Colombia

Jo Baldwin on 30 April 2017
Although I’ve travelled a lot in Central America, this was my first time in South America, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I am lucky to have friends living in Medellín, the country’s second-largest city nicknamed the “City of Eternal Spring” for its temperate weather, so this was my first port of call. The city is nestled in a steep sided valley and has worked hard to shake off its history as one of the most dangerous cities on the planet.

The cable car across Medellín is a relatively new construction and is one of the many physical signs that this city is forging a new future. Another is the sleek escalators, clean platforms and efficient service of the overland metro. The two together give Medellín a transport system that European cities would be envious of, the goal being to connect the city’s poorest residents with the city below them. As we caught the cable car out into the countryside to Parque Arvi, rising steeply out of the valley, we had a bird’s eye view of local Medellín life. Medellín’s changes extend past public transport improvements to many new libraries and public spaces. My favourite park space was the Botanical Gardens which not only showcase a vibrant array of plants but also houses a butterfly house and a fascinating science museum. Sculptures by Fernando Botero decorate downtown Medellín's Botero Plaza, while the Museo de Antioquia displays more of the Colombian artist’s work-both are well worth a visit. Families stroll here in the plaza enjoying days out, hawkers sell their wares from market stalls, and street food stands sizzle and tempt with delicious smells.

We caught a short internal flight from Medellín over to the seaside town of Cartagena on the Caribbean coast. This historic 16th-century port city is nestled alongside the Caribbean Sea and is one of Colombia’s prettiest towns. The old town is a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site with narrow cobbled streets and brightly coloured colonial architecture.

We stayed in the hip Getsemani area of town, around a 15-minute walk from the walls of the old town. Our accommodation, Casa Relax, had a lovely outdoor pool and clean spacious rooms. The Getsemani area had a great feel to it with lots of lovely cafés and restaurants, tourists mingling, and locals chatting in doorways and crowded round guitars and board games on the street. At night, it was quite lively - the bars spill onto the street and there’s music everywhere. I could have spent several days wandering round the old town and going into boutique shops and funky cafés. We also visited the castle that's on top of San Lázaro hill, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea. It was built by the Spanish during the colonial era to defend the town's great wealth from pirates - and the British. There are tunnels here to explore and amazing views - I recommend visiting at sunset to escape the heat and for the best photos facing out to sea.

One of the highlights of Colombia was the high standard of food we ate everywhere. Every meal - from cheap street eats to expensive sit-down dinners, was beyond delicious, and I’d go back again just for the food! The best street food was arepas which are corn discs that come in all different shapes and varieties from thick and cheesy to soft and sweet. The sheer variety of delicious ripe succulent fruits on offer was also mind-boggling. For breakfast, we ate the exotic Cherimoya which had an odd white gooey texture but tasted divine - like a mix of every tropical fruit rolled into one!

After a couple of nights in Cartagena, we travelled west for a beach sojourn to nearby Baru Island by road. Playa Blanca beach is crowded during the day - we arrived by shared taxi in the afternoon and had to weave our way through families on sun loungers spending a day at the beach, and numerous food and drink sellers. There are a few small hostels dotted along the beach - all of them simple, rustic bamboo buildings with basic rooms. Our room had a fan and no running water - we washed from a large bucket suspended above the floor with a tap - properly back to basics!

The on-site bar made up for what the room lacked - Piña coladas are served in fresh pineapples, and a freshly tapped coconut can be prepared in an instant. The freshly cooked fish served with fried plantain was delicious. By late afternoon the beach is almost empty except for those staying on the beach and by sunset the beach is warm, quiet and still. If water sports are your thing, there’s plenty to keep you busy at Playa Blanca. There’s scuba diving, snorkelling, jet skis and much more. The clear turquoise blue sea and white sand is the perfect backdrop to rest and relaxation, and I could have whiled away an extra week here just taking it easy. The highlight of my trip was a nighttime boat trip at Playa Blanca to see the magical, swirling bioluminescence in the water. After sunset, we set off to a nearby lagoon just behind the beach and after a quick briefing we jumped in to see the magic happen. The water temperature was the same as the air temperature - around 31 degrees - so it was like swimming in an inky warm bath. As you move through the water, the thousands of tiny star-like bioluminescent phytoplankton shine and light up like a starry sky. The bioluminescence results from a light-producing chemical reaction and can’t be caught on a normal camera. We played in the water for ages, letting the ‘light’ drip and run down our arms and creating huge swirling tornadoes of light with our legs and arms under the water. A once in a lifetime, magical experience.

I can’t recommend Colombia enough - it has been a real highlight of my travels in the past few years. There are lots of ways to see Colombia - from a twin centre like I did, or a cruise stopping off along the coast, or a more in-depth tour that takes in several different locations. It caters for everyone from a budget conscious backpacker to all out 5-star luxury. Of course, you can twin Colombia with another country nearby such as Costa Rica, Peru or the Galápagos Islands. Whatever you do and wherever you go, you’ll be met with warm smiles and find yourself immersed in a stunning natural environment with elegant architecture and towns and delicious cuisine. Call me to find out more!