Colombia Experiences, Stories & Photos from a Backpacker

Experiences & Stories:

From my own experience and hearing from others I have met who have travelled in Colombia, it is all good! The Santa Marta area on the northern coast, the small fishing village of Taganga and Tayrona National Park to the east of Santa Marta is a great experience! The city of Cartagena surrounded by the wall from old times and narrow streets has a lovely character, you can get fresh fruit salads on the street!

I spent 1 month in Colombia in September 2008 mainly in the Santa Marta, Taganga and Tayrona areas, I was also in Cartagena, Medellin and Barranquilla. Here are my experiences and story.

Barranquilla to Santa Marta: When I arrived in Barranquilla late at night it had been a very long day of 4 airplanes with 3 different airlines to get here, La Paz to Cusco to Lima to Bogota to Barranqilla. A taxi from the airport took me to a hotel somewhere in the center, a man in the lobby who was another guest insisted many times to me that he "was the doctor" while I sat there having a bite to eat and a beer, I didn't understand what this meant at the time, I needed to sleep. More

Santa Marta: I was at a hostel, in my own basic room for about $9usd per night, I went out walking around for an hour or so, it was pretty hectic out there, lots of street venders and all sorts of things going on. It was quite different from what I had seen before. More

Taganga: I spent 2 and a half weeks in Taganga and had an excellent time enjoying a holiday after being on the road for a while, it's a small fishing village just 5 - 10 minutes from Santa Marta. It's a lovely and quiet little bay with lush green mountains behind and around it, fishing boats lay on the beach and fill the bay. More

Tayrona National Park: Some friends and I took a boat from Taganga to Tayrona National Park, it takes only 40 minutes and is a real fun ride! We had stocked up on non perishable groceries the day before at the big supermarket on the main street of Santa Marta, cans, liquid and packets of things. More

Photos:

All Colombia Photos




Tayrona is a beautiful place to swim. Taganga hills from a distance. Hostel Divanga swimming pool in Taganga. Magic Tour with JD Mar, Taganga and Santa Marta. Bananas and umbrellas in Santa Marta.
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Recommended Things To Do:

Trek to La Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City) from Santa Marta up on the northern coast.

Sleep in a hammock or a tent at Tayrona National Park, enjoy the beaches, swimming and the rocks.

Mellow out in Taganga, a small and quiet fishing village, 5mins east of Santa Marta, get diving lessons at great prices, eat at the restaurants on the shore.

See the carnival in Barranquilla.

Enjoy the nightlife in Medellin.

In the south visit coffee country, or "Eje Cafetera".

The city of Cartagena is warm and pleasant with its narrow streets and fresh fruit salads.

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Links:
Colombia - Wikipedia
Colombia Contact
Lonely Planet
Weather for Colombian Cities
Art Prints and Posters
Infoplease
Travel Blogs
Colombia vs. Venezuela
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Backpacking South America
Blog: Inside South America

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Videos:

The Fishing Village, Coast and Beach of Taganga

Riding Around Taganga on Motorbikes

Taganga to Tayrona by Boat

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My Hostel & Hotel Reviews:

The Pit Stop Hostel, Medellin, Colombia (Sep 2008 - 3 nights) - A nice hostel with a great DVD watching setup, pool, kitchen and bar. Great staff too! There is huge supermarket within walking distance to pick up supplies. booking

Divanga Bed & Breakfast, Taganga, Colombia (Aug 2008 - 2 nights, Sep 2008 - 18 nights) - A very nice place to stay with an awesome swimming pool, hammocks with great food cooked by a french chef and cool staff! It's a good place to meet people who are going to or coming back from Tayrona National Park. There is an upstairs bar and eating area, enjoy! photo booking

El Miramar Hotel (The Inns at Playa Grande), Santa Marta, Colombia (Aug 2008 - 2 nights) - The best thing here is the restaurant and the woman who cooks. Maybe if the place was clean and had some work done on it they could justify charging for the internet. booking

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