benefits it can bring. Yet, in many places, you can still find a wonderful sense of authenticity.
For that reason, my advice would be: go now.
If you are thinking of visiting Colombia, I would not wait too long. I have a feeling the country will change dramatically over the next three or four years.
It was a long summer waiting for August 15th, our scheduled departure date, but one filled with anticipation and excitement.
And then, suddenly, on August 10th…
Plot twist!
The Unexpected Change of Plans
A major earthquake struck Colombia, in the very area of Salento and Pereira that was part of our itinerary.
Over the following days, the Greek media — with its usual flair for exaggeration — broadcast images of devastation. Much of what we were seeing was, of course, very real, but the coverage made us seriously question whether we should go.
We had a last-minute decision to make: go ahead or cancel?
Most of our arrangements had already been paid for, and we had been looking forward to this trip for months. Perhaps most importantly, most of our close friends and family were encouraging us to go.
So, we decided — thank God — to take a leap of faith.
We immediately contacted Angelina, and with her help, we completely reworked part of our itinerary. We replaced the beautiful coffee region of Salento and Pereira with three days around Santa Marta and Palomino.
As it turned out, that last-minute change became one of the highlights of our trip. Sometimes, the unexpected really does work in your favour!
And so, our Colombian adventure began.
First Stop: Bogotá
It was a long flight.
An early-morning departure from Athens to Istanbul, a four-hour stopover and then almost 13 hours in the air to Bogotá. I managed to watch two films and two full TV series — which probably says everything about the length of the journey!
We arrived in the early afternoon, where our local guide, Laura, and driver, Jose Manuel, greeted us with warmth and genuine hospitality. Bogotá is eight hours behind Athens and lies at an altitude of 2,640 metres above sea level. With temperatures around 20°C, it was a rather pleasant change from the Greek summer heat.
After checking into our hotel, we decided to go out for an early dinner across the street at Osaka, an amazing Peruvian-Japanese fusion restaurant. We were determined to stay awake and adjust to the local time.
It was all going very well…
Until about 8:30 p.m., when I genuinely thought I was going to fall asleep — or possibly faint — into my plate!
Jet lag, altitude and an exceptionally long day had clearly won the battle.
Bogotá: Two Days, One Big City
We had two days to discover Bogotá, and there was certainly plenty to see.
The Botero Museum was one of our first stops. The name can be slightly misleading, as alongside Botero’s unmistakable, voluptuous figures, it houses 85 works from his private collection, including pieces by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Dalí, Miró and Bacon. It was fascinating to get a glimpse of the artist’s own taste and influences.
We also explored La Candelaria and Plaza de Bolívar, Bogotá’s impressive main square, surrounded by some of the city’s most important historic buildings. What I particularly enjoyed, however, was the atmosphere around the square: colourful fruit vendors with enormous displays of exotic fruits, and street-food sellers offering all sorts of local treats. It was chaotic, colourful and wonderfully Colombian.
Another fascinating visit was the Gold Museum, with its extraordinary collection of pre-Hispanic gold artefacts. We also wandered through the Mercado de las Pulgas de San Alejo, an open-air Sunday market full of antiques, crafts, curiosities and local treasures.
One of the highlights was the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, about an hour outside Bogotá. Carved deep inside the tunnels of a former salt mine, this extraordinary underground cathedral features chapels, crosses and sculptures created directly from the salt and rock. The combination of darkness, light and the sheer scale of the underground chambers made the experience quite surreal — and unlike anything I had seen before.
And then came lunch at Andrés Carne de Res — an experience in itself! More than just a restaurant, it is a wonderfully chaotic, colourful and theatrical place, filled with eccentric décor, music, dancing and an infectious party atmosphere. We had an excellent and very entertaining lunch and even had the opportunity to meet the owner. And yes, dancing was involved — to “Zorba the Greek”, no less! A rather unexpected Greek moment in the middle of Colombia.
