Immersive tour to meet the real and authentic Colombia

Welcome to Colombia! Welcome at the airport and private transfer to your hotel. Overnight at Hotel Casa Esencia in the Laureles district, in a standard room.

After breakfast, you’ll head off to a neighborhood in evolution: *the Comuna 8: You’ll walk along the green paths of the *circunvalar garden* and enjoy a beautiful viewpoint over the city before discovering a hopeful project: community vegetable gardens. The *huerteras* open the doors of their vegetable garden for you to explore with them. These women, victims of forced displacement, then let you taste their cooking while telling you their story. Morning devoted to the exclusive discovery of a working-class district of Medellin: the Comuna 13. During Medellin’s darkest days, when it was one of the most dangerous in the world, the working-class districts gradually became scenes of cultural resistance. Today, these manifestations are reflected in artistic projects in which music plays an important role. After a tour of the neighborhood accompanied by a local guide, you’ll enjoy a musical experience and learn a little African percussion. Overnight at Hotel Casa Esencia in the Laureles district, in a standard room.

Stroll through the streets of a neighborhood steeped in history, which has made dance central to its transformation process. Today, many of the dancers who trained in Manrique have international careers: a fine model of social transformation. The tour begins at *Casa Gardeliana*, which honors Carlos Gardel, the famous tango artist. After a brief introduction to the place of music in the neighborhood, you’ll meet the founder of the *Balcon de los Artistas*, a profit dance school that offers complete dance training free of charge to local youngsters. You’ll then become protagonists of this activity by taking part in an hour-long Latin dance class.

This day of sharing culminates in a dance show by the school’s students. *Note: Monday to Friday only.* Transport between Medellin and Honda, on the banks of the Magdalena River. *Note: Journey time approx. 4 hrs. 30 mins.* Overnight at Hotel Casa de Amigos in a standard De Amigos room.

Today, sail on the Magdalena River. You embark at the port of Caracolí and disembark at the mouth of the Guarinó River. On the beach, you’ll receive an instructional workshop on line casting and congo fishing. After casting your line under the sun, an authentic Tolima *tamal* (vegetarian option available) awaits you with a local basil lemonade. Snack on Honda’s best coconut ice cream. You’ll share a privileged moment with locals during this experience in the village’s traditional kitchen and enjoy a full lunch consisting of three courses: a starter of *patacones* (plantain fritters), *viudo* as a main course (fish-based) and an ice cream with local flavors. Overnight at Hotel Casa de Amigos in a standard De Amigos room.

Immersive challenge: you’re about to spend five days in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. You’ll be welcomed by several of the communities of this region on the border with Brazil and Peru, and will be able to experience their culture and traditions. Guided tour of the charming village of Honda, considered one of Colombia’s historic towns *Note: 3 hours on foot* Drive to Honda. On the way, if you wish, you can stop off at the village of Guaduas, classified as one of Colombia’s most beautiful historic centers *Note: approx. 4 hours drive* Domestic flight to Leticia (optional, contact us). On arrival at Leticia airport, you will be met by your guide and transferred by private vehicle to km 11 of the Leticia – Tarapcá road (Multiétnico Takana), north of Leticia. Hike through the secondary forests (3-6 hrs.) of the indigenous reserve. You’ll be able to observe indigenous plantations and, if time permits, visit their traditional malokas (Huitotos and Yukunas). Lunch en route. In the evening, you’ll dine with the locals, which will also be an opportunity to converse with them and learn more about their culture. Rest in the hamacs (Maloca Agustina).

When you wake up at sunrise, you shower in the river before having breakfast at the maloca, then walk back to the road where a vehicle is waiting. After a short drive, you’ll enjoy a *fiambre* (a traditional meal preserved in a banana leaf) and continue walking towards the next tikuna community of Arara. Arrive and settle into the community (bed or hammock option). You can then discover the customs and exchange with the inhabitants before dinner. Overnight in a hammock or bed in a hostal house.

After breakfast, you walk to the port, where a canoe awaits to take you to the Amazon River. You change to a motorboat and continue your journey to the Javarí River, on the Peruvian-Brazilian border. On arrival, a vehicle takes you to the traditional maloca of the Marubo indigenous people. Visit, lunch, exchange with the community (ritual not included) and discover their traditions. In the evening, dinner with the locals and overnight in a hammock.

Breakfast and a moment of sharing with the locals before taking a vehicle to the community Atalaya do Norte and visiting the Matis maloca. Lunch on the road, learning rituals (not included) and spontaneous activities. Dinner in the community and overnight in a hammock.

