My Trip with Terracotta: Sheena’s Colombia Travel Journal
Here at Terracotta, we take great joy in hearing about the trips we’ve planned for our treasured clients. So it was exciting to receive this captivating travel story from Sheena, who traveled to Colombia in December 2019 to celebrate Christmas and see in the New Year. After helping Sheena explore Latin America on several solo trips, Colombia rose to the top of her list as she planned a special adventure with a lifelong friend, Krishieka.
For fans of incredible food, nature, immersive local experiences, and unforgettable hiking Colombia is the perfect destination — which made it an easy decision for Sheena. The country is home to soaring mountain ranges, endlessly energetic cities, and welcoming locals who love to dance!
Without further ado, here’s a first-hand glimpse into Sheena and Krishieka’s fabulous Colombia journey as told by Sheena herself.
BOGOTA
We only had a day and half in Bogota but it’s enough if you are looking to explore more of the country (unless you’re planning on hiking — the Andes splits into three in Colombia, which is home to three mountain ranges). The gold museum is a great stop, with artifacts originating from the Indigenous Quimbaya people, who were mostly massacred by the Spaniards. Like the Incas and Mayans, the Quimbaya saw gold as a sacred product rather than direct wealth, and the artifacts were offerings.
Beer is often referred to as “Pola”, named for a spy in Bogota. She was a designer and easily navigated the Spanish elite, gathering intelligence. Sadly she was killed a month before independence, but is remembered with fondness. A limited edition beer called “La Pola” was launched to celebrate 100 years of independence — and the name stuck!
Gastronomy with local produce is a huge focus and we saw this throughout our trip. Colombian’s are proud of their country, diverse produce and mixed cultural influences from their past, and eager to share with the world that there is more to Colombia than corruption and cartels.
Colombia has an incredibly wide selection of fruits that are so unique. I had two favorites by the end: Lulu, which has a sweet/sour citrus type flavor; and Guanabana, a creamy cross between coconut and lychee!
ARMENIA
Next, we flew to the historical city of Armenia to explore the main coffee region which is in the Cocora Valley which is also a great base for day hikes or multi-day treks. We kept it to one day so we could explore more of the region, and stayed in a beautiful hacienda called Bambusa, which has only eight rooms and is home to a cocoa plantation. Horse riding is another way to see the Cocora Valley and you don’t have to be an expert rider at all. My top tips if you’re a beginner are to ask for a tame horse, and move your feet forward when crossing a river!
I’d always thought that cacao was discovered by the Mayans and made as a drink with chilli. However, I learned that the fruit itself (which tastes like lychee!) came from the Amazon and was eaten well before it arrived in Mexico. Cacao as a drink was only discovered when it was taken to Mexico through trade and people smelt the rich cocoa aroma from discarded beans in the fields. From there they were roasted, spiced up and served as a beverage for the elite.
There are several coffee plantations that you can visit in the valley but I would highly recommend San Alberto. It’s a boutique company passed down through multiple generations who maintain a disciplined and conscious approach to respecting the environment, providing resources to support the local communities. They do this through employment but also by growing plants, trees, and other staple food sources to cater for the workers who are picking the coffee (other places deduct food costs from wages, which are already minimal). If you don’t make it to Armenia they have a cafe in Cartagena where you can do a mini-tasting.Another town that you must see in the Cocora Valley is Salento, the oldest in the region, founded in 1810. A very charming and picturesque town with bright colours, cobbled streets and an almost folkloric charm. We played a game called “Tejo” which is basically where you throw round weights into a wet sandpit with white markings and if you hit a marking it literally explodes as it has gunpowder underneath. We were of course terrible but we kept cheating by getting closer to the target and I finally got one to pop (and screamed when it did!).
CALI & MEDELLIN
We only spent a day in Cali, but we did happen to be there for the start of the famous Feria salsa festival, which was a lovely experience. It was a little chaotic getting to the stand and was pouring with rain, but it added to the vibe (Krish was dressed to impress with heels on, while I played it safe and opted for sandals!). It was wonderful to see Colombians across generations getting together and all moving to the music. When the parade eventually started there were some great salsa schools performing, but the showstopper for me was definitely the kids with their perfect poise, electric energy and elegance. It was great to see these stars in the making!
We absolutely loved Medellin, which was so refreshing after everything the city has been through, especially during the times of Pablo Escobar. The population grew dramatically from the 1970s to the ’90s, from 300,000 to three million, and is today around four million. During his time Pablo paid for a lot of the housing and was able to manipulate the local community in multiple ways. I didn’t see them but his grave and famous luxury prison La Catedral are popular tourist sites in Medellin.
The gastronomy influence is very prominent here in Medellin, and there are so many restaurants and bars to try interesting cocktails. We stayed at a beautiful boutique hotel, Patio del Mundo, started by a French family who fell in love with the city and wanted to build a family home there. They’ve created a wonderful cosy vibe, a few minutes from the main street with its bars and restaurants.