We also made our way up to Monserrate by funicular, reaching an altitude of more than 3,100 metres above sea level. The view from the top was spectacular, giving us a real sense of just how enormous Bogotá is.
On our second evening, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner at La Brasserie, just across from our hotel. We started with asparagus, followed by a delicious Chateaubriand. The food was excellent and, pleasantly, very reasonably priced — a lovely way to end our time in Bogotá.
Palomino & Santa Marta: Our Unexpected Detour
From Bogotá, we flew to Santa Marta, where our driver was waiting to take us to Palomino. The journey took around two hours, following the Caribbean coast and passing through a wonderfully varied landscape.
The road led us through small towns and villages, with the Caribbean Sea on one side and the dramatic Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta on the other. As we travelled further east, the scenery became increasingly tropical, with lush vegetation, palm trees, roadside fruit stalls and glimpses of local life along the way.
Palomino sits on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, where the Sierra Nevada meets the sea. After the cooler temperatures of Bogotá, the heat and humidity were immediately noticeable. It felt like entering a completely different Colombia, with a wonderfully carefree atmosphere from the moment we arrived.
Our hotel for the next two nights was Naio, a beautiful little boutique retreat surrounded by tropical greenery, with the Sierra Nevada rising dramatically behind it. Peaceful and wonderfully secluded, it was a real revelation — and one of the unexpected highlights of the trip.
Floating Down the Don Diego
The following morning, we set off by taxi for Tewimake, a beautifully designed, secluded eco-retreat tucked into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Surrounded by lush jungle and closely connected to the indigenous culture and natural environment of the area, the hotel felt wonderfully remote and peaceful.
From Tewimake, our adventure began. We started our descent of the Don Diego River, sitting on large inflatable tubes and gently guided downstream by our guide, who helped us navigate the current.
It was one of those experiences where the journey itself was the attraction. We drifted through lush tropical scenery, surrounded by jungle, listening to the sound of the water and occasionally catching glimpses of the mountains. Slowly, the river carried us towards the coast, until the fresh river water eventually gave way to the Caribbean Sea.
And then, almost as if someone had designed the perfect postcard, we arrived at a tiny beach bar right on the sand. We stopped for ice-cold piña coladas, with the sea in front of us and the jungle behind. It was one of those completely unplanned moments that somehow become among the most memorable of a trip.
From there, we took a boat back to Tewimake for lunch before heading back to Palomino. On the way, we stopped at a small roadside stall run by indigenous women, where we bought beautiful, handmade Wayuu bags — colourful, intricately woven pieces of traditional Colombian craftsmanship and a lovely souvenir of our visit.
The whole experience was exhilarating, wonderfully unexpected and utterly unforgettable.
From Minca to Santa Marta
The following day, we left Palomino and headed towards Santa Marta, where we would spend the night. Along the way, accompanied by our lovely guide, Sebastian, we made a fascinating detour into the mountains around Minca, travelling by 4×4. Our destination was Finca La Candelaria, a coffee and cacao plantation that was not particularly easy to reach, but certainly worth the effort.
Surrounded by lush mountain scenery, we were shown the coffee and cacao trees and learned about the traditional processes involved in their cultivation, harvesting and production.
What made the experience particularly special was its authenticity. The products were grown, harvested and produced locally, with none of the feeling of a staged tourist experience. We tasted the coffee and cacao right there at the finca and even indulged in a facial cacao scrub — because apparently, when you are surrounded by cacao, you might as well put it on your face too!
It was a wonderfully authentic and memorable experience, giving us a much deeper appreciation for the products we so casually consume every day.
We arrived at our hotel in Santa Marta in the early afternoon. The city was a very different experience from Palomino and Minca. It is considerably more developed and touristy, with large hotels lining the coast and a much busier, more commercial atmosphere.
It is clearly a popular destination and attracts plenty of visitors, although, personally, it was not quite my kind of place. After the tranquillity and authenticity of the Sierra Nevada and Palomino, I found the contrast rather striking.
