LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Essential Colombia
FIVE TO EIGHT WEEKS
This loop includes Colombia's best colonial cities, beaches and pre-Columbian sites. It encompasses a big area so be prepared for a few long distance bus trips. You'll need five weeks to travel this route properly, more if you plan on trekking or diving.
This itinerary takes in the major sites of the country.
From Bogota, travel north to Villa de Leyva. Explore for two days, then visit San Gil for some hiking and rafting, and make time for historic Barichara. Passing through Bucaramanga and Giron, continue to quaint Mompos. Next is Cartagena, the jewel of the Caribbean. You'll need at least a week to explore Cartagena, Santa Marta and other attractions on the Caribbean coast. It's also possible to take a side trip to the islands of San Andres and Providencia.
From the Caribbean, bus your way southwest to Medellin, with a side trip to Santa Fe de Antioquia. Next jump to Cali, visiting regional highlights such as the spectacular 'coffee country' (Zona Cafetera).
From Cali, travel south again to Popayan, Tierradentro and San Agustin. Return to Bogota by plane or bus, or continue south to Quito in Ecuador. Do the route in reverse if you're heading for Venezuela.
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