When I mention Colombia, there's still sometimes a flicker of hesitation. I get it historically. I don't get it now. Colombia is one of the safest, most hospitable, most visually interesting countries I've been to, and it consistently exceeds expectations in a way that few destinations manage. Cartagena alone would justify the trip. Here's where I'd focus.
Stay inside Cartagena's walled city — not outside it
Cartagena's old city — the Ciudad Amurallada, a UNESCO site — is a 16th-century Spanish colonial masterpiece: candy-colored buildings, bougainvillea on every balcony, cobblestone streets that glow at evening. Staying outside the walls in Bocagrande or the Laguito district is cheaper and more convenient and completely misses the point. Hotel Casa San Agustín and Hotel El Marqués are both exceptional inside the walls. This is one of those cases where where you stay really is the experience.
Take the canoe tour to see pink dolphins at sunset
In the mangrove channels off Cartagena near the Islas del Rosario, river dolphins — pink boto — feed in the shallow water at dusk. A local guide in a small canoe can get you close. I've done this with multiple groups and it's consistently the moment people remember years later. Combine it with morning snorkeling at the outer islands for a full day on the water. The contrast between the mangrove channels and the open Caribbean is striking.
Ride Medellín's cable cars into the comunas
Medellín's cable car system — the Metrocable — was built to connect hillside comunas, historically underserved neighborhoods, with the city center. It's one of the most interesting urban planning decisions I've seen anywhere, and riding it gives you a perspective on the city that's impossible from street level. The comunas themselves, particularly Comunas 1 and 2, have become destinations for street art, community food projects, and culture that feels genuinely Medellín. Go with a guide from the community, not from a tour desk.
Spend two nights in the coffee region
Colombia's coffee-growing heartland around Pereira, Armenia, and Manizales is one of the most beautiful agricultural landscapes I've seen anywhere. Steep Andean slopes covered in coffee plants, colonial towns painted in bright colors, and a culture built around the ritual of coffee. Hacienda Bambusa and Hacienda Venecia offer stays on working fincas where you follow the bean from plant to cup. This region is dramatically under-visited relative to what it offers.
Eat at a proper bandeja paisa — but build up to it
The bandeja paisa is Colombia's most emblematic dish and among the most audacious plates of food I've encountered: red beans with pork, white rice, ground meat, chicharrón, fried egg, plantain, chorizo, black pudding, arepa, and avocado. Not subtle. Eat it at lunch, not dinner, in a traditional restaurant in Medellín's El Poblado neighborhood or in a tienda in the coffee region. It tells you everything about a culture's relationship with food and hospitality.
Colombia is one of my favorite recommendations for groups who want somewhere genuinely surprising — somewhere that exceeds what they came expecting. The people are among the warmest I've met anywhere. The food is excellent. And the country's story of transformation makes it meaningful in a way that adds a real layer to the experience.
Written by
Jenn
Founder of Memorable Travel & Adventures. Jenn has personally traveled to every destination in this journal. She plans trips to all of them.
