DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN BOGOTÁ (-/-/-)
Upon arrival in Bogotá, you are
picked up by your local guide and taken to your colonial style hotel in the historic
centre, La Candelaria
DAY 2: BOGOTÁ (B/L/D)
We
set out on a walking tour through Colombia's pulsating capital. In the
historical center the capital shows its nostalgic face. Colonial buildings
house theaters and galleries, libraries and museums join government buildings
and palaces, rustic bakeries are next to copy and book shops, and office
workers and students mingle with fruit and wafer vendours. At the grand Plaza
de Bolivar, we discover important government buildings. Via Carrera Septima,
Bogotá's busy pedestrian zone, we reach the San Francisco church, the city's
oldest church, as well as the renowned gold museum (closed on Mondays). We
finish our walking tour with a picturesque cable car ride up to Monserrate,
Bogota's pilgrimage mountain, to view the nine-million-metropolis and the
surrounding high plains from above.
Attention:
On Sundays Monserrate is very busy and there might be long queues.
Alternatively, the guide will take you by taxi to Guadalupe Mountain, at 3.300
m, where you get to enjoy the view of Bogota.
DAY 3: BOGOTÁ (B/L/D)
Today is our first day
of golf. We head north to Cajicá, to the local golf court Club El Rincón containing
18 holes, located in the beautiful scenery of the plateau altiplano
cundinobaycense. In the afternoon we are taken to our modern hotel in the
northern part of the city, as tomorrow we continue further north.
DAY 4: BOGOTÁ - VILLA DE
LEYVA (B/L/D)
First up on our overland
trip to quaint Villa de Leyva is the visit to a masterpiece of ecclesiastical
architecture, the world famous salt cathedral of Zipaquirá. Carved out of a
salt mine 120 meters below the ground, the impressive cathedral awaits visitors
beautifully illuminated. We continue our trip to Villa de Leyva via colourful
Ráquira, a village known for its potteries and ceramics. Upon entering Villa de
Leyva we will instantly see why it has been named one of South America’s most
beautiful colonial towns. Transfer to Hotel where we will spend two nights and
set out on a walk through quaint pebbled streets and across the main plaza, and
to discover cafés and restaurants.
DAY 5: VILLA DE LEYVA (B/L/D)
In the morning we have time to stroll around the picturesque streets of
Villa de Leyva and to explore the central plaza with its churches, restaurants
and handicraft shops once more before we are off to “El Infiernito”, an
indigenous site of the Muisca located outside of town. Featuring several
earthwork structures, burial mounds and perfectly lined up menhirs (standing
stones), the site is a testament to religious ceremonies and spiritual
purification rites. El Infiernito has also served as a rudimentary astronomical
observatory. A must on this trip also is a visit to the pretty 17th century
Dominican convent “Ecce Homo”, a wonderfully restored property. Going even
further back in time we also make a stint to the paleontological museum to
learn about the region’s Jurrasic past as we admire over 150-million-year old
saurian fossils. We finish our day at the wondrous clayhouse, a 5,400 square
foot house made entirely of baked clay, “the largest piece of pottery in the
world”, as owner and architect Octavio Mendoza assures.
Overnight at hotel.
Note: On Mondays “El infiernito” is closed, so, this visit will be
replaced by visit to a Wineyard.
DAY 6: VILLA DE LEYVA - BARICHARA (B/L/D)
Today we move
on to warmer regions, our next stop is the beautiful colonial village
Barichara. Barichara is a municipality in the department of Santander and the
kind of town that Hollywood filmmakers dream of. A Spanish colonial town of
fine culture and flair, Barichara boasts cobblestone streets and 300-year old,
whitewashed buildings with red-tiled roofs that look as though they were built
only yesterday. Many films and soap operas in Spanish are filmed here and these
movie-set appearances are also the reason for considerable reconstruction
efforts made since the town was declared a national monument in 1978. The
town's natural beauty, moderate warm climate and bohemian lifestyle have been
attracting visitors for a long time. In recent years Barichara has become a
magnet for affluent Colombians.
We spend the
night in Barichara in a comfortable little hotel with a pretty garden.
DAY 7: BARICHARA – BUCARAMANGA (B/L/D)
In the morning we
embark on a delightful walk along the historical cobblestone trail that leads
to Guane, a little village rich in archaeological history. Wandering through
quaint scenery and overlooking the stunning valley of Rio Suarez we reach Guane
after about 2-3 hours (level of difficulty: low). Here a small museum houses an
important collection of aquatic fossils, a Guane mummy, and a variety of other
treasures from both the colonial and contemporary periods.
