Colombia, what to see: the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena

If you are visiting the country of salsa for the first time, a valid and recommended itinerary may consist of Bogotá where you will land, Medellin And Cartagena. I did that and my mind is still there. To understand Colombia and what to see, we have described a journey through the three most important cities in the country.

Bogota

First of all, the capital is located at an altitude of 2640 meters so don't take it for granted that it is hot always and everywhere in South America because this is not the case. Stroll aimlessly through the streets of La Candelaria, its paved center, designed by colonial monuments such as the neoclassical Teatro Colón and the 17th century Iglesia de San Francisco, it is here that you will have the first two stops to make, close but different. One is reserved for Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia where you can see, among other La Puerta Falsa 1816 with the typical ajiaco, the soup with potatoes, corn and chicken, accompanied by cream and capers, a super local must.

Bogota Colombia January 10 2015 People scattered along the street outside the Primatial Cathedral of Bogota.  Vendors...
Bogota, Colombia – January 10, 2015: People scattered along the street outside the Primatial Cathedral of Bogota. Vendors and pigeons can be seen by the street.holgs

You will have to go up the mountain by cable car to visit the Sanctuary of Monserrate on the imposing eastern peaks of the city at an altitude of 3,150 meters and admire the entire city but be careful, according to legend the couple who arrives up here together will be destined to separate. However, if the height causes you trouble then go to the Paloquemao market where you can taste dozens of types of unknown fruit and have a brunch based on lechona (succulent pork stuffed with rice), one of the places where you can find the soul of the Bogotans, as is true for all markets around the world.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena
Jorge H Gonzalez G

Finally, the part that moved me the most, the restaurant Leo where you can meet two far-sighted and passionate women in whose hands there is all the culture (even edible) of Colombia and its indigenous communities. We know how strong the role of the kitchen can be and in this case you will realize it. You will have to arrive in the trendy district of Chapineroin the north-eastern part of the city, and enter this gastronomic temple. Leonora Espinosa And Laura Hernandez, mother and daughter, same enthusiasm and above all the same gaze, profound and noble at the service of the culture of their country. You will learn a lot but above all you will have fun among the dishes of the restaurant on the ground floor, based on unknown fruits, caiman meat and giant fish from the Amazon, different species of ants, larvae, cocoa and wonderful coffees that codify an unexpected, ethical, which supports the indigenous communities that inspire it, a true encyclopedia of flavours.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena
Jorge H Gonzalez

And then there is upstairs The Hall of Laura where the young sommelier uses ingredients from the different Colombian ecosystems, distilling them and using them in the innovative proposal of avant-garde cocktails based on fermented drinks made from mead, coca leaves, guava or gulupa, inspiring a unique and creative mixology.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena
JORGE GONZALEZ GZONA PH

All in the name of their most important project, the Funleo, a foundation that has been working closely with international cooperation agencies, government organizations and NGOs for more than a decade to enhance the gastronomic traditions and biological and intangible heritage of Colombia. Promotion of a food culture that enhances the potential of traditional cuisine, biodiversity and national identities.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena
SIMON BOSCH PHOTOGRAPHY

To further discover the modern cuisine of Bogotá which is setting the trend thanks to the most popular chefs of the moment, opt to book a table also at El Chato and from Humo Negro.

Medellin

With an hour's flight you will arrive in Medellín and you will experience a completely different atmosphere. The city of eternal spring, is the capital of Antioquia, a mountainous province of Colombia where beyond those mountains that surround it there is the Caribbean coast. The inhabitants are called “paisa”, from the word “paisana”, which means “farmer”, but things have changed since this city was the symbol of drug trafficking, violence and poverty, blossoming over the decades into a cosmopolitan center definitely more fascinating and safe.

