On the road with Promotora Neptuno

 "The roads are great; you move through different landscapes, it's fantastic. During our stops, we have experienced so many things!" This was the conclusion of the adventurous motorcycle trip through  Colombia's Andean region which started on January 16th 2012 for eight tourists from Germany and Austria.

Well equipped, the participants went on their first leg from Bogota towards southwest to Melgar. On their first short stage the participants covered a distance of about 110 km, traversing fascinating Colombian Andes landscapes. Passing by wide valleys and endless Andean forests, the bikers reached Melgar in the Department of Tolima after about 2 hours (see GoogleMap B).

Route Map Motorcycle Tour

Melgar is a popular destination for people from Bogotá because of its warm and pleasant climate, the well-developed infrastructure and proximity to Colombia’s capital city. 

The next day the group left Melgar further towards south to San Agustin (see GoogleMap C). On the way to San Agustin, the bikers had to travel a distance of over 400 km. After about 7 hours on the slopes, they arrived at sunset in San Augustin. San Augustin is located next to the most significant archaeological spots in Colombia in the southwest of the country, where the Andes mountain range splits into two.

Andean Landscape near San Agustin

The area was inhabited by a mysterious pre-Columbian civilization, which left behind hundreds of freestanding monumental statues carved in stone. The “San Agustín Archaeological Park”, (UNESCO World Heritage) it is formed by the “Mesitas” A-B-C and D and the “Fuente Ceremonial de Lavapatas”.  

Statue at the San Agustín Archeológical Park

The group visited the “San Agustín Archaeological Park” and the waterfalls Salto del Mortiño. After two nights in San Agustin, the next stop was Popayan, the “white city” (see GoogleMap D). Popayan was founded in the early 16th century. From its earliest days, Popayan was one of the most important cities in Colombia. It was also a mandatory stopping point for Spanish settlers on their route from Cartagena to Quito. Popayán possesses splendid churches and museums, has a mild climate and a unique atmosphere. The tour participants took a whole day to enjoy the charm of this unique city. The next day the group left Popayan towards north crossing the “Purace National Park” and the marvelous typical Colombian Paramo landscapes to the coffee triangle next to Armenia (see GoogleMap C). Although it occupies only 2 % of Colombia’s total surface, the Coffee Zone produces nearly 50 % of the country’s main export: coffee. Coffee is cultivated in a verdant landscape of hills and valleys, characteristic of this lush region. The group stayed two nights at a nice authentic Coffee Hacienda and discovered the Cocora Valley and the picturesque village of Salento. There they were able to admire the “palma de cera” the Colombian national tree and one of the tallest varieties of palm in the world.

Village of Salento

On January 23, exactly one week after the start of the bike tour, the group began their way back from Armenia to Bogotá on a distance of 280 km crossing the famous road pass "La Linea" at 3,000 m height.

                                                                                                                  

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