Colombia is transforming and there is something very special about visiting it now as it reaches new heights and celebrates an exciting future for its people and for visitors.
It was recently referred to as ‘South America's rising star’ by National Geographic and after spending 10 days exploring the cities of Bogota, Medellin as well as the coffee region of Pereira, it’s clear Colombia is one of those places you need to put on your travel wish-list.
The cities of Bogota and Medellin were once synonymous with extreme political upheaval and violence due to drug trafficking. But now these cities are filled with art, music, dance, great food, great coffee and incredible people.
These cities are celebrating their wondrous culture, welcoming visitors to see what Colombia is truly about and persevering to remove themselves from the long-cast shadow of the infamous drug trafficker, Pablo Escobar and the cartels.
I arrived in the Colombian capital of Bogota on October 2 ready to explore. The city has a population of 7.1million, more than the entire island of Ireland.
I settled into the Hotel 93 NH, just a 20 minute drive from the airport. I arrived at about 4am and the staff were very helpful with checking me into a room early so I could get some sleep before beginning a tour around the city with travel agency, Impulse Travel.
I met my guide, Raul outside the Sante Fe art gallery, near the city center in Bogota ready to embark on the ‘Weaving Peace’ tour which shows visitors how Bogota has moved forward after a long history of violence that left millions of Colombians displaced across the country.
The Sante Fe art gallery has become a celebration of local artists with plenty of food stalls and cafes. Colombian brand, Late Choco has a stall here where you can purchase some incredible tree-to-bar chocolate. I tried some dark chocolate with guava, a tart but delicious fruit also grown on the same farm.
Late Choco was created by a farmer originally displaced from his land during the violence in Colombia. Following the government’s peace agreement in 2016, which ended five decades of conflict with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), he managed to regain his land. His business is seen as an example of the success of peace within Colombia.
We explored the downtown area of Bogota which was destroyed during riots in 1948, following the assassination of liberal leader, Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala. Now, the downtown area is vibrant, full of vendors and food stalls and as you head towards the university district, you’ll see colourful restaurants, coffee shops and street art everywhere. The energy is electric.
For coffee lovers, I also highly recommend you head to San Alberto in Bogota where you can take part in their ‘coffee baptism’ or coffee tasting experience where you can learn everything about the coffee growing process and what makes Colombian coffee so special. The ‘baptism’ is not dissimilar to a wine tasting and you’ll learn how various brewing techniques impact taste and flavour.
After a few days exploring Bogota, I took off to Pereira, the coffee region of Colombia. While visiting the region I stayed in the beautiful Sazagua boutique hotel in Pereira which is a fantastic location if you want to disconnect and unwind, without distractions. The hotel had a beautiful laid back, tranquil atmosphere.
The on-site restaurant, Tributo Cocina Peregrina served fantastic locally sourced food and their Turukao spa incorporates regional rituals into their treatments for a really unique experience. My room had a small private garden with a hammock which was a great place to listen to the birdlife and relax.
On my second day in Pereira, I visited Valle del Cocora or Cocora Valley, made famous by the 60ft palm trees which are the national tree of Colombia. If you’re traveling from the town of Salento, there are jeeps that take tourists up to the start of the hike or you can easily arrange a driver from your accommodation to the Valley’s entrance.
The valley really is an extraordinary sight - huge Quindio wax palms on rolling hills with the backdrop of misty, green mountains. It certainly lived up to all my expectations. The hike itself is very manageable and took me a few hours to complete including stops for lunch up and a few pauses to take some pictures. There is a six hour hike you can do but I would recommend starting this early in the day and prepare yourself for rain and mud.
After Pereira, I headed to Medellin, also known as ‘the city of eternal spring’ where you're generally guaranteed great weather.
I stayed in the Poplado district which is where most of the tourist accommodation is located. It’s full of fabulous restaurants, coffee shops and museums, so an ideal hub to start your Medellin adventure.
The Esteler Blue hotel has plenty of on-site services, comfortable rooms and helpful and friendly staff. In Medellin I opted for another historical tour with Impulse Travel called ‘Pablo Who?’, a tour which aims to focus on victims of the violence as opposed to the life of Pablo Escobar.
While touring the city, my wonderful guide, Ana, referred to Pablo as ‘Voldemort’ instead of ‘Pablo’. He has caused so much pain and loss for so many people in the city that even referring to him by name is offensive. People in Medellin also resent tours that really focus on him as if he is an ‘icon’ or a ‘celebrity’.
You can learn more about the impact the cartels and Pablo Escobar had on the people of Medellin by visiting Museo Casa de la Memoria (House of Memory Museum) a museum dedicated to honoring the victims of urban conflict in Medellín and Colombia creating. Through art and visual aids, the museum shows how families were torn apart for such a long period in Colombia’s history.
Thanks to Ana’s recommendations, I also went on a free tour in an area which has been hailed as Colombia’s biggest success stories, Comuna 13.
Once hailed as the most dangerous place in the most dangerous country in South America, the community has completely turned this reputation on its head and is now a vibrant, artistic and welcoming place for visitors and its residents.
This free tour with Zippy tours, takes you from the Metro station up through the areas once ruled by violence, as it was a massive through-way for cartels transporting drugs into Medellin from the rural areas of Colombia. The houses built on hills seemingly sit precariously on top of each other but it's an incredible place to visit and has become the top tourist destination in Medellin.
Accommodation
Bogota: NH Bogotá Urban 93 Royal
Medellin: Hotel Estelar Blue
Pereira: Sazagua Boutique hotel
Tours
‘Weaving Peace’ tour, Bogota and ‘Pablo Who?’ tour, Medellin www.impulsetravel.co
Communa 13 tour Medellin: Zippy Tours
Cafe San Alberto ‘coffee baptism’ Bogota: Cafe San Alberto
