At the invitation of KLM, TravMagazine and ProColombia I made a short trip to Colombia. With the intention of getting acquainted with Colombia and with 13 other directors of travel companies to “brainstorm” about Colombia as a future tourist destination. In the space of a few days we visited capital Bogota and Cartagena, one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America.
Bogota
Bogota, city of over 8 million inhabitants, with a beautiful old center. Here you will find ‘El Museo del Oro’ and Museo Botero, both very worthwhile. However, in the evening there is nothing to do here. If you want to go out, restaurants, funky bars/cafes etc., you have to go outside the old town.
The underground salt cathedral is similar to the marl caves in Limburg; rooms with crosses etc., a tourist stop en route to Villa de Leyva. Then the salt cathedral in Zipaquira (50 km from Bogota); personally I didn’t find this one that interesting, a tourist trap with 500,000 visitors a year. But if you go, do it in the late afternoon, after the worst crowds.
Cartagena
There are several daily flights from Bogota to Cartagena. After an hour-long flight, we arrive. Cartagena is top, a destination where you really experience the holiday feeling. Caribbean, there’s a “nothing should be allowed” atmosphere. It’s warm, the temperature’s about 34°. City of 1.3 million inhabitants. With lots of cruise ships and tourists from the USA. We stay in the old town centre, beautiful! It is forgiving of new boutique hotels and restaurants. Most of these boutique hotels have one or two pools. Rooftop sala with swimming pool, top restaurants that can also be reserved for lunch and dinner, by everyone. All the luxury is on the inside, from the outside there is nothing to see.
The beaches here are grey and black. For white sandy beach you have to sail to the Rosas Islands (Islas del Rosario) off the coast at one hour, two hours. The part outside the old town – the new city – resembles Miami, high-rise.
I would choose in Cartagena not too small hotels for some more life anyway. But oh well, that’s personal, too. You walk out of the hotel, and everywhere in Cartagena you’ll find nice bars and salsa performances until early in the morning. What a nice environment and city! I’ll come back and experience more.
