The atmosphere in the hotel banquet room was festive and anticipatory as welcome speeches kicked off the opening ceremony of AdventureNEXT Latin America – Bogotá. As one of ATTA’s hosted buyers, along with many of the other attendees, I had just returned that afternoon from a pre-adventure to experience Colombia’s regions of Cundinamarca, Boyacá, and Bogotá.
We were still buzzing with enthusiasm from our rewarding adventures and riding the familiar traveler’s high of having explored a new destination. Simultaneously exhilarated, tired, and refreshed in the way the best adventures tend to leave you, we were now excited to learn more about Colombia in the coming days of the event.
In the corner of the large ballroom, a handful of uniformed police officers appeared against the wall. The scene struck me as surprising, but I reasoned that perhaps having a police presence at an event of this size is typical. While I was well aware of the nagging stereotypes that cast a shadow over Colombia’s reputation as a tourism destination – for years, the people of Colombia have worked to heal from the social and economic impacts of cartels and conflicts – I also knew the 2016 peace treaty had signaled a new era.
Sure enough, as the welcome speeches concluded, the police officers picked up instruments and took their spots at the microphones – as the band, they were there to entertain, share their traditional music, and join in the celebration of their amazing country. The theme of the event, “Music as an instrument of peace,” gained added clarity for me at that moment.
Thanks to Colombia’s ongoing peace efforts, the spotlight is now shining on the country’s cultural traditions, variety of landscapes, and burgeoning culinary scene. At last, this diverse, vibrant, and spirited destination has been revealed, which is now solidly on the radar of international travelers.
So what makes Colombia so appealing to travelers? Luckily, I had a chance to find out for myself.
Colombia can be described as a microcosm of South America, with five geographic regions all within its borders: the peaks and alpine region of the Andes mountains, the Amazon rainforest, the Caribbean, the northern desert and grassland plains of los Llanos, and the Pacific Coast.
I find this diversity incredibly appealing. Perhaps this is because I call New England home and am delighted by the fact that I can hike a mountain in Vermont in the morning and eat a fresh lobster roll in Maine for dinner. Similarly in Colombia, it is possible to hike among the wax-palm dotted hills of Colombia’s coffee region in the morning, and by the afternoon stroll along a sun-soaked, tropical beach on Colombia’s Caribbean coast.
On the pre-adventure tour I joined, our group ventured to the Eastern Ranges of the Colombian Andes. We reached an elevation of 10,000 ft visiting Chingaza National Park and were treated to stunning, unique, high-altitude scenery. Only a couple hours drive from Bogotá, the páramo landscapes were somehow desert-like and subtropical all at once, and we kept our eyes peeled for the bear, deer, and Andean condors which call this protected area home.
Beyond varied landscapes, Colombia boasts diverse ethnic and cultural influences. The country’s population consists of people who are of Spanish and African ancestry, as well as Indigenous peoples who have lived in the region well before the arrival of Europeans. Our group barely scratched the surface of learning about Colombia’s Indigenous populations with a visit to Bogota’s Gold Museum. In 2018 this museum was named one of the best museums in the world because it displays the world’s largest collection of pre-Hispanic gold. Our guide gave the religious and cultural background to some of the more famous gold pieces, allowing us a glimpse into Colombia’s pre-colonial past through the artwork of ancient artists and artisans.
We also had the opportunity to visit modern day artisan in the colorful village of Raquira, the second of two small towns we visited, and well-known throughout the country for its pottery. Here we visited a small, but famous pottery maker. He and his family welcomed us to their home where we learned the traditional and labor intensive craft of making pottery by hand.
The other small town we visited was UNSECO World Heritage site Villa de Leyva, founded in 1572 and known for its well-preserved Spanish-style architecture and picturesque cobblestone streets. Not only ground zero for architectural charm, it is also home to one of the best desserts in the country—milhojas. Milhojas translates to “thousand sheets,” which accurately describes the innumerable layers of impossibly thin and crispy puff pastry filled with cream and dulce de leche. I hadn’t expected to find one of the best desserts (if not the best dessert?) I had ever eaten in a small town in Colombia, but you never know when a meal is about to change your life.
Having admittedly no experience of Colombian food prior to my arrival, it quickly became apparent that the cuisine here was a highlight. Meals on our tour were critical for refueling after a busy day of adventure, of course, but our guides also used them to full advantage. We learned about the various dishes and gained some insight into the culture and traditions of Colombia: from beloved ajiaco (a Colombian soup), to salty snack food (Achiras de Huila), they also impressed us with the massive variety of colorful fruits grown throughout the country and even proved with how delicious skewered chicken hearts could be.
The gastronomy wasn’t the only surprise Colombia had for me. Prior to my arrival in Bogotá, I had read about a walking tour of the city’s graffiti; I associated graffiti with tagging and vandalization, not art. But the street art of Bogotá was beautiful, clever, and soulful – the colorful murals and cheeky scenes radiated a sense of unity and optimism.
In my short time there, Colombia’s geographic and ethnic diversity, fascinating history, delicious cuisine, and warm, inviting culture were a joy to experience and full of surprises. Like most great adventures, I am already asking the obvious question: When can I go back?
About the Author:
Kristen Bernarsky is a Destination Manager at Boundless Journeys, a Vermont-based tour operator. She has traveled extensively throughout Asia, and previously taught English in Taiwan before returning home with two adopted street dogs. She regularly hikes and skis the trails of Vermont.
Founded in 2003, Boundless Journeys offers exceptional walking, hiking, trekking, sea kayaking, wildlife safaris, and cultural tours to more than 30 countries. Many Boundless Journeys tours have been recognized as a “Tour of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Traveler magazine, and the company is a multi-year winner of Travel + Leisure “World’s Best” Tour Operators.
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