18 days
11:31 01-09-2021
We are the UK’s No.1 specialist in travel to Latin As our name suggests, we are single-minded America and have been creating award-winning about Latin America. This is what sets us apart holidays to every corner of the region for over four from other travel companies – and what allows us decades; we pride ourselves on being the most to offer you not just a holiday but the opportunity to knowledgeable people there are when it comes to experience something extraordinary on inspiring travel to Central and South America and journeys throughout Mexico, Central and South passionate about it too. America.
A passion for the region runs Fully bonded and licensed Our insider knowledge helps through all we do you go beyond the guidebooks ATOL-protected All our Consultants have lived or We hand-pick hotels with travelled extensively in Latin On your side when it matters character and the most America rewarding excursions Book with confidence, knowing Up-to-the-minute knowledge every penny is secure Let us show you the Latin underpinned by 40 years' America we know and love experience
11:31 01-09-2021
11:31 01-09-2021
There's some of the best-preserved colonial architecture in Latin America in the cities of Bogotá and Cartagena, and remarkable pre-Columbian artefacts in the San Agustín Archaeological Park.This holiday takes you to all of these, plus a few days on one of the Caribbean’s laid-back and quirkiest islands, English-speaking Providencia, which flies the Colombian flag. Finish your unique holiday in cosmopolitan Panama City, exploring rainforest- fringed Lake Gatun on the magnificent engineering achievement which is the Panama Canal.
With improved security, the (until now) hidden treasures of Colombia are being discovered by a growing number of in-the-know visitors. This enchanting country has stunning natural scenery, including volcanic Andean landscapes, sun-drenched coffee plantations, and near perfect Caribbean beaches.
Bogotá is a city of sparkling prosperity, oppressive poverty, and everything in between. Its centre is awash with splendid colonial churches, fascinating museums, futuristic architecture and lively universities. Its population is diverse and engaging and its cultural life vibrant and seductive.
Your walking tour of the historic core; the colonial Candelaria district, sets off from the Plaza de Bolivar, where the Cathedral and Congress buildings are, continues through the steep streets towards the Gold Museum. Visit this well-displayed collection of pre-Columbian artefacts housing more than 34,000 gold pieces. It’s arguably the most impressive museum of its kind in the world. Continue by car to the northern residential areas, including Chico and Chapinero.
In the evening you might take an optional excursion to ascend Monserrate, the steep hill towering over Bogotá.The path up is quiet throughout the week, but on Sundays city dwellers depart en masse to climb or take the funicular railway or cable car to visit this place of pilgrimage. From 3,152m, you’ll have splendid views. You go up by cable-car or funicular railway from the base of the mountain to visit the church, the 14 stations of the Cross, handicraft and souvenir stands, and pause to enjoy the sunset. You have the opportunity to dine in one of the two traditional restaurants. You’ll take the cable car/funicular railway and be delivered back to your hotel.
11:31 01-09-2021
Fly to Neiva, from where you’ll be driven southwards to San Agustín. The journey takes about five hours, passing through the fertile green landscapes and small agricultural towns of the undulating river Magdalena valley.
The archaeological park of San Agustín is an extensive UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has the largest group of religious monuments and megalithic statues in South America. Gods and mythical animals are represented in styles from abstract to realist. They were created by a mysterious Andean culture between the 1st and 8th centuries AD.
The site is spread out over a wide area of green, forested hillsides, with impressive views. There are numerous easy (but sometimes hilly) paths within the park, which you explore on foot. The mountainous countryside contains impressive gorges and waterfalls.
Your guided tour of the park includes the excellent museum. After lunch there is an excursion to other historical sites accessible only on horse-back.
This full day excursion explores the Magdalena Gorge, at its narrowest point only 2m wide. The area embraces several other archaeological sites including some recently discovered tombs at the town of Obando and the hilltop site of Alto de los Idolos, known for its impressive funerary sculptures. Stop at the waterfalls of Salto del Mortiño before returning to San Agustín.