Around midday
we head towards Bucaramanga and reach the golf club Ruitoque just outside
Bucaramanga. We stay in one of the cosy cabañas inside the golf club, enjoying
the pleasant climate for the next 2 nights.
DAY 8: BUCARAMANGA (B/L/D)
The Ruitoque
golf course is located in the middle of magnificent nature, among acacia trees
and surrounded by lush vegetation. Today we play golf (par 71) on the excellent
18 hole course. Afterwards there is time to enjoy the facilities of the club or
to relax a little.
DAY 9: BUCARAMANGA - PEREIRA (B/L/D)
We drive to the
airport of Bucaramanga and take a flight to the coffee región, where we stay at
a beautiful coffee finca with pool. The afternoon is free to enjoy the hotel,
its surroundings and pool.
DAY 10: PEREIRA (B/L/D)
Today we
explore the village of Salento and the Cocora Valley: Wax palms that are
dotting the lush hillsides in large numbers are towering high into mystical
cloud forest: Cocora Valley is considered one of the most beautiful valleys in
Colombia and it is not difficult to see why. The valley in Colombia's coffee
zone is not only home to the country's national tree but also offers a stunning
backdrop for hikes and horseback rides. Up to 60 metres the Quindian wax palm
reaches in height, making it one of the tallest species of palm trees in the
world - a fascinating sight. After having enjoyed these fascinating trees weg o
on to a tour of the Hass avocado plantations in the middle of agro-ecological
trails belonging to the Parque Nacional Natural de los Nevados. During the tour
which takes around 2 h we get to know all the aspects related to the production
of avocado and we finish the tour with a tasting of different types of avocado
and drinks based on it.Our return trip leads through a picturesque backdrop of
hillsides and quaint haciendas. A stop at the traditional and colourful town of
Salento, one of the most beautiful of the coffee villages, rounds off our day
out. We can stroll the streets and main square in a quest for delicious
coffee and lovingly made handicrafts.
DAY 11: PEREIRA (B/L/D)
Are you ready
to play golf again? At Club Campestre Pereira (71 par) we will have the next
opportunity to do so. Just like the other days of golf, our guide takes us to
the club and accompanies us throughout the entire day.
DAY 12: PEREIRA (B/L/D)
Today we visit
an authentic coffee finca: In the middle of the coffee axis just 50 minutes
away from Sazagua, in the mountains of Palestina, Caldas, live Lilia, Gabriel,
Karen and Gelen, a family of the region waiting for you to live a typical day
with a Colombian peasant family accompanied of stories, our local cuisine and
lots of coffee.
An authentic
experience where you can plant your own coffee plant and periodically receive
pictures of the state of it. A prove of the synergy that exists between
tradition and tourism.
Enjoy your free
afternoon at the hotel.
DAY 13: PEREIRA - CARTAGENA (B/L/D)
Today we leave
the coffee region and fly to Cartagena. Here, colonial chic meets Caribbean
flair, old city walls and fortresses bear witness to gold treasures and
pirates, and cobbled alleys, green plazas and colourfully painted facades carry
us away and right into the novels of Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The perfectly
restored historic town, an UNESCO world heritage site, is best explored on
foot, by horse carriage or by bicycle – in any case slowly and delightfully. From
the top of the city walls, let your gaze wander over the sea of terracotta
roofs on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. The nearby Rosario
Islands seem to come straight from a postcard. Their white sandy beaches and
crystal clear Caribbean Sea offer the picture-perfect backdrop to relax.
We spend the
following three nights at the luxurious hotel resort Conrad Cartagena that
comes with its own onsite golf court.
DAY 14: CARTAGENA (B/L/D)
Today we explore
Cartagena de Indias: We start our fascinating half-day tour to the sights of
Cartagena at the convent of La Popa (the highest point of the city – around 140
m high) and the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the biggest military construction
ever built by the Spanish in their colonies. During the visit of approx. 1 hour
we can appreciate this masterpiece of military architecture in coral stone and
get a good idea about the defense strategy of the city in front of pirate
attacks in the 17th and 18th century. Afterwards, we are heading to the
historical center and walk approx. 2 hours to the most beautiful squares,
churches and streets. The eclectic mix of colonial architecture, gastronomy and
culture make Cartagena deserve the title of UNESCO World Heritage Site and an
unforgettable destination.
DAY 15: CARTAGENA (B/L/D)
Another golf
day, spent at the hotel´s onsite, 18 hole golf court (72 Par) Kariban.
DAY 16: CARTAGENA (B/L/D)
Today we can choose
to either golf again or simply enjoy a free day at the hotel.
DAY 17: CARTAGENA (B/L/D)
The time has come
to say goodbye Colombia. We are taken to the airport and start our onward journey.
