Flowers and Flavours of Colombia

This morning we are joined by our local guide for a tour of the city, beginning with a visit to the Botanical Garden, which is named in honour of botanist Jose Celestino Mutis. This, the largest botanical garden in Colombia, is home to a diverse range of flora including a wide variety of Amazonian flowers and a notable collection of orchids.

After an opportunity for lunch (not included) we continue with a tour of the historic centre of the city, which was founded in 1538 by the Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. The first stop will be at the Plaza de Bolivar to take a look at some of the most important buildings of the city, such as the National Capitol, which is the centre of the country's legislative life; Casa de Nariño, which is the Presidential residence; the Santa Clara Church Museum and the historic Casa de los Comuneros. The tour also includes a visit to the Gold Museum, which exhibits about 34,000 pieces of metalwork from various Hispanic cultures and a visit to the Quinta de Bolivar, the house which belonged to Simon Bolivar, the revered military leader who led Colombia and other neighbouring states to independence from the Spanish Empire. Our tour concludes at the iconic symbol of Bogotá, Monserrate Hill, which rises to 3,152m above sea level. At the summit, where there is a statue to the ‘Lord of the Miracles’, we will enjoy panoramic views of the city.

We return to the hotel where dinner is served in the evening.

This morning after breakfast we depart for a full day visit to Chicaque National Park, a humid, cloud-forest environment of great biodiversity. Ranging through seven different forest types, the park is home to 630 different plants, 200 species of birds and more than 20 species of mammals, including spectacled bear, deer, bobcat, armadillos, two-toed sloths and monkeys.

We return to the hotel where dinner is served in the evening.

After breakfast this morning we transfer to the airport for our flight to the city of Pereira, in the heart of the Colombian Coffee Region. On arrival we will check into our hotel and in the afternoon depart on an excursion to a typical coffee plantation, travelling through the Coffee Cultural Landscape which has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Once in the farm, we will learn all about the process of coffee in an interactive way and visit different parts of the farm. We will then have a presentation from a local expert who will explain the characteristics and qualities of traditional Colombian coffee, followed by a tasting (and smelling) of two types of coffee and of course a cup of the finished product – perhaps the freshest you’ve ever tasted!

Our tour continues to Buenavista, a typical village of the region where we have a short stop to visit the principal square and its surroundings, before returning to the hotel in Pereira for dinner.

This morning we transfer to the Finca La Romelia where we will see a large selection of orchids and other native plants. The owners have devoted more than half their lives to the collection, study and conservation of these plants and will no doubt share their enthusiasm with us. We return to the hotel, with the remainder of the day at leisure and dinner in the evening.

Today we transfer to the municipality of Calarca, home to a spectacular butterfly vivarium and a beautiful natural forest with a huge bio-diversity - over 600 species of plants, 70 species of birds and 2,000 species of butterflies. Our visit includes a guided tour by an expert in environmental interpretation. Dinner in the hotel.

We enjoy a day on the road today as we head for Medellín, just over 200km to the north. Travelling through mountainous, richly forested countryside and stopping en route for refreshments (not included) the journey will take around six hours, with the afternoon at leisure in our hotel and dinner in the evening.

We spend today exploring the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ as Medellín is known, due to the pleasantly warm climate that prevails all year round. It is certainly a more appealing title than ‘Murder Capital of the World’, as it was known in the 1990s at the height of the drugs wars, but those days are long gone and today the city is a friendly, welcoming place with a significantly lower crime rate. On our panoramic tour we will see El Poblado neighbourhood; the financial, hotel and commercial centre; Nutibara Hill, at the top of which is a replica of a typical Antioquian village, and the Botanical Garden.

We continue with visits to The Explora Park, The Park of Desires, The Barefoot Park, The Metropolitan Cathedral and Botero Square, where 23 outdoor bronze sculptures by Colombian master Fernando Botero are exhibited. We will see the extensive metro transport system which has been the subject of major investment by the city fathers.

Today we will find out all about the Silleteros, local people who grow and sell flowers, usually made up into extravagant wreaths and other displays known as silletas. The Silleteros are closely linked to the history of Antioquia when roads were impassable and did not allow the use of pack animals. The Silleteros instead carried products (and people) on their own backs using chairs or saddles. After a visit to a traditional farmers’ market where we will be able to buy products and crafts from the village we continue to El Pensamiento, a where we will learn of the history, culture and traditions of saddle making, similar to those used on a Flower Parade every year. A delicious lunch of typical local dishes is included.

Today we transfer to the airport at Medellín for our internal flight to Cartagena. On arrival we transfer to our hotel where the remainder of the day will be free to relax, with dinner served in the evening.

This morning we depart on a tour around Cartagena de Indias, to give the city its full colonial name. The tour starts at the modern neighbourhoods of Bocagrande and Manga, where we will see the contrast between modern architecture and the old houses from the twentieth century. Then we will visit the Castle where the Spaniards sought to protect the city from the attacks of the English in the seventeenth century, El Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas. We conclude with a walk around the historic central area, visiting the San Pedro Claver Church and the Emerald Museum. 

In the afternoon we transfer to the town of Santa Rosa, where we visit the nature reserve of La Ciénaga. Upon arrival, we will be greeted with a welcome drink before taking part in various activities, such as fishing, hiking to the Iguanas Bridge and observing the local flora and fauna or taking a train ride round the reserve. The visit ends with a tree planting ceremony and the opportunity to sponsor a tree.

Today is free to relax in the hotel or shop and sightsee at leisure. Alternatively, join our optional excursion to Galerazamba. Upon arrival, you will have a panoramic tour of the town, which was the birthplace of India Catalina an important native of the colonial period who served as an interpreter for Don Pedro de Heredia, the founder of Cartagena.  However, the current attraction of this district is the pink sea, a phenomenon caused by a microorganism called Artemia salina that lives in the salty waters and it only occurs in the dry season from December to March.

This morning after breakfast we check out of the hotel and travel to Cartagena airport for our return flight to London via Bogotá. 

Included meals: breakfast & in-flight

Arrival is due in London this morning, when the group will disperse or make onward connections.

Included meals: in-flight only