*(Adjustable according to your flight time)* After breakfast, return by boat to Leticia to catch your domestic flight. Domestic flight to Bogota (optional, please contact us). Domestic flight to Riohacha (optional, please contact us). Transfer from Riohacha airport to hotel. Overnight at Hotel Taroa in Junior Suite room.

Immersive challenge: spend the next four days in the Wayuu communityThe Wayúus (or Wayus, or Wahiros) are an Amerindian people who have occupied the Guajira peninsula since the 1st century BC. A fierce people, unlike most of the indigenous peoples of Latin America, the Wayúus did not allow themselves to be subdued by European invaders. Mid-day departure by 4X4 from Riohacha towards Bahia Honda. Your first stop for lunch is Uribia, a young town and indigenous capital. After lunch, you’ll leave the road for a dirt track and start to head into the La Guajira desert. In the late afternoon, you’ll reach the beaches of Bahia Honda for a short walk before admiring the sunset over the Caribbean Sea. This is usually when the fishermen return with their nets. With them, you’ll discover this age-old culture while enjoying a typical meal. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn traditional cooking techniques. *Note 1: You’ll be accompanied by a Wayúu guide during your stay on the Guajira peninsula.* *Note 2: Approximately 4 hours’ drive.* Overnight in a rancheria (depending on your choice, in a private room with basic comforts or in a traditional Wayu’u hammock). *Note 1: There is very little accommodation in the Guajira, especially in Punta Gallinas. Note 2: You’ll sleep in a different accommodation each night

After breakfast, you’ll set off on a 5-hour hike through the Way’uu territories. You’ll then take a short boat trip to Punta Aguja, one of La Guajira’s most beautiful beaches. Arriving at Punta Aguja, you’ll spend the rest of the day listening to the legends and history of these fierce indigenous people. Overnight in a rancheria (your choice of private room with basic comforts or traditional Wayu’u hammock) *Note 1: There is very little accommodation in La Guajira, especially in Punta Gallinas. Note 2: You’ll sleep in a different accommodation each night

This morning, after breakfast, you’ll hike to Punta Gallinas at the northernmost point of the South American continent. After lunch, hike through the beautiful dunes of Taroa and discover the Punta Gallinas lighthouse, indicating the northernmost point of South America. In the afternoon, you can fish with the locals for fish or lobster, which you will prepare with the village women in the evening. You can also learn ancestral weaving techniques or help the Wayúu shepherds bring in their herd of goats for the night. In the evening, you’ll enjoy traditional dances and songs with an authentic family. Overnight in a rancheria (your choice of private room with basic comforts or traditional Wayu’u hammock) *Note 1: There is very little accommodation in Guajira, especially in Punta Gallinas. Note 2: You’ll sleep in a different accommodation each night

After a ride in a typical boat in Bahia Hondita, it’s time to head back to Riohacha, where you’ll have one last chance to admire the sublime scenery before returning to modern civilization.

*Note: approx. 5 hours’ drive. Transport between Riohacha and the Tayrona Region. *Note: 3 hours’ drive.* In the early evening, take a boat down the Don Diego River to enjoy the scenery at dusk. The colors are superb: some flowers open at this time of day, and new species of birds arrive at the end of the day to spend the night. Once on the beach, an aperitif awaits you to admire the sunset over the Caribbean Sea. Then you go fishing in the traditional way with local fishermen who show you their techniques, while a fire is prepared on the beach to cook the day’s catch. You dine on the beach under the stars, before returning to the reserve. Overnight at the Taironaka Reserve Hotel in a double Iguana room *Note: basic comfort. Rooms do not have hot water or air conditioning*

Wake up in the reserve. If you wake up early, you may be lucky enough to hear or see howler monkeys on site *Note: As the animals are free-ranging, sightings are not guaranteed* Depart for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. You follow a jungle trail to reach the Tayronaka reserve. The city of Tayronaka is an ancient lost city of the Tayrona Indians. It was the setting for the 1986 film Mission starring Robert de Niro. Accompanied by a guide, you’ll retrace the history of this ancient civilization. After touring the remains, sail down the Rio Don Diego in a buoy. After lunch, you’ll take a *lancha*, a small motorboat, down the river to the ocean. The arrival on the ocean is spectacular! Note 1: approx. 30 minutes jungle walk, easy level. Note 2: bring your swimsuit, hat and sun cream for the float trip Overnight at the Taironaka Reserve Hotel in a double Iguana room *Note: basic comfort. Rooms do not have hot water or air conditioning*

Immersive challenge: the Kogui communities resisted the Spanish conquest by isolating themselves in the mountains, thus preserving their ancestral way of life.This morning, you’ll leave your hotel and head for the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. After around 3 hours’ drive, you’ll arrive at the Kogui village and settle into your traditional accommodation. In the afternoon, share with the community and have dinner in the village. Overnight in a hammock in an indigenous hut. *Note 1: Basic comfort. No running water or electricity *Note 2: Program subject to change depending on village organization *Note 3: Approximate altitude 960m above sea level *

Today, you’ll have another chance to share with the village members and learn more about their traditions and cosmovision, as well as their agricultural techniques: yuca* (manioc), plantain banana, corn and coffee: *meals in the village and overnight in a hammock in a native hut.

