Category: South America

19. – 20. Mar 2019

The first couple of hours in Salento were spent in the hammock at Ecohostel Las Camelias before I was granted access to my luxurious one-man tent featuring bed, chair, and even electricity. After the pouring rain had finally stopped, I met up with Luke from France in order to go on a coffee tour at one of the farms. The guide was very funny and smart, making it an interesting afternoon (I even got sweet Panela tea instead of coffee) before falling asleep pretty early in my comfy tent…

The next day, it was time to discover the Cocora Valley with the world’s highest palm trees (up to 60m). Having crossed many suspension bridges while making our way through the jungle, Luke and I met four German guys at the hummingbird hut with whom we continued the hike to the palm grove. A breathtaking sight!

That night, I took the last bus to Pereira in order to catch the night bus to Medellin.

21. – 23. Mar 2019

Having arrived very early in the morning at the bus terminal of Medellin, I checked in at Experience B&B Estadio (very cheap but brand new hostel in Laureles) waiting for Anika to arrive from the airport. We started our joint adventure in Colombia with a great walking tour through Comuna 13 – a former ghetto and dangerous drug district but now a hub for street art and break dancers.

In the afternoon, we took part in a second walking tour though downtown learning about its history while visiting the most important plazas and buildings of Medellín. The next day, we strolled through the botanic garden, walked along huge shopping streets, climbed Nutibara hill up to Pueblo Paisa, and looked at the city from high above in the cable cars.

Having seen the city of Medellín, we decided to take the bus to Guatapé in the morning. In order to get to the top of the big rock there, one has to climb almost 700 steps – but the view is totally worth it! 🙂 And the town of Guatapé itself is not less worth seeing. What a colorful, cute little place! Totally worth stopping by and strolling through the streets with the painted houses.

The next morning, we took a flight to the Caribbean island San Andrés which is situated next to Nicaragua but belongs to Colombia.

31. Mar – 02. Apr 2019

We spent the night in Haba Eco Hostel in Santa Marta and took a walk through town the next morning – well, there was not much to see but the cathedral and the beachfront… Thus, we took a bus to Minca early in the afternoon and strolled through the small village before we watched the sunset and chillaxed in the big hammocks at our hostel Casas Colibri. In the morning, we slept in, relaxed, and then hiked to the waterfalls. Later, we went back to Santa Marta to get prepared for our jungle adventure in the Sierra Nevada…

02. – 06. Apr 2019

We decided to undertake the Lost City Trek with Expotur, one of the biggest companies for this kind of thing. They picked us up in the morning and at noon we were having lunch at the starting point of the trek. So each day we hiked about 10 km through the jungle along the river, were provided with fruity snacks, three very delicious meals per day, a bed at night, and some stories about the life of the indigenous people living in these lands. We also passed by some inhabited villages.

On the third day, we finally climbed up the 1,200 steps through the jungle to the entrance of Teyuna, the Lost City (“Ciudad Perdida”) which had been rediscovered in 1972. What an amazing view! It was just overwhelming to see some 200 terraces, piled roads and many circular plazas carved in the mountainside in the middle of the jungle. This city had been founded about 2,800 years ago and had been inhabited by the Tayronas. It is widely known as the Colombian Macchu Picchu.

On the fourth day, the others in our group left to go back to civilization but Anika and I decided to stay another night in the jungle. Thus, we got to keep our cook Diego and Samuel, one of the guides. These two more days were great: We went swimming in the river, did a detour to a waterfall, got delicious meals just for ourselves, and relaxed in the midst of all the jungle plants. After that, we were taken to our next hostel near the main entrance of Tayrona Park.

06. – 08. Apr 2019

Having stayed at La Perla Tayrona (owned by Tom from Germany) for one night, we got up early in the morning in order to seize the day in Tayrona National Park. We walked from El Zaino entrance along the coast brimmed with lush green jungle, rough rock formations, and sandy beaches up to Cabo San Juan where we stayed for a swim and a sunbath before going back the same way.

The same night, we went to the small hippie town of Palomino and were dragged to La Iquanita Guesthouse where we got a great deal for the room and were treated very sweet by the ladies there. The next morning, we strolled along the beach and the river, took a look at the small hippie village, and then hopped on a bus Northwest.

8. – 10. Apr 2019

To get to the Cape and the Northern most point in South America was not that easy… First, we took a bus to Riohacha and from there a van to Uribia where we had to take a 4-wheeler in order to make it to Cabo de la Vela. Here, we stayed overnight in a place organized by Juya Tours – wood sheds and hammocks directly at the beach. The next day, we relaxed there until afternoon and then did a tour to see the unrealistic landscapes of Cerro Pilon de Azucar and Ojo de Aqua before enjoying the sunset at the lighthouse.

The next day, we went further North to the area of Punta Gallinas, the Northern most point of South America, here we had several stops again: muddy lakes with pink and white flamingos, a lookout to unrealistic moon-like landscapes, the Taroa sand dunes where we took a swim, and the stone piles at the lighthouse. Having had a very relaxed lunchtime in a hammock, we undertook the journey back and made it just in time to our overnight bus from Riohacha to Bucaramanga, and from there, we took a smaller bus to San Gil.

11. – 13. Apr 2019

Having arrived in San Gil, we were picked up on the street by some helpful guys who guided us to a hostel since we hadn’t booked any so far: La Casona de Don Juan. It was the best hostel we could have ended up in – a wonderful atmosphere, cheap prices for great rooms, and an amazing owner who took care of us and our needs from the beginning. That day, we hung out there, had a great lunch, and strolled around the city center…

After having slept in, we decided to visit the colonial villages in the hills. Thus, we took a bus to Barichara, a wonderful colonial village in the mountains where we got delicious pastries, enjoyed the stunning views, visited a botanic sculpture garden, and walked around the white painted houses. From there, we hiked all the way to Guane, another village of that kind, with a center square and a church. Not having seen enough of these houses, we went to Pinoche afterwards. 🙂

As San Gil is widely known for its extreme sports, I just couldn’t resist doing the highest bungee jump in South America with an altitude of 140m. The hardest part was to jump head first off the platform. After that, it was just amazing to hang there in the air viewing San Gil and its surrounding mountains from high above.

Having had that adrenaline-filled experience, we had to rush to the terminal in order to get on the bus to Bógota and from there to Cali.

14. – 16. Apr 2019

Having arrived in Cali on a Sunday morning, this city was much less exciting than imagined. First, we chilled for a bit in the Pixel Hostel (great price & amazing decoration) and then took a stroll around the city center ending up at Park San Antonio where everybody was hanging out in the evening. Unfortunately, there was no Salsa Party that night… 🙁 The next day, we took part in the Free Walking Tour by Valley Adventours – Fernando did a great job showing us around and telling us about Cali’s culture and origins.

In the early afternoon, I took the bus to Popayan. Unfortunately, this one did not arrive before dawn. Thus, I did my sightseeing at night this time – truly a very neat city with white houses and many churches. And right at that time, one of the Easter processions was taking place in the old city center. Nevertheless, I took the night bus some hours later.

In Ipiales, the must-see is the Las Lajas Sanctuary – the most beautiful church in the country and one of the most outstanding architectural monuments in the world. Built inside the canyon where the Guitara river flows, it was just a stunning sight not far away from the border to Ecuador where we crossed a little later.