Exploring Northern Colombia in 2 weeks.

Colombia’s northern Caribbean coast is one of the most popular areas for travelers and is dominated by backpackers enjoying all this area has to offer. It’s easy to see why this region is so popular with beautiful beaches, cultural experiences, diverse cities, unique landscapes and great hiking.

Three weeks is ample time and will allow you take your time and make more stops along the coast line but I spent two weeks in Northern Colombia and I managed to see the highlights and not feel too rushed.

I started my Colombian journey in Sapzurro, a small tranquil coastal town on the Panamanian border. I arrived to Colombia via the San Blas Islands (see my post about the San Blas Islands), so we stopped for lunch on the beach in Sapzurro before heading on to Capurgana for the night. Capurgana is a short 15 minute boat ride from Sapzurro and very similar. These towns have a relaxed Caribbean vibe and jungle backed beaches. They are off the beaten track and there isn’t too much to do there so I wouldn’t recommend visiting them unless you are arriving from the San Blas Islands or Panama by boat, then a stop off in one these coastal towns is necessary.

Cartagena (3 days)

This beautiful colonial city bursting with colour and charm is my favourite city in Colombia. It’s a dream to walk around and is well equipped for tourists and very safe.

Getting there

By air: Cartagena has an airport that is served well with cheap flight from other cities in Colombia. Flights are cheap with viva air (under €30 if you book early) to and from Cartagena to Bogota and Medellin and about an hour. It will save you a 14 plus journey if you’re coming from Bogota.

By bus: The bus terminal is located about a 30 min taxi (20000-25000 COP) from the city center. Buses go to and from Santa Marta (5 hours), Necocli (9 hours), Medellin and Bogota.

Things to do

1. Wandering around the old walled city enjoying the beautiful colourful streets and squares.

2. Get snap happy in the vibrant backpacker area of Getsemani. Not as impressive as the architecture of the walled Old Town but this area is brimming with trendy restaurants, boutique hostels , packed cocktail bars and salas clubs.

3. Visit Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. This enormous Spanish fortress dominates an entire section of Cartagena’s cityscape. The history of the fortress and invasion of the Spanish is really well explained in a short video in the yellow building inside the fortress. Watch the video before you wander around the fortress. Its open daily 8am-6pm and costs $25,000 COP (€7).

4. Watch the sunset at Cafe del Mar. You’ll pay a pretty penny for cocktails here but it’s well worth it to watch the sunset and enjoy the incredible band.

5. Do the free walking tour. This is a good free tour giving you an oversight of the history of the city and the main landmarks. They work on a tip base so usually €5-10 is standard.

Where to stay

There are so many hostels in Cartagena. We stayed in El Viajero for €10 a night. They did a nice free buffet breakfast, has a nice court yard and the dorms had AC which is amust in Cartagena.

Where to eat

1. La Mulata– this seafood restaurant doesn’t have a huge menu but what they do do, they do well. Food was delicious and reasonably priced for a quality meal. We paid €10 for a main course and a drink.

2. Gokela– healthy fast food that is a chain in Colombia serving salads, pizzas, wraps, acai bowls and smoothies.

3. Interno– This is more of an experience rather than somewhere to dine. It is a restaurant inside the women’s prison in Cartagena that raises money for the rehabilitation of it’s inmates, who cook and wait upon you. The women are trained by a top chef from Bogota and this shows in the exquisite flavours in the food. It is by far the best meal I’ve had in Colombia. You’ll need to book 24 hours in advance to secure a table. It’s not cheap in Colombian terms but well worth it. A three course set meal will be $90,000 COP (€30).

Isla de San Bernardo (1 night)

10 archipelagos make up the Isla de San Bernardo that are located a 2 hour boat ride from Cartagena. They are known for their crystalline waters, mangrove lagoons and white sandy beaches. There isn’t too much to do on these little oasis except rest and relax.

The boat is expensive to get here, a return ticket plus the national park fee of $17,000 will cost you $217,000.The boat departs Cartagena at 8.30am and leaves the islands to return to Cartagena at 12 pm.