Famous District 13 of Medellin Colombia South America
Famous District 13 of Medellin, Colombia, South AmericaMikadun

Although there are tours dedicated to Pablo Escobar who founded the Medellin cartel here, they are frowned upon by locals, who are keen to forget the city's violent past. The most virtuous and concrete example is the Municipality 13, once the most dangerous neighborhood in the city, today one of the main tourist attractions, with groups of travelers wandering its graffiti-filled streets. It is fun to witness the many groups of young people who show their dancing skills here by putting on shows along the streets or enter the numerous small art houses with which numerous street artists work. The appearance is that of a huge favela but finally sunny and perpetually with music, easily visited thanks to the modern system of open-air escalators that connects the communities of Comuna 13 to the center of Medellín. All its members work so that it progresses more and more, including the young guides to go around with as in the case of the kids of the organization Kolacho House which allowed us to discover its most characteristic places. Once you have tasted Cremas Doña Consuelo's typical mango ice cream, you will be ready to return to the down town.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena

In the heart of the city there is a special place opened in 2008 by the chef couple Rob Pevitts and Carmen Angelis called Grupo Carmen and it is more than a restaurant, it is a set of concepts and proposals, under a single roof: the Sushi Bar By Moshi, a tribute to Asian preparations interpreted with local products where small-scale sustainable Colombian fishing is celebrated with a Japanese proposal, the Don Diablo steakhouse specializing in expertly seasoned 100% Colombian meat, the Carmen on two floors, complete with a cocktail bar and pleasant garden which allows it to welcome a large audience and satisfy different cravings, and the jewel in the crown XO. which is a cultured and tasty synthesis of local artisans, native fishermen and farmers where new Colombian preparations take shape.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena

Being in one of the central streets of the Poblato area, the busiest neighborhood in the city, don't spare your energy and immerse yourself in the party that the paisas keep going until the morning, there's no shortage of clubs, you just have to choose. Finally, you won't be able to leave Medellín without drinking one of its best coffees, take your pick Parchment 11B or the Velvet to savor the most persuasive single origin specialty coffees that smell of the Antioquia mountains.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena

Cartagena de Indias

The triangle of Colombian taste and beauty, after Bogota and Medellin, is fulfilled in the splendor of Cartegena de Indiasthe city on the Caribbean coast with a totally different culture where in the morning you can eat turtle-based dishes in the Bazurto market (book a tour with the effervescent Kristy Ellis of the organization Cartagena Connections) and when the sun goes down, experience one of the most energetic cocktail bars in the world, Alquimico, until dawn. Everything is seasoned with champeta, the vibrant local music that you will hear from arrival until departure, and which obviously you will have to dance with the locals.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena

One place above all to take into account is the restaurant Celele with the kitchen of Jaime Rodriguez demonstrating that the dishes are not enough to make the difference but it is the team and passion. A family of very young chefs work in this welcoming, informal and relaxed restaurant in the lively Getsemaní neighborhood, where some of the most interesting dishes in South America are served, rich, punchy in flavor and color such as crab from the San Bernardo archipelago with arepa (unmissable in the Colombian edible flag), seasoned with chopped sweet chili pepper and vegetable foam.

colombia what to see

Cartagena is a little gem and it is a pleasure to walk in the old city, still surrounded by walls and dating back to the 16th century: squares, cobbled streets, colorful colonial buildings from the lively facades, flowered balconies, the streets with artists' galleries and the explosion of street art, it is here that you can still witness, despite the enormous tourism that has now invaded it, the evocative scenes of daily life. Take the ritual photos and head to two exceptional bars. You will have to visit both. The first and quietest is El Baron by Juan David Diazspecial not only for the goodness of the cocktails but for the possibility of drinking them while sitting among the tables in Plaza de San Pedro Claver, one of the most fascinating in Cartagena.

Colombia what to see the stops and places not to be missed from Bogota to Medellin to Cartagena

The second is pure energy, Alchemical (ninth in The World's 50 Best Bars) is the perfect place on three floors where mixed culture and celebration in full Caribbean style until dawn and on a large rooftop are concentrated. Its owner, the visionary Jean Trinh, works with around twenty bartenders who on the ground floor serve signature cocktails with only Colombian ingredients, on the first the twist on classics with the flavors of the country and at the top of the building there is the “fromthebartothefarm” format where you can enjoy the drinks prepared with the raw materials grown on the owned farm. In addition obviously to the Cartagenera party which will continue until the following day, and then start again.


Source: Vanity Fair

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