[scotian]

Im looking for some input from RVF guys who have experience travelling in Colombia and could help me plan an upcoming vacation, I know that theres some guys on here who know the country well and have been to some off-the-beaten-path locations, your help will be greatly appreciated fellas. My friend will arrive here in early February and stay for two weeks, he has already been to Colombia and has visited Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena and Santa Marta, so we are looking to visit other places on this trip and do some adventurous activities outside of cities, here are some ideas that I have in mind:

Potential activities: Paragliding, kitesurfing, scuba diving, sport fishing, hiking, etc.

Zona Cafetera: I am currently here on a scouting mission and I like it so far, although it isnt much of a party spot (outside of festivals), there are some very nice nature tours to do, I think a week would be enough here though.

Bogota-San Gil-Bucaramanga-Valledupar-Barranquilla: This is the one that interests me the most, my friend will be here until the 16th of February, so he could get a couple of days of carnaval in. Most of these cities are off the beaten path and not so popular with tourists, so maybe ten plus days would be too much time, we would travel by bus.

Amazonias: Fly from Bogota to Leiticia and spend a week or so down there, maybe do one of those rafting tours, ayhauasca experience, visit Brazil and Peru. Any other ideas for the Amazonias?

Pacific Coast: My favourite part of Colombia so far, there are a few options to visit it but the most adventurous one would be to fly to Cali, bus to Buenaventura then take a 24 hour cargo ship to Bahia Solano, from there fly to Quibdo, maybe visit Niqui then bus it to Medellin.

San Andres Island: I am very interested in going there one day although I am not sure if it would be the best idea for a trip with my buddy as the general consesus seems to be that it is more of a couples destination. I would like to visit the near by island of Providencia as well as I hear that the scuba diving and fishing is great there.

So thats about it for the ideas that I can come up with, if anyone else has any other ideas for interesting, adventurous travel ideas in Colombia I would appreciate your help, thanks guys.

[Americas]

If you really want to get off the beaten track and are looking for adventure, I highly suggest Punta Gallinas. Which is the point right near the border of Venezuela in the North Eastern most point of Colombia. Think lots of sand dunes, pristine beaches, good hiking, and the surrounding regions is basically farmland and indigenous people.

You may see a few foreigners out there, but it's also entirely possible you won't see a single one as well.

Getting there can be a bit annoying but it's part of the fun. You can take a bus to Riohacha from Santa Marta, then a taxi to Uribia. But after that, you basically have to just ask around for rides from the locals. At this point all the roads are dirt.

There is also a national park at the eastern most part of the point.

Some pictures:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=parque+na...al+macuira

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The Santander region is nice, but also a lot more touristy. Chicamocha Valley is pretty nice and there is some exceptional rafting opportunities there. There is also paragliding possible in the region and closer to Bucaramanga.

Bucaramanga was one of my favourite cities in Colombia. Super clean, friendly people, lots of university students, and barely any tourists.

San Gil is kind of a backpacker shithole (nice little town though, but there are a lot of outdoor/adventure type tours available from it).

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If I were you, I would do a bit of the Carnival at Barranquila then go to Punta Gallinas. I have never met anyone who was disappointed after going there even though it's remote and a pain to get to. I am sure your Spanish is advanced enough where it won't be a problem logistically.

[Corroncho]

(01-06-2015 01:38 PM)Americas Wrote:  

If you really want to get off the beaten track and are looking for adventure, I highly suggest Punta Gallinas. Which is the point right near the border of Venezuela in the North Eastern most point of Colombia. Think lots of sand dunes, pristine beaches, good hiking, and the surrounding regions is basically farmland and indigenous people.

That trip really is an adventure. Once you get into La Guajira past Riohacha, it feels like a different country, very autonomous and indigenous, people speaking Wayuu instead of Spanish. Electricity and running water are optional, people sell bootleg gas from Venezuela, I came across two separate highway roadblocks due to local protests. I hopped a ride from Cabo de la Vela to Uribia in the back of a farmer's truck, and he would stop for locals who had caught wild goats to sell at the market. So by the end of the trip, I was riding in the back with five bound, bleating, pissing goats on the way to slaughter. It was Silence of the Lambs shit, those goats sounded like crying babies. I'm glad I went once, but once is enough, it is the wild wild west out there.

[Sandman]

Ive heard good things about Ciudad Perdida, and canon or canyon cristal or cristalis, but you have to go when everything is in bloom; both with take you away from civilization and nightlife for 4-5 days though

san andres definitely for couples, dont go alone

My buddy was just in cartagena, and was doing very very well with nightlife pulls 8s and a 9, without speaking any spanish, but he's 6'4, white, high energy.I told him he may not get the same results in medellin

[elcidcampeador]

San Andres and Providencia are two totally different animals.

SA to me was terribly overrated and I didn't enjoy it one bit. There were some nice places but they were overcrowded and there were a lot people selling shit to me all the time. It seemed to be the Colombian version of Disney to me.

Providencia was small, beautiful, and totally off the radar of most Colombians. Beaches didn't look as nice, but there were no more than 3 people on them. Mostly local posadas for accommodation, and great snorkeling compared to San Andres. I went with a girl - it wouldn't be worth doing alone.

Both places are not good for meeting girls at all.

[scotian]

(01-07-2015 04:01 AM)Sandman Wrote:  

Ive heard good things about Ciudad Perdida, and canon or canyon cristal or cristalis, but you have to go when everything is in bloom; both with take you away from civilization and nightlife for 4-5 days though

san andres definitely for couples, dont go alone

My buddy was just in cartagena, and was doing very very well with nightlife pulls 8s and a 9, without speaking any spanish, but he's 6'4, white, high energy.I told him he may not get the same results in medellin

You would be surprised, your buddy may kill it in Medellin too, from what Ive seen in Colombia, if a guy has the look that the Colombian girls like then he can do very well in any city. Thanks for the info guys its exactly what I was looking for,now I have to start planning this trip.

[Sandman]

I wish him the best of luck, I get no love in medellin, but its fun to wing for friends

also check out Rio Claro about an hour outside medellin, I have really enjoyed swimming there and the cave hike is a must, stay in the nature preserve

also, hiking the grounds where escobar used to live is fun; hippos and monkeys all around and some cool african lodging, and his bombed out (literally) mansion, limos, and hovercraft

I have also really enjoyed hiking in the hills where the coffee is grown

great to go down there for an anabolic cycle (easy to get) and then build up your leg strength with hiking; can chew coca leaves for energy

(01-07-2015 10:57 AM)scotian Wrote:  

(01-07-2015 04:01 AM)Sandman Wrote:  

Ive heard good things about Ciudad Perdida, and canon or canyon cristal or cristalis, but you have to go when everything is in bloom; both with take you away from civilization and nightlife for 4-5 days though

san andres definitely for couples, dont go alone

My buddy was just in cartagena, and was doing very very well with nightlife pulls 8s and a 9, without speaking any spanish, but he's 6'4, white, high energy.I told him he may not get the same results in medellin

You would be surprised, your buddy may kill it in Medellin too, from what Ive seen in Colombia, if a guy has the look that the Colombian girls like then he can do very well in any city. Thanks for the info guys its exactly what I was looking for,now I have to start planning this trip.