I have 2 weeks set aside for a visit to Colombia with flights in and out via Cartagena. My primary objective is to visit the old city and spend a few days in the Santa Marta area. That leaves me with about a week to explore another part of the country. Keeping in mind that my primary interests are history and local culture, where should I spend that time?
I have allowed myself a budget that includes a couple of internal flights so I am considering some time in Bogota, Medellin or Cali but am not sure which one ( or perhaps 2 of the 3) I should chose. On paper, all 3 seem like they would be worth a visit, but am not sure which city would be the easiest and safest to get around in using primarily public transport.
jedleonard
1
mstep
I would suggest going to Medellin, and spend a little time exploring some of the colonial small towns near there, like Guatape, Santa fe de Antioquia, and maybe Jardin.
Don't go for Cali. That's a relatively uninteresting city. You could choose Bogota, and set aside a few days for Villa de Levya near there. But Medellin has the teleferico rides high above the city, and gets generally better weather than Bogota.
2
south_londoner
@"Don't go for Cali. That's a relatively uninteresting city."
I agree.
With Bogota you do get the gold museum which is wonderful, although Medellin is warmer than Bogota.
When you got Santa Marta don't forget Minca.
3
sonyain
Hola.
One week is short to travel by land from Cartagena but OK flying.
Check VIVACOLOMBIA, the low-cost airline! Sometimes 30$ tickets.
Bogotá is complete, with Gold museums, colonial area and some other great museum (most of them free). Villa de Leyva (3-4 h) away is wonderful colonial town. True the weather is cool.
If you just want to stay in Caribbean area and avoid big cities... Mompox in the middle of Magdalena river is a great peaceful colonial town. Recommended.
Eje cafetero is green with coffe plantations and villages but more expensive to reach...
We travelled Colombia many times. You can check our blog in spanish. Useful informations.
Enjoy! Suerte!
4
layerculture
I like that you're interested in local cultures. How do see yourself getting deeper into the local culture in Colombia? This is something I strive to do more on every trip I make and I'm always looking for new ways to go that little bit further to mix in and learn with locals.
Edited by Dan @ Layer Culture
6
Thorn Tree
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