Tayrona National Park, Colombia

 

                                     

21.02.13

Not far from Santa Marta, ´Parc Tayrona´ is famous for its glorious beaches. It´s also home to immense fauna and flauna and I saw lots of interesting delights during my two days here, including this colourful jellyfish. Its an hour and a half hike through the park to get to the first campsite and the beaches are not much further. 

We slept in hammocks again and drunk ´ron´on the beach, gazing up at the moon...bliss. 

Punter Gallinas, Colombia

18.02.13

We were up at 4.30AM after not much sleep from the hammock and bundled into the back of a 4x4 to make our way across the desert to ´Punter Gallinas´ the North most point in Colombia. A flat tyre at 6AM meant we could all get out and watch the sunrise. After 5 hours of horrendously bumpy, invisible roads, we passed thousands of cactus, wild goats and a few indigenous Wayuu people. The landscape is breathtaking and we spent the afternoon on 60ft sand dunes which you can run down into the ocean. Another night of star gazing in the ´hammaca´followed by another sunrise, 3 in a row isn't bad. 

Cabo de la Vela, Colombia.

16.02.13

A friend and I decided on venturing up to the North most point in South America. The first stop was ´Cabo de la Vela´in the Guajira Peninsula. Along the way we met a French couple, an Italian, a Dutch lady and a German magician. It took about 5 hours to get here by bus, collectivo and 4 x4. Its a peaceful place with pristine, calm waters. There´s no electric or running water very often, the place felt like a ghost town. 

Cartagena, Colombia

09.02.13

Cartagena is an enchanting city that sits on the Caribbean coast. The architecture hasn't changed much since the 17th century which makes it a great place to get lost for the afternoon and admire the beautiful buildings. Another fun way to see the city is to hire a bike and cycle outside the old walls and along the coast.The beach isn't great here but the water sure is warm. 

Guatape, Colombia

06.02.13

Colourful Guatape is also close to Medellin so definitely worth a bus ride for a day or two. Its basically surrounded by lots of man-made lakes where you can swim, take a boat ride or fish for trout. 

The huge ´Guatape Rock´ (El Penol) is believed to be a meteorite which arrived over 70 million years ago. It stands at over two hundred meters tall and you can climb the 829 steps to the top for amazing views of the countryside. 

Jardin, Colombia

29.01.13

I spent four days in ´Jardin´ a beautiful little town not far from Medellin. Its not in the guide books so not many people know about this place. It was really refreshing to see no other tourists or souvenir shops. My Belgium friend joined me for a few days and with a couple of locals we ventured up-river to a waterfall in a cave. Climbing over rocks and wading waist deep in water, it was certainly a mini adventure. 

We also got a chance to walk through a tunnel which a local guy, Darrio built with his bare hands. It took him three years to build working all through the night and is quite extraordinary to see. There are grand doors to the opening with hand carved stones that Darrio made. There are also two archways inside so you can look out across the river. Why he made the tunnel, I have no idea, the locals think his loco! If your in Jardin and want to take a look, ask for Darrio in town...watch out for the bats. 

Sacha Mama Coffee Farm, Salento - Colombia

23.01.13 

A group of us trekked for an hour and half to 'Sacha Mama's' coffee farm. The reserve is run by Pedro Grojales who is extremely Eco-friendly and lives completely self sufficiently. He is extremely passionate about what he does and explains the whole process of growing to brewing coffee, guiding you along the way around his coffee farm. Pedro's house, built entirely by hand stands in a peaceful setting, where you can see a variety of birds and butterflies. We had a great home cooked lunch with vegetables from the garden and of course, Pedro's organic coffee which you can also roast, bag and purchase yourself. 

Cocora Valley, Salento - Colombia

22.01.13

A group of us from the hostel spent 4-5 hours trekking through the 'Valle de Cocora' which is part of the Los Nevados National Park. The valley is home to the national tree of Colombia the 'Wax Palm' reaching up to almost 50 meters in height. 

Whilst here, we stopped at a Hummingbird Reserve to admire these beautiful creatures. There super speedy so its almost impossible to get them to stay still long enough for a decent picture. We also indulged in more of the hot chocolate and cheese snack. Weirdly, I think its growing on me. Something to take back to the UK perhaps.....

Salento, Colombia

21.01.13 - 28.01.13 

Salento is a stunning little place set amongst the coffee region of Colombia, close to Armenia. I stayed at a fab hostel called 'La Serrana' about 15 minutes walk out of town. Its impossible to get a bad view at this place as your  completely surrounded by glorious, green mountains. Its the perfect spot to relax a while and laze around in the hammocks with a good book.I ended up staying a week and probably now have a full on coffee addiction, having local organic coffee on tap.  

Popayan - Colombia

14.01.13 - 16.01.13 

I was super excited to get into Colombia, as I've heard such positive things on my travels so far. The drive up to Popayan from Pasto was simply stunning. Rolling green hills with a tropical edge and leafy palms. 

I stayed in Popayan a few days with its beautiful architecture and white washed walls. Many of the museums are set in colonial buildings which were lovely to stroll around. 

Popayan has been named the 'City of gastronomy'. I had one of the best 'Alumerzos' ( lunch of the day ) with tender chicken in a creamy spinach sauce, seasonal vegetables and a chocolate mousse. Sadly I do think the chef was French!