11:31 01-09-2021
Drive back to Neiva and fly via Bogotá to Armenia. Continue by road to stay on a coffee farm in the heart of the coffee- growing region. Time will be spent at the ranch and there is a guided tour of a nearby farm, where you gain an insight into cultivation in the region
Learn about fruit growing and tropical flower cultivation as well as the intricacies of the coffee-making process, including the picking, de-pulping, washing, drying and roasting of the beans.
The coffee producing area of Colombia has a pleasant, warm climate, and lovely bucolic scenery; with a mountainous and lush landscape of shiny coffee bushes interspersed with enormous bamboo jungles and banana plants.
You spend 3 days in this beautiful, relaxing region, with walking trails, horse-riding opportunities, canopy zip-lines and colourful flora and fauna. And fresh coffee omnipresent throughout.
Drive to Salento, a charming, traditional and picturesque village set in high in the Andes, its houses adorned with balconies bursting with flowers, and wonderful views of the Cordillera Central emerging from behind elegant colonial buildings.
Hike through the cloud forest to explore Valle de Cocora, a valley full of hundreds of wax palms, the only palm found at this altitude in the Andes and the national tree of Colombia. Follow a well-marked path up the valley and look out over the mountains' lush foothills, and the cultivated patchwork patterns made up of a dozen shades of green.
Continue to Filandia, one of the most quintessential villages of the coffee region.
11:31 01-09-2021
Today offers a guided excursion to Finca La Morelia, one of the best coffee producers in the region. Here you will learn about the steps involved in coffee production, from the picking the coffee cherries to the various stages of processing, sorting, grading, roasting and the final brewing of the beans.
Afterwards, continue to the Quindio butterfly farm, and visit the vast glass butterfly house built in the shape of a butterfly with over 1,500 butterflies, representing 50 different species. Walk around the botanical gardens which include some 600 species of plant including a diverse collection of orchids and palms. There's also a nature trail and insect museum to explore before returning to your accommodation.
By road to Medellín. This scenic drive takes a winding road through mountainous landscapes and takes about 6hrs. Overnight in the city.
Medellín is Colombia's second largest metropolis with over 2m inhabitants. It is an outgoing, friendly and lively place with a strong cultural scene and a pulsating nightlife. The city is essentially modern, with its wealth built on the back of the textile, flower and coffee industries. The city hosts a major annual flower festival, the Feria de Las Flores, usually held in early August.
You’ll be escorted on a guided day’s excursion to the charming colonial town of Santa Fé de Antioquia (1,200m), 80km north of Medellín (90mins). The town of Antioch was founded in 1541. Following repeated incursions by the indigenous population it merged with Villa de Santafé, to become Santa Fé de Antioquia and the capital of the region. The evocative town has cobbled streets, churches, plazas and colonial buildings which display their original architecture.
11:31 01-09-2021
Gold plundered from native inhabitants was stored here until the galleons could ship it back to Spain, so it became a tempting target for pirates. In order to protect their booty, the Spanish constructed an elaborate system of ramparts, which encircle the town.
Today the walled centre has changed very little, allowing a glimpse of 16th- and 17th century Spanish architecture and town planning. Enjoy the shade provided by the buildings in these labyrinthine, cobbled streets, and explore the monasteries, palaces, churches, plazas and imposing mansions whose balconies are heavy with flowers.
Beyond this, the city opens up: an eclectic and seductive mix of Caribbean and African influences produces a vibrant street life, with fruit stalls lining the roads and pulsating rhythms emerging from cars and houses.
A guided walking tour will help you soak up the atmosphere of this unique city. There’s a walk round the colonial sector of town, with its narrow streets and wooden balconied houses. The stroll takes you to the beautiful Romanesque church of San Pedro Claver, the Cathedral, Plaza de Bolívar and Las Bóvedas (dungeons-turned-tourist- boutiques).