Santa Marta is also home to the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, the historic estate where Simón Bolívar spent his final days and died in 1830. It is one of the city’s most important historical landmarks and certainly worth mentioning for anyone interested in Colombia’s history.
Next Stop: Medellín
I have watched Narcos twice. So, yes, I admit it — I was already a little fascinated by Medellín before we even got there!
Known as the “City of Eternal Spring” for its wonderfully mild climate, Medellín is surrounded by green mountains and, as we soon discovered, is full of energy, colour and contrasts.
The city turned out to be full of surprises. We spent our first day exploring, starting with Botero Square, where his famous, larger-than-life bronze sculptures are scattered around the square. After seeing his work in Bogotá, it was a pleasure to come across even more of it here, in his own country. I have always been a Botero fan, so this was definitely a highlight for me.
We also visited the Museo de Antioquia, with its impressive collection of Botero’s paintings and sculptures.
Comuna 13 was probably the most memorable experience. The neighbourhood is a riot of colour, with murals, music, street art and people everywhere. What stayed with me was not just the art, but the energy of the place and the pride of the people who live there. Knowing its difficult past makes its transformation even more remarkable.
We also stopped at Parque Inflexión, a memorial built on the site of the former Monaco Building, once associated with Pablo Escobar. It is a thoughtful reminder of Medellín’s troubled past and, more importantly, of how determined the city has been to move forward.
And then we took the Metrocable. I found this particularly fascinating because it is not a tourist attraction created for visitors; it is a genuine part of the city’s public transport system, used every day by people living in the hills. Floating high above the houses and streets, with the green mountains surrounding the city, gave us a completely different perspective of Medellín.
There is also a more unexpected side to the city. In some of the areas frequented by tourists, sex work is quite openly visible. It was something we noticed, and another reminder that Colombia is a country of many contrasts, with sometimes very different realities existing side by side.
Overall, I found Medellín vibrant, creative and full of life — a city clearly determined to tell a very different story about itself.
A Little Town and a Long Walk
On our second day, we headed out to El Retiro, a charming little town in the Antioquian countryside, surrounded by green hills and mountain scenery. It has a relaxed, authentic feel, with a pretty central square, colourful buildings and the slower pace of a traditional Colombian town.
From there, we continued to a nearby area popular for trekking, where we spent around three hours walking through the beautiful countryside with our lovely guide, Isabela — an experienced paraglider, I might add! The trail was lush and green, with fresh mountain air, little streams and beautiful views along the way.
And here comes the surprise: I actually enjoyed the trekking! Anyone who knows me knows that walking uphill for three hours is not normally my idea of a good time. But this trail was so pleasant, varied and beautiful that I found myself genuinely enjoying it — and, for once, I wasn’t counting the minutes until it was over!
Cartagena: A Caribbean Explosion of Colour
We arrived in Cartagena in the early afternoon, following an unfortunate — and almost comic — delay of three hours for a flight that was supposed to take just 40 minutes.
Poor Fernando, our wonderful guide, had been patiently waiting for us at the airport all that time, still smiling and eager to show us the amazing — and oh-so-colourful — city of Cartagena.
I should add that it was hot — very hot — and incredibly humid. Even a leisurely stroll through the Old Town could leave us feeling as though we had just completed a workout!
We checked into the Sofitel Legend Santa Clara, a wonderfully atmospheric hotel housed in a former convent. With its beautiful colonial architecture, courtyards and historic character, it felt like the perfect place to stay in the heart of the Old Town.
And what a city it is! The historic centre, enclosed within its centuries-old walls and recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a wonderful maze of cobbled streets, colourful colonial buildings, flower-filled balconies and beautiful squares. Everywhere you look, there are vibrant colours, retro taxis, street vendors, music and people. In the squares, music often spills into the streets, with locals dancing and enjoying the evening, adding to the infectious Caribbean atmosphere.
