Vibrant Colombia

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Start: Santa Marta
Finish: Cartagena
Trip Type: Cultural/Adventure
Physical Rating: 4/5
Group Size: 4-10 people

£1920

Seeking an adventure between jungle and beaches? Colombia’s Caribbean coast has it all: uninhabited islands, turquoise water, hidden waterfalls in the jungle, an ancient Lost City, and many many pristine beaches. 

Oh and you should not miss the fresh seafood and incredible coconut rice.

For this trip, we have travelled the Caribbean coast up until the most northern point of Colombia and put together an colourful adventure that includes our favourite beach town - psst the location is a secret unless you join us obviously. 

Highlights

  • Learn how to cook local Caribbean dishes

  • Discover the pristine jungle beaches of Tayrona

  • Hidden waterfalls in the mountains of Sierra Nevada

  • Learn about and meet local indigenous tribes

  • Visit the ancient city of Teyuna (Lost City)

  • Hop between islands and snorkle in the Caribbean sea

  • Enjoy fresh seafood on a remote fishermen's island

  • Today you arrive in Santa Marta. You'll receive more information on the airport transfer in our WhatsApp group the week before the trip starts.

    In the evening we will head out for a Welcome Dinner and enjoy some modern interpretations of classic Colombian Caribbean food.

    Included meals: Dinner

    Included transport: Airport transfer

  • Today we have the morning to walk around the city. After lunch, we leave Santa Marta and take a one-hour bus to just outside of Tayrona National Park.

    Our accommodation for the night is in the middle of the jungle surrounded by lush green trees and equipped with an incredible natural pool and its own little bridge.

    Included meals: Breakfast

    Included transport: bus to hostel outside Tayrona Park

  • We have to get up a bit earlier today, so we make it to Tayrona just for when it opens. As it can get quite hot, it is good to start early for our 2-3 hour hike through the park until we reach our accommodation for the night.

    When arriving at the campsite, you have the rest of the day to explore the area and nearby waterfalls by yourself.

    Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

    Included Activities: Day exploring Tayrona National Park

  • We recommend you to get up early and see the sunrise - most of the time it is just incredible!

    After breakfast, we will head out and hike back to the entrance of the park. From here we take a bus and head towards Paso del Mango. Here you'll have the rest of the day to relax by the pool and enjoy the views of Sierra Nevada.

    Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

    Included Transport: Bus to Paso del Mango & moto-taxi to our hostel

  • Today we'll enjoy this beautiful area and visit a Cacao farm, and hike to a nearby waterfall for a refreshing swim. Later in the day, we'll take a bus back to Santa Marta.

    Included meals: Breakfast & lunch

    Included Transport: Bus back to Santa Marta

    Included Activities: Cacao farm tour, waterfall hike

  • Get ready to hike! We will be picked up in the morning to start our journey to the beginning of the Lost City Trek. Before we start the trek, we will have some lunch and then hike for about 3-4 hours. But don’t worry, this includes lots of breaks with fruit snacks and time to refresh.

    We will end our day in Camp Adán, where you can take a swim in a natural pool and relax after the first day.

    Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

    Included transport: Bus to the start of Lost City trek trail

    Included Activities: Lost City trek

  • To beat the heat and humidity, we will start this hiking day at around 5-6am. The landscapes and views on this hike are just incredible. You hike through lush nature and also indigenous Wiwa and Kogi Villages.

    During the lunch break, you can refresh in the Buritaca river before heading to Camp Paraíso for the night. Try to get an early night, as tomorrow is the big day.

    Hiking time today will be around 8 hours including a couple of small 15-20min breaks (lunch break is excluded).

    Included meals: breakfast, lunch & dinner

    Included Activities: Lost City trek

  • We will get up a bit earlier than all the other groups, so we can be the first ones in the lost city. The hike in the morning will be around 1 hour.

    After exploring the mystic lost city, we are back at the camp for lunch. In the afternoon we will hike back to El Mamey, this is the camp we had lunch at the day before.

    Included meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

    Included activity: Lost City trek

  • For the last day of the trek, we will make our way back to the start from El Mamey camp. Before saying goodbye to our guide Daniel, we will all enjoy one last lunch together.

    Then we take the bus back to Santa Marta, where you will have the evening for yourself.

    Included meals: Breakfast & lunch

    Included transport: Bus to Santa Marta

    Included activity: Lost City trek

  • Today we travel to Cartagena after breakfast, where you will have the afternoon to explore the city or chill by the pool on our hostel's rooftop. You could head over to modern Bocagrande, go up San Felipe Castle for sunset or just wander around the colourful streets.

    Included meals: Breakfast

    Included Transport: Bus to Cartagena

  • This morning we will head out quite early after breakfast and venture off outside the historic centre to Bazurto market. This market features fresh fruit, veggies, meat, fish, street food stalls, clothes and everything you think you could need and is frequented by locals as well as the chefs of many of the restaurants in the centre.

    We will be guided around by Carolina, who seems to know just everyone inside the market. She will introduce us to her favourite fruit lady and tell us stories about the people working in the market.

    After this eventful morning, we will head over to Carolina’s restaurant and prepare some traditional Colombian dishes with a twist from the ingredients we just bought. We will eat, drink, laugh, listen to music and dance while preparing the dishes.

    The afternoon you will have for yourselves and you can explore the historic old town of Cartagena.

    Included meals: Breakfast & lunch

    Included Activities: guided tour through Bazurto market & cooking class

  • After breakfast, we will go south to a small fishing village. The journey is around 4-5 hours and you will be rewarded with dreamy beaches and water that is above 26°C the whole year. Also, in this village, you will get the freshest and cheapest seafood we have found along this part of the coastline.