There's not much Colombian about San Andrés, which is popular among visitors arriving in droves on charter flights and is crammed with hotels. The beaches however are first class and the sea around the island is dotted with smaller atolls, some not much more than a pile of sand with a coupole of palm trees, which you can visit by boat.
In the year 2000 San Andrés and the surrounding sea was given UNESCO Biological Reserve status aimed at ensuring that the ecosystem, which is rich in biodiversity, is preserved and conserved.
11:31 01-09-2021
Fly from San Andrés to folksy Providencia in the Caribbean, where the airport is little more than a wooden shed. This sets the tone for the laid-back island, where a string of narrow sandy beaches rings a dominant volcano, reached by a lonely road connecting hamlets and small posadas round the palm-studded shoreline.
Providencia is one of the largest islands in an archipelago of coral atolls and volcanic intrusions 480km off the Colombian coast. It is in fact much closer to Nicaragua, just 180km to the east (the population voted for union with Colombia).
Even so, it’s relatively tiny, just 7km by 3.5km. Providencia has only modest tourist facilities mainly concentrated in the tiny village of Aguadulce, but this is part of the appeal of the place.
There are simple, homely restaurants and some delightful white-sand beaches. The local people, who speak patois English, are friendly and the atmosphere is distinctly relaxed.
At leisure on the island. There are some good walks – you may like to climb to the top of El Pico (610m) for expansive views over the island and the sparkling sea. It takes about an hour - mostly through woodland - and you’ll be accompanied by electric-blue lizards rustling the undergrowth and scampering on the sun-bleached rocks. If you are aficionados of the undersea world, there are excellent snorkelling and scuba-diving opportunities.
Fly back to San Andrés and connect to Panama City. This thriving cosmopolitan metropolis sits at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal.
The city dates back to 1519 when it was a settlement base for transporting Peruvian gold back to Imperial Spain. Its subsequent wealth made it a frequent target for pirate raids. These days, soaring skyscrapers, sparkling banks and smart modern offices overshadow forts, Spanish convents and sumptuous French-style mansions, reminders of its colonial and belle-époque heydays.
You’ll be driven to your hotel alongside the Panama Canal.
11:31 01-09-2021
Take a short drive (45mins) from Panama City to the rainforested Soberania National Park. Board an expedition boat at Gamboa Resort's marina for an adventure on Lake Gatún which, at the time of its creation in 1914, was the largest man-made lake in the world.
A naturalist guide is on hand to help make the most of the wildlife - among which are three-toed sloths, crocodiles, ospreys, snail kites and keel-billed toucans. Getting up close to the foliage as it meets the waterline there is a good chance of seeing white faced capuchins, mantled howler monkeys and spider monkeys. A picnic lunch is taken on the boat. You'll be able to watch, almost within touching distance it seems, mighty Panamax freighters glide past, towering above the jungle canopy.
11:31 01-09-2021
Services of our team of Bogotá: Walking city tour Tips and gratuities experts in our London office with gold museum Meals other than specified Services of Journey Latin San Agustín: tour of America local archaeological park International flights to Latin representatives and guides America San Agustín: Excursion to All land and air transport in Magdalena Gorge Airport taxes, when not Latin America included in the ticket Coffee Country: Salento, Accommodation as specified Cocora valley and Filandia Optional excursions
Meals as specified Coffee Country: Botanical gardens, butterfly farm, Excursions as specified, Morelia coffee finca including entrance fees Medellín: Day trip to colonial Antioquia Cartagena: Guided walking tour Panama City: Canal jungle boat tour
7 domestic flights (3 connecting); 2 scenic road journeys (4 to 6 hrs each)
Here you will stay at small, mid-range, friendly hotels, colonial or modern in style with well-equipped rooms, private bathroom and heating or air-conditioning. In the coffee country you stay on a traditional coffee farm (finca).
Breakfast daily.
We carefully select our local partners, most of whom we have worked with for many years. Their English- speaking guides understand the expectations of our clients very well, and are consistently singled out for praise by clients on their return.
