I went to Colombia for the first time. It was an exciting 10 days, but there are a few things I'd skip next time.
- My partner and I spent 10 days in Colombia exploring the South American country.
- It was our first time there, and we loved visiting the Rosario Islands and trying local eats.
Colombia has blossomed into a popular tourist destination — in 2023, the South American country welcomed 5.9 million international visitors, a 24.3% increase from the year prior.
My partner and I recently embarked on a trip to Cartagena, Minca, and Medellín in search of good food, beautiful nature, and a new-to-us cultural experience.
We had a wonderful time on our 10-day vacation and would repeat much of our itinerary again if we returned. But there are some things we'd do differently the second time around.
If you're planning to visit the South American gem anytime soon, here's everything I'd recommend doing and skipping on your trip.
Our tour of the Rosario Islands was a top highlight.
Our first stop was Cartagena, and we stayed right in the middle of the historic walled city.
After spending a couple of days exploring, we participated in an organized boat tour of the Rosario Islands. The group of islands in the Caribbean Sea is one of Colombia's natural national parks.
Our daylong tour allowed us to enjoy the clear blue water and snorkel amid stunning coral reefs. Considering Cartagena was the hottest stop of our trip, we were very glad to spend a day on the water.
We also had some time to sit on the beach and enjoy a traditional Colombian lunch featuring a whole fish, plantains, and rice.
The tour was pricey ($142 a person) but so worth it.
Walking around Getsemani is a must.
Just outside central Cartagena is a vibrant, colorful neighborhood called Getsemani.
Its walls are filled with art, and many residents have set up bars and restaurants in the entrances of their homes. At night, the streets come alive like one big block party.
Visiting this area was free, fun, and definitely worth the quick walk from the walled city.
I loved sampling the local delicacies.
Tasting some local delicacies is an essential part of experiencing a new place, in my opinion.
Some of my favorite Colombian dishes were creamy seafood rice, ceviche, empanadas, arepa de huevo (an arepa filled with a fried egg), and bandeja paisa (a pork-filled plate that's popular in Medellín).
The tricky trek to our hostel in Minca was more than worth the effort.
In Minca, we chose to stay at a hostel called Masaya Casas Viejas, located on a coffee farm up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Getting there required us to take a Jeep up some rocky mountain roads, which was slightly terrifying since I have a fear of heights. But the location was so stunning that it was beyond worth it.
There was even an infinity pool overlooking the stunning greenery.
Definitely do a waterfall hike — but make sure you have proper footwear.
From our Minca hostel, we participated in an organized hike to see several waterfalls and a river.
I would absolutely do this again — the views were unmatched.
But next time, I'll be sure to pack some proper hiking boots. It was a challenging trail, and I wish I had more supportive footwear.
Prioritizing good food by making reservations in advance was the right call.
As self-proclaimed foodies, my partner and I made sure to research the restaurant scene before our trip.
Once we had a lay of the land, we made three reservations at acclaimed spots: Carmen in Cartagena, La Provincia in Medellín, and Sambombi in Medellín.
All these meals were absolutely delicious and surprisingly affordable compared to the cost of fine dining in North America. The bills were between $55 and $110 for both of us.
This strategy still allowed us to explore restaurants that called to us, too. We happened upon Tomillo, a local gem in Cartagena, and had one of our best meals of the trip there.
We stayed in zen places that gave us an escape from the hustle and bustle.
All three of our accommodations across the country were calm, quiet, and peaceful.
Although it's often tempting to book whatever's closest to the city center, we were so thankful we had a zen place to come back to after our long, busy days.
It made the trip incredibly relaxing even though we were moving around a lot.
The El Castillo gardens were beautiful, but I’d skip the museum tour next time.
On our first day in Medellín, we visited El Castillo, an old mansion-turned-museum.
Although we found the museum somewhat interesting, the guided tour was only offered in Spanish. We don't speak the language, so just observing the artifacts without context wasn't that meaningful to us.
El Castillo's gardens, however, are absolutely stunning. Next time I would bring a blanket and some snacks and have a picnic outside rather than venturing indoors.
Doing a private historic tour was great, but a group tour gives you more bang for your buck.
We ended up booking a private historic tour through our Airbnb host in Cartagena.
It was enjoyable to visit a monastery that resembled the house in Disney's "Encanto," see some incredible city views, and learn all about Cartagena's history.
But it was pricey at $90 a person.
A group tour would've cost much less and likely provided a similar experience. I later saw offerings for between $15 and $50 a person.
La Serrezuela Mall wasn’t as cool as it sounded.
I've heard that Colombia has great shopping malls. La Serrezuela Mall, in particular, was built around a historic theater and bullfighting arena.
Walking the perimeter of an old arena while perusing restaurants and cafés sounded really cool. But in reality, it was just a mall.
Unless you're looking to do some high-end shopping, I'd skip it.
I'd prefer not to get sick next time, but some things are out of my control.
We had plans to visit Comuna 13 (also known as San Javier), a vibrant and lively neighborhood with a beautiful history of resilience. Unfortunately, I got sick at the end of our trip.
We also missed our day trip to Guatapé, a colorful town known for its giant granite rock, which can be climbed to access sweeping views.
We heard from other travelers that both of these experiences were well worth it, so next time, those are top priorities for me.
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