Colombia…. so close yet so far away. Had I know what a magical enchanting place you would be I would have taken the short journey years ago. The people, the food and the landscape are all enough to make you never want to leave. We began our journey in Baru staying at the most amazing Eco hotel, Playa Manglares. It’s a fresh air, mosquito net, cook you homemade food kinda place… so if that doesn’t float your boat in the clear blue waters you better stay somewhere else. We took day trips to the Rosario islands and ate $5 lobster and snorkeled until our heart’s content. Be sure to check out Playa Blanca for good people watching and a little dose of local love.
After what was one of my favorite stays we headed inland to Cartagena, the Jewel of the Caribbean. We stayed at Casa San Augustin (a must see for anyone heading south) and it was definitely a change of pace of from our “eco-friendly” accommodations. We wandered the streets and enjoyed some of the best local cuisine (and the worst… tourist traps are everywhere in Cartagena these days). The golden city is filled with horse drawn carriages and bustling with international tourists giving you plenty to see and do. After an action packed stay wandering the colorful streets we took a short flight to Periera… better known as coffee country. The lush green Andes mountains were upon us and I couldn’t be happier to escape the hot city for some cooler days. There were hot springs and hot coffee in abundance to warm us up though. A lifelong must see for me has always been Cocora Valley, home to the wax palms (tallest palm trees in the world). We took horses into the valley and had lunch with a local farmer and his cat… a PERFECT day and perfect way to end one of my favorite adventures.
stay
Barú- playa manglares
Cartagena - Casa San Augustin
periera - Sazagua boutique lodge