18 days, 17 nights: Bogotá 2; San Agustín 3; Coffee country 3; Medellín 2; Cartagena 2; San Andrés 1; Providencia 2; Panama City 2.
The unit of currency in Colombia is the Colombian peso.
11:31 01-09-2021
Cash machines are available in all major cities and towns of Colombia, and so taking a debit or credit card with a PIN number is the most convenient way of withdrawing money while on your trip, and in most shops and restaurants you can also pay by card. However, since cards can get lost, damaged, withheld or blocked, you should not rely exclusively on a card to access funds.
We recommend that additionally you take a reasonable quantity of US dollars cash (no more than is covered by your insurance), which you can exchange into local currency, and possibly some travellers’ cheques, though these are gradually falling out of use (American Express are the most widely accepted). Dollar bills should be in good condition, soiled or torn bills may be refused. You can take sterling, but the exchange rate is not always competitive or even available, restricting the number of places where you can change money. Never change money on the street.
There is an ATM at San Andrés airport. There are few or no exchange facilities in Providencia, take your spending needs in pesos.
Panama City has ATMs; payment is accepted in $US dollar bills and credit cards.
It is very difficult to give a guideline for essential expenses but a budget of around US$45 per day should cover the cost of meals not included in the holiday itinerary, drinks and the odd souvenir. Eat at the best restaurants and you will pay considerably more.
Tips are expected and local guides often rely on their tip as a significant proportion of their income.
Most service industry workers will expect a tip of some kind and so it is useful to have spare change for hotel porters, taxi drivers and the like. It is common to leave 10 - 12% in restaurants.
Travel insurance is essential.
Details of our recommended policy can be found on our Travel Insurance page.
If you have purchased your flights through Journey Latin America, the international departure tax is usually included in the ticket.
Generally this holiday is suitable for most visitors, including families with children. Should you have a disability, please contact us.
The dry season in Colombia is from December until March and then June to September. Temperatures during this period average around 30°C, although are reasonably consistent throughout the year. Bogotá, and towns in the coffee growing region, because of their altitude, have a spring-like climate and can be chilly at night. Cartagena and the Caribbean islands are hot throughout the year, with the rainy seasons typically in April, May, October and November.
Panama’s ex-Canal Zone and the rainforest have a typical tropical climate with high temperatures (over 30°C) all year round. May-Nov is rainy season and the flowering months are Apr-May. The region lies outside the main hurricane belt.
11:31 01-09-2021
Several days are spent at high altitude (over 2.500m). You may notice the effect of high altitude; symptoms vary: most common are mild headaches and breathlessness. If you drink plenty of water and allow your body to acclimatise (don’t exert yourself or drink alcohol) in the first couple of days after arrival, you will minimise your chances of being adversely affected.
Please refer to our Briefing Dossier for further information.
Temperatures will be relatively high throughout this holiday. Bring plenty of light cotton clothing and good, comfortable walking shoes. A couple of warm items and a good waterproof jacket or umbrella are also useful. We suggest that you plan to 'layer' your clothing; it is easier and more efficient to put on a couple of light layers than one thick jumper. Sandals are a good informal option for evenings. Protection against the sun (sunblock, sun hat) and mosquito repellant are essential and you should bring swimwear.
Note that the free luggage allowance on the flights to and from Providencia is low; ( 10kg in Apr 2014); however, each additional kilo is relatively cheap, so this is unlikely to be a serious concern for most travellers. Please get in touch with the office before departure if you have any doubts.
Preventative vaccinations are recommended against the following: typhoid; polio; tetanus; hepatitis A. You should consult your GP for specific requirements, including advice on yellow fever and malaria tablets.
You can also find helpful information on the Masta Travel Health website.
Holders of a full British passport do not require a visa, although passports must be valid for at least 6 months after the trip begins. Anyone with a different nationality should enquire with us or check with the relevant consulate.
If flying to the US, or via the US you will need to fill in your online ESTA application.
11:31 01-09-2021 18 days
11:31 01-09-2021