After thanking the members of the community for their welcome and shared knowledge, it’s time to set off for your next destination. *Note: journey time approx. 3 hours* General recommendations – bring: warm clothing, closed shoes, mosquito repellent, sunscreen, medication as required. Overnight at the Taironaka Reserve Hotel in a double Iguana room *Note: basic comfort. Rooms do not have hot water or air conditioning*

Departure for Santa Marta, *Note: 45 min drive.* Early in the morning, drive to the Cienaga, one hour from Santa Marta. Accompanied by your local guide, fisherman and artist, you board a silent motorboat and explore the Cienaga de Santa Marta, Colombia’s largest body of water, on your way to the village of Pueblo Viejo. Here, you can watch the local fishermen casting their nets as your guide explains the specifics. Then you’re off to the stilt village of Nueva Venecia and meet the inhabitants, who live mainly from fishing. This village of 2,000 inhabitants is very impressive. It has its own school, police station and even a soccer pitch on the water. On the way, explore the mangrove and observe the numerous species of birds, some of them migratory, that inhabit the Cienaga. *Note 1: 4 to 5 hours by boat.* *Note 2: bring hat, sun cream and light clothing.* After your visit to the Cienaga, continue on to Carthagena and end the day at leisure to discover the unrivalled charm of this superb colonial town, listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. *Note 2: 4 to 5 hours’ drive.* Overnight at Hotel Casa Helda in a Standard room.

Head for the Bazurto market. *Note: approx. 15 minutes’ drive.* Far from the walls of Cartagena’s chic colonial center, the people’s market, unaccustomed to tourists, welcomes you with its thousand colors and flavors to a backdrop of Caribbean music. After shopping for fresh produce with your chef, head to the kitchen for a cooking class to learn all the secrets of Caribbean cuisine. You can then enjoy the dishes you’ve prepared, with a choice of empanadas or ceviche, coconut rice, fish, salad and patacon, or dessert and fresh fruit juice…. *Duration: approx. 5 hours.*

Departure for La Boquilla, a small village 20 minutes from Cartagena populated by the descendants of African slaves, for a drumming workshop at the heart of Afro-Caribbean culture. During this workshop, we explain the influence of drums on local history and culture, as well as the different existing rhythms (cumbia, mapalé, champeta). Guided by a native teacher, you can then put all this into practice by playing your own rhythms on the community’s drums. It’s the perfect way to immerse yourself in the Caribbean atmosphere *Duration: approx. 1 h.* Did you know? Rum is Colombia’s favorite local drink. We’d like to take you into this world with an unusual tasting session. Head to a small bar in the Getsemani district, where the owner is waiting to show you his collection of Colombian rums – and only Colombian rums – the largest in the country! You’ll discover a wide range of flavors, from bottles sold only in certain parts of the country to others sold only abroad! An original way to discover the history of Colombian rum! *Note: after the tasting, you can buy bottles of rum (limited collection or not). To be seen on site. The bottles will be delivered to your hotel the following day.* Overnight at Hotel Casa Helda in a standard room.

Until the 1960s, there was no connecting road between the main road and San Basilio de Palenque, which is why the Creole language of *Palenquero*, spoken nowhere else in the world, has been preserved. This small village, declared a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2005, has a fascinating history and is the birthplace of many Afro-Colombian music and dance styles. Arriving in Palenque, you meet your local guide, a Palenquero.* You then embark on a stroll through the village and its cultural center: visit the square and monument Benkos Bioho, the hairdresser Reyna del Kongo, the cultural house, the musician’s house Kombilesa Mi, the meeting place with the village doctor, the Coliseum Antonio Cervantes, and more. Your guide, proud of his culture, will teach you all that is special and unique about the Palenquera community. After the walk, you’ll enjoy a delicious lunch typical of Palenque. After lunch, you’ll continue on the road to Cartagena *Note: approx. 3 hours’ drive each way.* It’s time for a Salsa tour! You’ll learn the basics of salsa with a *Cartageno* teacher, then head off to two different bars to dance with the Colombians – the best way to immerse yourself in real Cartagena life! *Note: a free drink is offered in each bar.* Overnight at Hotel Casa Helda in a Standard room.

Transfer to Carthagena de Indias airport for your international flight.