As with most cities there are barrios (like favelas or shanty towns) surrounding the metropolitan area, but these are now legalized and pay taxes (and probably still some protection money to local cartels). The barrios are now mostly connected by cable cars, which are a great way to get a birds eye view of the city. If you are open to visiting a barrio then Comuna 13 is a must: it’s a community that has literally risen from the ashes, following an attack by government and paramilitary forces in 2002. In 2004 people who’d been rejected by society came together, bringing music, graffiti and dance to the streets of commune 13, which is today considered a hub of creativity, and is inspiring to see. I’d highly recommend touring Casa Kolacho, a nonprofit school founded in 2009.
If you have time for a tour of the outskirts, travel designer Anna will make sure Guatapé Lake and Santa Elena are on your itinerary. Guatape has a similar vibe to Salento, with cobbled streets, bright colours and overall charm. Santa Elena is higher up but home to one of the most famous flower festivals — a nice stop on the way to Guatapé.
CARTAGENA
Cartagena is by far one of the most visited cities of Colombia, with an average of five million visitors per year. The old city is visually beautiful and it is interesting to learn about how the Spanish set up, defended then lost power here. To me, however, the overwhelming stand-out experience was the prominence of Afro-Caribbean culture and history, from the times of slavery to the communities of today, who mostly live in the country’s lowest social standards. Corruption is extreme here: with 10 mayors in less than 10 years, most people don’t bother to vote.
We had the chance to see the three peripheral towns of Boquilla, San Francisco and Palenque, but if you’re short on time, make sure you explore Getsemani, which is the bohemian area and walking distance from the old town. It has a lot of beautiful graffiti, and if you head to Trinidad Square at night you’ll get a glimpse of the music and street dance that we saw in every town. Imagine brightly colored, simple and closely set houses on either side of the streets, with a few trees dotted around, kids playing football and one or two central stores with huge speakers blasting music that makes you just want to move! The main music styles are salsa, reggaeton, bachata, and champeta — a sensual genre with Afro-Caribbean roots.
Anyone who is keen to know more of Afro-Caribbean culture historically and in the present day should meet Alex Rocha, a hugely inspiring guy from one of the poorest towns, San Francisco. Alex is a recovered drug addict who now leads tours about Afro-Caribbean history and founded a youth centre in his hometown. We got to visit the center and were humbled by the spirit and safety net he’s created for the local children. A visit to the UNESCO-listed town of Palenque is also a must. Founded in 1603 as the first free town by an enslaved person named Benko Bilajo, who escaped from Cartagena with 14 others, the town became a beacon of freedom. One of the original female settlers created maps and hid them in her hair braids to pass on to those brave enough to escape Cartagena and join them. They also had a music-oriented security system, which involved drumming loudly as a warning whenever the Spanish came close. Today they remain a proud, close-knit community who speak their local dialect Sunto, a blend of Swahili and Bantu.
RESERVA SANGUARE
My Colombia travel journal wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t share my experience at Reserva Sanguare, a magical eco-friendly reserve on the coast of Sucre, about a three-hour drive from Cartagena (well worth the commute!). The eco-lodge is perfectly situated between a dry tropical forest (only 1% left in the world!) and the glistening sea which is mostly calm, clear and so warm it’s a treat for water lovers like me. We spent two-and-a-half days swinging in hammocks, kayaking to a nearby lagoon, enjoying sunrise yoga by the sea, and a particular highlight for me was snorkeling by mangroves which are like magical underwater forests adorned in bright tropical colors.
Our stay at the reserve included all meals with exotic fresh fruits, homemade juices, and local produce — the tamarind sorbet was my favorite sweet treat! The lodge is simple but clean and I slept heavenly with the slight breeze flowing through the open window, and netting kept the mosquitos out at night.
The founders are a wonderful Colombian couple who came from Medellin 23 years ago and most of the employees have worked there for over 10 years, which really adds to the nice family-friendly ambience. The owners have one son who grew up homeschooled in the reserve and is now studying in Medellin. He was such a bright eyed, curious and vibrant young man, yet he had a deep sense of consciousness for the environment and local way of life — it was so nice to meet a different type of Xennial, or whatever they’re called! The couple had originally planned to set up a diving school then expanded it to a private eco-lodge. They mainly welcome Colombian families and environmentalist groups, but they’re starting to branch out a little. I suggested they host yoga retreats as it really is the perfect setting — a true restorative haven!
It’s clear from Sheena’s stories that the most memorable moments emerged from connecting deeply with people — and facilitating such exchanges is something of a specialty here at Terracotta. A special thanks to Sheena and Krish’s excellent guides Christian, Luis, and Alex for their help in creating such a fabulous and memorable travel experience for our treasured guests.
If you’re feeling inspired right now, drop us a line on info@terracottatravel.com or call us on +34 971 579 267 (Mallorca HQ) or +1 (949) 272–9271 (US) and start planning your own immersive adventure to your dream destination.
