March 27, 2020

Your Destination Awaits in Colorful Colombia

Picture of Mary Felt
Mary Felt

From Sharon Organista

Start Planning Your Future Experience

Looking to the future, we will continue to provide you with travel inspiration from across the globe. And when you are ready, whether now for a local getaway to destress or at a later time when world travel reconvenes, we will be here for you. And if 2020 is on your radar, we feel that the current lenient cancellation policies, together with wide availability, will provide you the freedom to choose from a variety of ideal travel experiences. For those needing bit of distraction now, a visit to Montecito Village Travel is a good place to start.

Experience Cartagena 

After a short flight from Bogota, you arrive in Cartagena. Where you leave behind the cooler weather and high elevation of Bogota to the warm, sea level and humid climate of Cartagena. Cartagena is surrounded on all sides by the Caribbean sea and was built by the Spaniards in the 1600s, it is the greatest fortress ever built in a Spanish colony. This was the first Spanish colony on the South American mainland and was one of the main ports for the Spanish fleet which turned the city into an important center of trade in the 16th century. Cartegena is a charming city with narrow cobbled stoned streets, colonial architecture, a Caribbean vibe, and great food. Over the years Categena has been an inspiration for artists, writers, historians and musicians and is vibrant and colorful which makes tourists want to stay and explore for days. You will see the influence of African, indigenous and European cultures and cuisines. Half of our group is dropped off at the Sofitel and half at the Charleston Santa Teresa in the late morning. We drop our bags and freshen up a bit and are off to the Casa San Agustin for a hotel inspection and lunch.

Colombia-1Enjoy enticing cuisine with Coco Woods ceviche and fish marinated in lemon, coconut milk, onion, chili pepper, fresh cilantro, coconut foam served with banana chips. This is arguably some of the best ceviche and the presentation is beautiful— ceviche pouring out of a half coconut— followed by a salmon filet with an orange glaze served over a bed of greens, sweet corn, mushrooms, scallions, cherry tomatoes and tomato butter sauce, topped by a Nispero flan with zapote foam and aged rum. After a sumptuous lunch get dropped back at the hotel to get ready for another hotel inspection at the Charleston Santa Teresa. The Charleston Santa Teresa is an old convent converted into a hotel. It boosts a rooftop pool which overlooks the Old City and the new city and offers beautiful vistas of both. Enjoy a refreshing drink at the pool before going onto to your next adventure —crazy salsa lessons. Crazy Salsa lessons is in the second story of a building located in the Old Town area. Practice several dance moves while enjoying the fast beat of the music. 

Afterwards, head to a park and restaurant on the walled portion of the city which is very close to the Charleston hotel. Enjoy a cool breeze as the sun sets at the Café Del Mar and Casa de la Cerveza. Strolling around are women dressed in colorful dresses reminiscent of the African influence in this area. Some are carrying fruits in containers upon their heads. Afterwards head back to your hotels to freshen up before being picked up for dinner at a restaurant called El Santisimo. The restaurant offers a wide range of ceviches, carpacchio, scallops, shrimp cocktails and more. End the evening as your next day will be an early start after breakfast. Head off for an early morning visit to the local Mercado to pick-up your supplies for a cooking class with Cristina from the restaurant Oh! La La. Arrive at Bazurto located at the waters’ edge, about 4 km from the city center, it’s filled with stalls of the freshest fruits, vegetables, meats and fish. Some locals describe it as an all out assault on the senses. This is a place for adventurous only. The walkways and alleys are very uneven and in some areas you are squeezing past vendors who are cooking on open stoves, so you need to pay close attention to where you are walking.

Immersive Culture

If you are interested in doing Bazurto to do it with a local guide and arrive early. The vendors start early in the morning to be open for the restaurants wanting to pick up fresh items for the day. The vendors seem to be hard working people, and always smiling and quick to greet you. Once back at Oh! La La restaurant you will be excited to start learning how to cook some new dishes… Colombian style. Oh! La La is located in one of hippest neighborhoods of Cartagena. It has a high ceiling and tall windows, a food bar and some nice long wooden tables for seating groups or individuals, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a French / Colombian flair. Our cook Cristina starts our class by soaking vegetables in a water and vinegar solution.

Colombia-2You can venture to Baru via speedboat. The trip takes about 50 minutes and you will arrive at a mangrove cove clearing at the Hotel Las Islas. You will be greeted by a friendly staff with a refreshing fruit drink and cold towels. Your luggage will be taken to your rooms and you will be taken in golfs carts for a brief tour to familiarize where everything is located. Wooden walkways wind throughout the property. Some rooms have a tree-top bungalow overlooking the jungle and Caribbean sea, with a wonderful view with the benefit of a cool breeze. The resort offers, bicycles, snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaks. The hotel also has a wonderful spa and several restaurants.

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