Hey Ross, depends on what you want...two weeks is very short. I suggest some time in Bogota and then really you have to ask yourself what you want...
The Cuidad Perdida trek is awesome but you'll need 6-7 days and you should include a day or two at Tayrona. Cartagena is a great spot for a couple of days to soak up some colonial atmosphere. You don't have the time but I wholeheartedly recommend the Pacific for its wild nature, surf and kayaking options and pristine jungle. If you want rafting -then San Gil is a great idea, look up the Macondo Hostel there and speak to Shawn the aussie owner, a source of knowledge on everything colombian. Villa de Leyva, a pleasant colonial town a few hours from Bogota has some good day trips thereabouts, hiking and so on. Medellin is great for a weekend, thursday onwards for excellent nightlife. I could go on and on.
I was hanging out with a Colombian the other day - he told me about a mountain right on the coast, one of the tallest coastal peaks in the world - you can lie on the beach and see the snow field up high.
Sounds pretty sweet.
-Tim
Oh Man! Thanks for the rec's guys! That just fired me up. I'll begin my research on all those spots you mentioned this week and I'm sure I'll have some stories published on Matador once we get down there.
The mountains that your guy mentioned Tim are the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Pretty incredible really, they are the only unconnected coastal self contained mountain range of this type on earth I believe. It would make for a great trip to head out this way to Colombia, visit friends in Bogota, fly out to Cartagena spend a day there then bus it to Santa Marta and try and fit in some time in the Sierra Nevada, the Lost City and Parque Tayrona.
Yeah the mountains will be hit up for sure. My friend bet me I couldn't find a cocaine factory, but my friend Nick over at written road, wrote about visiting one on his trek to ciudad perdida. Any remote mountain areas where the FARC like to kidnap people? I'm not really into that...
The Ciudad Perdida trek "includes" a trip to a cocaine lab now. You pay a farmer - complete with gold chains, rings etc - a small bribe and he takes you to his little lab and goes through the process. The FARC are not so active there, it is all paramilitaries. The kidnappings that took place a few years ago are shrouded in mystery, one party says one thing and another says another. There is a great deal we'll likely never know. All I know is that the ELN saw an opportunity and wanted to take advantage of a significant date in their history and celebrate it with international coverage. In this, they certainly succeeded.
Yeah, man..I want to hit up Ciudad Perdida so badly but from the research I've done it looks as though you need to have a guide, (can't just charge up there alone), which means that something that might have taken us two days max (I think it's about 40km), would take us 4 or more days because we'll be stuck with other travelers of all shapes and sizes. It mentioned an old trail that is closed now. Do you think we could find some OG guide to just take us up the old, closed trail and knock out the trek in two days?
If not, I think we've planned a pretty solid trip (itinerary below)..let me know what you think.
Friday, 2/1: Ross' arrives in Bogota. Meets Req.
Saturday, 2/2: Matt arrives in Bogota at 2:00pm. Get swooped by Req and Ross and explore Bogota on a Saturday night.
Sunday, 2/3: See some more of Bogota. Have breakfast, coffee and city sights. Overnight bus to Manizales.
Monday, 2/4: Wake up in Manizales and begin hike. Spend the night on top or mid mtn.
Tuesday, 2/5: Summit in the morning and hike back down. Chill out for a sec and possibly head up toward another peak. Sleep mid mountain or close to top.
Wednesday, 2/6: Summitt in the a.m, get down and head to Medellin. Sleep on the bus.
Thursday, 2/7: Get into Medellin in the evening. Clean up, rock out.
Friday, 2/8: Medellin
Saturday, 2/9: Head to Santa Marta in the morning. Go party in El Rodadero if it's not just a tourist trap.
Sunday, 2/10: Head back to Santa Marta and hike into some beach and sleep in a hammock.
Monday, 2/11: Wake up in some beach on Parque Nacional. Hike back out and head to Tanganga. Party in Tanganga. Eat fish, drink beer.
Tuesday, 2/12: Possible scuba diving/snorkeling in Tanganga. Head in to Cartegena and rock out there that night.
Wednesday, 2/13: See Cartegena and rock out another night.
Thursday, 2/14: arrive back in Bogota to rock out
Friday, 2/15: in Bogota rocking out
Saturday, 2/16: Ross flies out at 2:00, I fly out at 3:00
Hell yeah! I def fancy a beer. The first weekend when we get there or the last weekend before we take off?
Joined: 08-08-06
Hey all, I'm going to Colombia on Feb 2nd for two weeks and I need advice from anyone who lives there or has recently traveled there. What are the things I shouldn't miss? Flying into Bogota and from there it's wide open...THANKS!