    Included meals: Breakfast

    Included transport: Bus to fishing village

  • We hope you are not getting seasick easy because today we will spend the morning on a boat, riding around stunning islands and the bluest water. In between we will stop for some snorkelling, where you can see corals and lots of small colourful fish.

    Our guide, a local fisherman we became friends with, can explain to you all the different fish you will come across. For lunch we will head over to a fishermen’s island, where we will get some fresh fish from the local fishermen and have it cooked for us right next to the beach.

    Included meals: Breakfast & lunch

    Included activity: Boat tour, snorkelling & lunch by the beach

  • Today is all about chilling by the beach, walking around town and taking in the Caribbean vibes.

    We will have a goodbye lunch in the best restaurant in town and then head back to Cartagena to dance our last night away.

    Included meals: breakfast & goodbye lunch

    Included transport: Bus to Cartagena

  • We hope you had a blast and enjoyed the two weeks with us! We think this trip has a bit for everyone and is especially a welcoming break from the cold winter months.

    You can leave at any time today, but we hope you can still have breakfast with us before heading back home.

    Included meals: Breakfast

    Included transport: Airport transfer

  • Accommodation

    10 Nights in a hostel
    1 Night in hammack (Tayrona)
    3 Nights in bed/hammack jungle lodge (depends on availability)

    Food

    14 breakfasts
    10 lunches
    6 dinners

    Activities

    Welcome & Goodbye Dinner
    Bazurto Market tour & Cooking Class
    Tayrona National Park experience
    Waterfall hiking tour
    Local cacao farm tour
    Lost City trek
    Island hopping tour
    Snorkelling
    Fisherman island experience

    Transport

    Airport transfers
    All transport between cities and to and from activities.

  • International Flights
    Visa fees (This depends on your nationality)
    Any meals not mentioned in the included section
    Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary
    Personal expenses
    Travel Insurance

Next Dates

Sat 01 Jun 2024* Sat 15 Jun 2024* Sold Out - Waiting list £1855 / $2310

TBC Mar 2025 TBC Mar 2025 10 Spots Available £1920 / $2450

TBC Apr 2025 TBC Apr 2025 10 Spots Available £1920 / $2450

TBC Mar 2026 TBC Mar 2026 10 Spots Available £1920 / $2450

*The tour starting on the 1st of June has a different itinerary - Instead of visiting Tayrona National Park, which will be closed, we will have a day of diving in the Caribbean.
Speak to us if you want to know more about the itinerary for this specific trip.

    • Can I sign up as a solo traveller?

    Of course! You can sign up for our trips whether you are solo or with a group of friends. Our groups are a mix of open-minded people, who usually become friends within a second.

    • Does the tour include flights?

    As people will join our tour from different parts of the world, we decided it is easier to not include the flights in the tour. We are happy to help you find the best flight deal for your trip. Just let us know in the notes section, when booking the tour and we will get in touch with you to help you find your flights. In general, we usually use Skyscanner to find the best deals.

    • If my flight has a layover in the USA or Canada, do I need a visa?

    US: Even when transiting through the US, you still need ESTA. Make sure to apply in advance as it may take up to 72 hours for the application to be processed. Check the official ESTA website for more information: https://esta-center.com/en/transit/index.html

    Canada: For Canada you don’t need to apply for the normal visa, but will need a certain kind of transit visa depending on your country of origin. Check for more information here: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/transit.html

    • Do I need to purchase travel insurance before the trip?

    Yes, it is obligatory for everyone who joins us to have travel insurance before departing. We can help you find the right travel insurance for you. Just contact us via Email or WhatsApp.

    • Airport transfers: how does it work?

    When you book your flight, let us know your flight number and the time you arrive as soon as possible. That way we can stay on track for any delays of your flight. When you arrive at the destination airport, one of us will be there to welcome you and bring you to the car that will take you to the hostel. At the hostel, there will also be one of us to help you with the check-in.

    • What type of luggage should I bring?

    To make the trip easier for you, a backpack or duffle bag is a must. We are heading to some quite remote locations, where access with rolling suitcases is quite hard. Think of minivans with little space, 4x4s, motos or even boats. Ideally, this bag shouldn't be bigger than 40L, which is also hand luggage size and will save you some money on your flight to the destinations.

    • Is it a tiring trip?

    We guess you know you are not signing up for a two-week spa holiday with us. This trip along the Colombian coast is one of the more relaxed we have, apart from the 4 day trek to the Lost City, which is completely worth it, you will be mostly strolling around enjoying the beauty of this place. The bus journeys on this trip are not too excessive with a maximum of 4-5 hour long rides at once.

    • How is the accommodation throughout the trip?

    We are going to stay at hostels because of the more social atmosphere. Unless you book private accommodation, you will be in a 6-bed dorm with mainly private bathrooms and only with people from our group. (The room capacity may differ depending of the place we're staying at). If you want to know more about the accommodation, just contact us via Email or WhatsApp.

    • Can you provide me with a list of the hostels we will be staying at?

    Sure, just get in touch via Email or WhatsApp and we can send you a list of the hostels. In very rare cases it might happen though that we will stay in another hostel. If you wish, we can also inform you about any changes, if they come up.

    • Is Colombia a safe country?

    Colombia is a safe country to travel. As everywhere in the world it is important that you take the usual safety precautions. Especially in bigger cities, as there is always the risk of pickpocketing.

    • Can I drink the tap water?

    In general you should avoid drinking the tap water along the Colombian coast. Drinking water is widely available on almost every street corner or sold by vendors on the streets.

    • What should I pack?

    To make it easier for you to know what to bring, we have put together a packing list for this trip here.

    In case you have further questions don’t hesitate to contact us via Email or WhatsApp.