Where to stay:

Casa en el Agua: It is exactly what it says, a house on water. It’s literally a house in the middle of the sea, a wooden house built on an artificial island that is surrounded my corals. There are dorm or hammock options and meals are served family style. It’s not cheap here but it’s a destination hostel that is worth a visit for a night or two.

Santa Marta (1 night)

This is mainly used as a hop off point to the Lost City, Minca and Tayrona National Park. All the buses from Cartagena to destinations further up along the coast will go through or stop in Santa Marta. Many tourists don’t like Santa Marta and it gets a bad rap but we liked it anyways. There is one street that is charming and has lots of bars, restaurants and hostels on it.

Santa Marta has an airport and we got cheap flights to Medellin from here (under €30) with Viva Air. Make sure you PRINT OFF YOUR BOARDING CARD. Otherwise Viva Air will make you pay $15 per person. They are the South American version of Ryanair.

By bus: The Berlinus bus company is a reputable company running buses hourly to Santa Marta from Cartagena. The bus is freezing as they blast the AC, has a toilet on it and wifi. It is supposed to take 4 hours but really it’s more like 6 hours.

Where to stay

We stayed in Calle 11 Hostel which is not actually in Santa Marta, it’s in Rodadero which is a 15 min taxi from Santa Marta. It’s an ex cartels families house and has a pool which is pretty cool but it’s not really near anything. Handy when going to the airport as it’s only a 15 min taxi away from Santa Marta airport. It’s cheap as chips at €6 a night, has a kitchen, a bar and nice dorms.

I would recommend staying in town though if you aren’t using it to stay in before the airport. I’ve heard Masaya Hostel Santa Marta is a good shout in the city centre.

Where to eat

Ikaro: A health conscious travelers dream. Offers delicious salads, sandwiches, smoothies, acai bowls, smoothies and burgers- all vegan and vegetarian. I got a matcha latte with oat milk and quinoa porridge and smoothie bowl. Notions!

Ouzo: Perfect to refuel after trekking in Minca or The Lost City. Famous for their pizzas and cocktails.

Minca (3 days)

Minca is a 45 min drive from Santa Marta on bus. Its a lovely little town on the foothills of the Serra Nevada Mountains 600m above Santa MArta. This small mountain village is famous for its organic coffee, bird life, hiking and more cooler temperatures than sweltering Santa Marta. Remote retreat hostels are scattered around the steep mountain sides above the town.

The bus from Santa Marta goes from the mercado (which is mayhem) every 15 mins and costs $8000 COP. The bus is a small minivan or jeep. In Minca town then you can get moto taxis to your accommodation if it’s not in the town. They are a fixed cost and between $15,000-20,000 COP depending on where you are staying.

Things to do

1. Hiking! There are plenty of trails around, the main trail is is loop starting and finishing in the town and takes about 7 hours. It’s hot during the day so usually people break the hike up with a stop off in a waterfall to cool down.
2. Cool down in Casacada de Marinka. This waterfall is 1.5 hour walk uphill from Minca Town. There are two waterfalls in the complex and it costs $4000 COP to enter.

3. Swim in Polo Azul. These natural pools are a series of three pools and a 30 min walk uphill from Minca town. They are free to visit.

3. Learn all about coffee in Finca La Victoria. This family run coffee plantation offers a 45 min tour explaining how coffee is produced. It’s a long hour and a half walk uphill from Minca town or a $15,000 COP mototaxi. The tour costs $15,000 and includes two cups of organic coffee.

4. Hang out on giant hammocks at Casa Elemento. Casa Elemento is a hostel boasting the largest hammocks in South America where you can pay $10,000 COP for a day pass which includes a beer or a juice. They have a nice swimming pool there to cool down in after the hike there. It’s about a 2.5 hour hike from Minca town or you can opt to stay here.

Where to stay

Casa Elemento: It’s a 30 min mototaxi from the town and has lovely common areas, a pool and hammocks to hang out in way above Minca.

Casas Viejas: This is a gorgeous new hostel perfect for chilling and isolating yourself in Minca. It’s got toilets with an amazing view, a fire pit, bar, restaurants and common chill out area. The dorms are single beds covered with mosquito nets and it’s basically like sleeping outdoors. Only down fall is there is no wifi and no kitchen for visitor use. The meals are served up communal style and reasonable. A dorm bed costs $40,000 (€11) a night.