We also visited the Palace of the Inquisition, one of Cartagena’s most important historic buildings. Its elegant colonial façade contrasts sharply with the disturbing history of the Inquisition that took place within its walls, making the visit both fascinating and sobering.
That evening, we had dinner at the very popular Don Juan Restaurant, just opposite our hotel, accompanied by live music. It was a lovely, atmospheric evening, perfectly suited to the character of Cartagena.
Cartagena: Beyond the Beautiful Streets
By our second day in Cartagena, I had already realised that there was much more to this city than its beautiful streets. The more we explored, the more layers we discovered: history, local traditions, music, food and stories around every corner.
We started the day at La Popa Monastery, perched high above the city, and then visited the impressive Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. Walking through its tunnels and thick walls, it was impossible not to think of pirates, invaders and military tactics, and to imagine Cartagena as the heavily fortified city it once was.
For lunch, we enjoyed delicious local food at La Cocina de Pepina — and I found the name almost as charming as the food!
In the afternoon, we wandered through Getsemaní, one of Cartagena’s most vibrant neighbourhoods. With its brightly painted houses, street art, music and local atmosphere, it felt less polished and more spontaneous — and I loved that.
And, of course, Gabriel García Márquez is impossible to escape in Cartagena. Walking through these colourful Caribbean streets, it was easy to understand how the city could inspire a writer whose stories so beautifully blurred reality and imagination.
That evening, we had dinner at Cande, a popular restaurant in the Old Town, known for its traditional Cartagena cuisine and lively atmosphere.
By then, I had realised that Cartagena is not a city you simply visit. You walk it, sweat through it, listen to it — and let it slowly reveal itself to you.
Discovering the Rosario Islands
On our third day in Cartagena, we set our sights on the Rosario Islands, a beautiful archipelago in the Caribbean, known for its turquoise waters, coral reefs and idyllic tropical scenery.
We departed from Cartagena’s harbour, enjoying a completely different view of the city, with its modern high-rise buildings and skyline reminiscent of Miami. Fernando had arranged a private speedboat for us and accompanied us all the way to Sabai Beach House, where we spent the day swimming, sunbathing and enjoying a leisurely lunch by the sea.
It was a completely different experience from everything we had seen so far in Colombia — a chance to slow down, relax and enjoy the Caribbean at its most inviting.
We returned to Cartagena somewhat exhausted after our day in the islands, but still managed to head out for dinner at Mar & Zielo, bringing another lovely day to a close.
Farewell to Cartagena
The following day, we enjoyed a leisurely morning, taking in the colourful streets of Cartagena one last time and doing some last-minute shopping for local handicrafts.
Among our favourite finds were the beautiful baskets, handmade by Indigenous communities in Chocó, each one unique, with intricate designs and vibrant colours. I only wish I had bought more!
Colombia, You’ve Spoilt Us!
We returned to Bogotá for one last day before heading home. Arriving in the late afternoon, we went out for dinner at Débora Restaurante, a minimalist, understated venue with a wonderfully creative approach to food. Its inventive dishes and elegant simplicity made it a memorable choice for our final evening in Colombia.
The following morning, our departure day, we met Angelina for a little debriefing, which naturally included plenty of laughter. She also took us on a short coffee-tasting tour through some of the most quaint and charming coffee shops in Bogotá’s financial district — a completely different side of the city. With its stylish cafés and urban atmosphere, I honestly felt as though I had been transported to a neighbourhood in New York!
Our charming driver, Jose Manuel, dropped us off at the airport with a lovely parting gift of chocolates. We didn’t say goodbye — we said “Until next time!” Colombia had certainly left us wanting more.
The journey home was almost an adventure in itself: close to 30 hours of traveling, via Panama and Istanbul, before finally arriving back in Athens. It took me more than a week to recover from the jet lag — and to conquer the mountain of laundry!
But would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat! I was so glad I had taken that leap of faith!
Thank you, Marios, for inspiring me to discover Colombia!
