From: £755
From: $1,005
Morning transfer from hotel in Santa Marta to PNN Tayrona.
Check in at Arrecife beach cabins.
Day at leisure in PNN Tayrona.
Optional activities such as snorkelling, Pueblito ruins trek, beach walks etc available upon request.
Day at leisure in PNN Tayrona.
Optional activities such as snorkelling, Pueblito ruins trek, beach walks etc available upon request.
Morning transfer to airport in Santa Marta (SMR) for flight to Bogota (depending on flight time).
Note: the sea at Park Tayrona is rough and dangerous. Rip tides and powerful currents make swimming in the sea unadvisable, except at La Piscina beach.
Cabins (up to 5 people) on the beach, in the Arrecifes sector of Tayrona National Park.
You don’t need to have a high level of fitness for the trip, but the more mobile you are, the more you will enjoy it.
You need to take it easy in Bogota because of the altitude.
The Caribbean can be very hot and so you need to drink a lot of water and move slowly.
The hike up to El Pueblito can take several hours (depending on starting point) and can get very hot and sweaty.
We can cater for almost all dietary requirements – please enquire for more.
The food in Colombia is excellent and you will have the opportunity to sample a number of local dishes.
Breakfasts at hotels generally feature hot drinks, teas, coffees, juices, fruits, yoghurts, cereals, eggs etc.
At the coast, it’s mainly fish, coconut rice and patacones (fried bananas) in most places, with some soups and meat dishes. Some international dishes are available, too.
Local, Spanish-speaking drivers will help you move around the area, where transfers are organised.
A fun and diverse Colombian adventure, from cycling and snorkelling to the epic Lost City trek, with excellent guides, friendly locals, and seamless organisation making every moment unforgettable.
An unforgettable, perfectly organised South American adventure. A fabulous trip that exceeded all expectations.
Tayrona National park is just a short drive from from the colonial city of Santa Marta, so easy to get to for a few days of well deserved rest and relaxation.
The park is right at the edge of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, which is one of the highest coastal mountain ranges in the world.
You can wander along the amazing beaches, and search for wildlife in the tropical forests that line the beaches.
From: $3190 per person
Duration
12 days
From: $2188 per person
Duration
8 days
From: $1432 per person
Duration
7 days
Colombia is divided into five main geographical regions: Pacific, Llanos, Amazon, Caribbean and Andes.
The Andes dominate and have three main branches, all running roughly from south to north.
The Cordillera Occidental lies furthest to the west, running parallel to the Pacific coast; Furthest east lies The Cordillera Oriental running almost to the whole length of the country and incorporating Bogota; and in between these two, is the Cordillera Central.
Less than 3% of the population live in two lowland areas that comprise more than half of Colombia’s overall size.
The first lies to the east of the Andes called Llanos and is a savannah, and forms a part of the Orinoco river basin.
The second is Colombia’s steamy Amazon rainforest, which lies to the far south east of the country and covers almost one third of the entire country.
In the north is the hot and humid Caribbean coast, characterised by beautiful beaches and turquoise seas as well as fertile and low-lying plains and La Guarija Desert.
Colombia lays claim to two small islands, close to Nicaragua, called San Andres and Providencia, and islands in the Pacific and these are known as the insular area.
The narrow Pacific coastal lowlands are densely covered with vegetation, with very few people living here.
Colombia is the country that has everything you could need from a South America holiday.
Diverse people and landscapes make this a country rich in wildlife, landscapes and culture.
Hikers can choose to trek to glaciers on snow-capped peaks, or through steamy forest to hidden ruins, or to unique Paramó plains.
Cyclists can pedal over and around the Andean peaks that dominate, and adventure seekers can try anything from paragliding to canyoning.
Beach lovers can enjoy surfing and relaxing with a Colombian twist, or head to islands for a more Caribbean vibe.
Prefer wildlife? Try the pacific coast and its whales and turtles, or perhaps the Amazon and its diverse flora and fauna.
The cities are cosmopolitan and cultured, replete with incredible museums with enormous collections.
Good kit is vital for every trip.
Book with Andean Trails and get 15% off Páramo’s fantastic ethical and high performance outdoor gear.
Bogotá is a city high in the Andes Mountains (2,625 metres) and has a spring-like climate, when the weather is generally cool and variable. It can rain, the sun can shine and it can be foggy and chilly.
In the Caribbean, it’s hot and humid, so it’s shorts, swimwear, sun cream, head protection, t-shirts, sandals and cotton products are cooler.
Give plenty of thought to kit selection, and try to keep weight down.
Below is a more detailed guide.
Colombia has warm to hot average temperatures all year round.
Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, for example, averages around 325 days of sunshine a year, even during its ‘winter’.
There are, however, two rainy and dry seasons that Colombians call summer and winter.
The severity and length of these seasons also depends on where you are in the country – the coast has slightly more severe and longer dry seasons than the Andean region, for example.
Dec-March and July-early Sept.
On the coast the rainfall stays low during the whole of September.
April to June and October to early December.
Much depends on where you are in the country. Up in the mountains one of the great attractions of Colombia is the fact that within half and hour of travel, either losing or gaining altitude, you can emerge in a totally different climate, substantially hotter and drier, or colder and more humid, depending on where you are.
On mountain treks the temperature will decrease around 6°C for every 1,000 metre (3,300 feet) increase in altitude.
In the Paramo, temperatures average around 5ºC and drop below freezing at nighttime.
Again, variations depend on geography.
A fun and diverse Colombian adventure, from cycling and snorkelling to the epic Lost City trek, with excellent guides, friendly locals, and seamless organisation making every moment unforgettable.
An unforgettable, perfectly organised South American adventure. A fabulous trip that exceeded all expectations.