Where to eat

Duni: Amazing vegetarian friendly restaurant with a menu of the day for $15,000 COP.

Finca Victoria: Incredible sandwiches which are massive for $15,000 COP.

The lads who drive the mototaxis gave us a lift back from the town after a mammoth day of hiking and offered to bring us all the way from our hostel high up in Minca to Santa Marta the next morning at 7.30 for $30,000 COP. The mototaxi down to the bus is $20,000 COP and the bus to Santa Marta is $8,000 COP so a direct mototaxi ride to Santa Marta for $30,000 seemed like a no brainer. The next morning the lads picked us up and headed down the valley towards Santa Marta. I’ve realised now Santa Marta is quite big and the suburbs are also called Santa Marta. He tried to chuck us out on the dual carriageway outside a supermarket rather than the city centre but we weren’t having that and threw them $30,000 each despite them asking for $50,000. Make sure when you get taxis or motorbikes anywhere they know exactly and agree to bring you to an exact location for a fixed price before.

Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona (2 nights, 1 day)

This national park is a magical slice of Colombia’s Caribbean coast with wonderful golden sandy beaches lined with coconut trees. The national park is open 8am -5pm and costs $54,000 COP for non nationals. You can stay in the park on a campsite or in hammocks for the night but we had our fill of hammocks at this stage so we just went in for the day which personally I thought was plenty.

There are three beaches in the park you can swim in. The most popular beach, Cabo San Juan del Guia has a campsite including hammocks. This beach is a 2 hour walk from the start of the trail. The start of the trail is 5km from the park entrance. Mini buses from from the gates to the start of the trail for $3000 COP which is well worth it. You can do horse riding here too.

Where to stay

If you don’t fancy camping in 35 degrees heat and passing out in a tent there are plenty of nice hostels and hotels within a 20 min bus from the entrance to the park.

El Rio has been named the best hostel in Colombia. It’s a destination hotel in the middle of nowhere but only 30 mins from Tayrona National Park. It books out in advance so we miss our chance to stay but I’ve heard good things. Also, there is no wifi there so you’ll be disconnected so you can make better connections!

Viajero Tayrona Hostel and Ecohabs: This place is part of the El Viajero chain of hostel but it’s like none of the other hostels I’ve stay in. It is like a 4* hotel resort on the beach with a pool, a poolside bar, a restaurant, a guest kitchen and a volleyball court. The dorms are gorgeous wooden cabins which are really spacious, with AC and outdoor toilet and showers. It’s a bit more expensive than their other hostels ($50,000 COP) but worth the $14 for a resort.

La Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City) (4 days)

I did a 4 day trek to the Lost City with Expotur. I’ll cover the Lost City in another post as it deserves a page of its own. These four days are the highlight of my almost month in Colombia so far and I’ve no doubt it will still remain one after nine months of travel in South and Central America. I would really recommend doing this tough but insanely rewarding and fun multi day trek to learn about the Lost City and the indigenous tribes living in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The trek cost €300 and includes all meals and accommodation for the four days. It is expensive but really worth making the budget stretch for.

After the Lost City tour, we were dropped off at our hostel, we stayed in Calle 11 Hostel again in Rodadero as we had an early flight the next morning to Medellin with Viva Air. We got a taxi to the airport for $20,000 COP (€6) and it took 15 mins.

Places we didn’t get to visit

We skipped a few places in Northern Colombia on the coast due to time constraints. A few places we would have checked out and that I’ve heard good things about:

• Palamino– a nice traditional fishing village with lovely beaches and a laid back vibe.
• Punta Gallinas– South America’s most northerly point and offers incredible landscapes. It is where the desert meets the ocean and it’s home to a colony of pink flamingos and eight Wayuu families. To visit here it requires going on an organised tour for 3 days. Expotur offers transport only deals to Punta Gallinas.

Thanks for reading! Comment or send me a message if you’ve any questions on travelling around Northern Colombia.