Tayrona National Park is an idyllic place on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, but what for many is a relaxing beachside paradise, for me turned out to be an ordeal. A FALSE START The day I intended to travel to Tayrona National Park, the heavens opened. I'd only just returned from the epic Lost City trek and all of my clothes, which had just … [Read more...]
Lost City Trek
Grueling, relentless and uncomfortable. These are adjectives I'd use to describe the Lost City trek in Colombia's northernmost region. There's good reason that this ancient empire remained undiscovered until 1972, when treasure looters stumbled upon its corridor of stone steps. Still, without a challenge, there's no sense of achievement - and boy … [Read more...]
Barichara to Guane Walk: Pueblos Bonitos
San Gil is a fantastic city in Colombia, which has become known as the adventure capital of the country. A popular stop off between Bogota and the north coast, there are plenty of exciting activities to try out. You can read more in my posts 'Rapelling down Juan Curi' and 'Paragliding in San Gil', but something a little less scary and equally … [Read more...]
Paragliding in San Gil
There are two main ways to try paragliding in San Gil. As far as I could see, the main difference was the price. PARAGLIDING IN SAN GIL: THE OPTIONS OPTION ONE At the time of writing, you could pay $60,000 COP for a 20-minute flight in a place called Curiti, where frontal winds crash against the side of a mountain to create thermals that … [Read more...]
Rappelling Down Juan Curi Waterfall
San Gil is Colombia's prime destination for adventure sports, and one of its most unforgettable experiences is rappelling down Juan Curi waterfall. You can easily arrange a trip through most of the hostels and tour providers in town, although they tend to require minimum numbers, so if you're travelling alone it's best to book ahead. JUAN CURI … [Read more...]
First Impressions of Bogota
Despite the fact that one taxi driver ripped me off and my skin was scorched to a crisp, I'd already fallen in love with Colombia in the space of two days. This was the start of my seven-month South American adventure and things could only get better, because I was heading north from Bogota to the Caribbean coast and the Lost City ruins … [Read more...]
