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Colombia

Classic Colombia / Land of Coffee & Tayrona / Archeology & History / By the Sea / Nature Tour
Bogota / Cartagena / Amazon / Coffee Region / Pacific Region / Guajira / Rosario Islands
Tayrona Park / San Agustin / Ciudad Perdida Trek / Los Nevados Trek / Guajira Adventure

Colombia Archaeology and History:
Bogotá | San Agustín | Tierradentro | Popayán | Cartagena

Day 1 | Bogotá
Arrival to El Dorado airport in Bogotá with an intercontinental flight. Reception and transfer to the hotel. Overnight stay.
Meals: - / - / -

Day 2 | Bogotá - City T our
After breakfast, half day visit to the historic centre known as La Candelaria. This antiquated barrio is of great architectural and cultural heritage and is made up of old “stately homes” or large Spanish colonial buildings with iron windows, thick and sturdy wooden doors, balconies and internal patios with beautiful yet hidden gardens. Visit the Plaza de Bolivar, where a statue of the great liberator Simon Bolivar is located. This Plaza, originally called the Plaza Mayor, was used for civil and military purposes, as a marketplace, a bullring and a gallows. The Cathedral, on the eastern side of the plaza, is constructed on the remains of the first church built in Bogotá in 1539 and houses an important collection of religious artefacts
such as textiles and artwork that has built over four centuries. The Capilla del Sagrario is located just beside the Cathedral and is a gem of religious architecture and which houses valuable pieces of colonial religious art by Gregorio Vasquez de Arce y Ceballos. The Capitol, built between 1847 and 1926, shows its renaissance and neoclassical influences with its carved stonework and tall columns and, it is the first republican piece of civil architecture. The central area of the Capitol, known as the Salon Eliptico, is where congress meets and is the actual chamber for politicians and the Senate. In the internal plazas are busts of former presidents such as General Tomás Cipriano Mosquera, president on four occasions, and Rafael Núñez, the composer of the Colombian national anthem. Around the Plaza de Bolivar are the Palacio de Justicia, the Mayor of Bogotá’s offices
called the Edificio Liévano, the oldest school in the county called San Bartolome and the Casa de los Comuneros who participated towards the end of the XVII Century in some of the first movements towards independence from Spain and the formation of the Republic. The visit continues with the Museo Botero, a colonial house filled with works of art done by and donated by Fernando Botero in addition to artwork from his own personal collection that includes pieces by Picasso, Renoir, Dalí Matisse, Monet and Giacometti. Next is the Museo del Oro which has a permanent exhibition of some 32,000 pieces of gold, 20,000 stones, ceramics and textiles all precious to the Quimbaya, Calima, Tayrona, Sinu, Muisca, Tolima, Tumaco and
Magdalena cultures. The Museo del Oro is considered as one of the most important museums of its type internationally and it has been functioning since 1939. In 2007 it underwent a complete overhaul to make this an interactive museum that would awake senses to the objects on display and it belongs to the International Network of Museums (ICOM). Free afternoon for individual activities (we recommend visiting the city’s various museums). Overnight stay. Meals: B / - / -

Day 3 | Bogotá - Zipaquirá & Guatavita
After breakfast, departure from Bogotá to the north, towards Zipaquirá. Travelling through the Sabana de Bogotá the scenery is made of greenhouses used for the cultivation of carnations and roses. Flower production is an important industry for the hundreds horticulturalists that live in this region. After a journey of roughly 1.15 hours reach the impressive Salt Cathedral, a true feat of engineering. The name Zipaquirá refers to Zipa, the leader of the Muisca tribe and the overlord of these rich salt mines. The trip will begin in a tunnel that passes the fourteen Stations of the Cross and continues on to a dome. This dome is lit in such a way that it allows one to contemplate the universe and the relationship between man and nature. Later, reach an enormous cross carved into the rock and finally the three naves of the Cathedral that represent the birth, life and death of Christ. In the central nave is the main altar, above which is a cross measuring 16m in height and 10m in breadth, made by the Colombian artist Carlos Enrique Rodriguez and is the largest cross made from salt in the world.

After lunch, continue until the legendary Laguna de Guatavita. It is located within the forest reservation of Cacique Guatavita and Cuchilla de Penas Blancas. In this magical and mystical place, formerly inhabited by the Muisca people, it is possible to observe a great variety of flora and fauna endemic to the high altitude Andean woodlands. Notice hummingbirds, hawks, blackbirds flitting between the trees. There are also a great variety of interesting trees with exotic names such as mano de oso, uvos de monte and te de Bogotá. The legend of El Dorado came about from Muisca traditions. When the Muisca elected a new cacique he would be accompanied to the lake and bathed first in honey and then in gold dust before being launched out into the lake on a raft where they would give offerings of gold and precious stones, throwing them into the depths of the water. This ceremony and act of transformation created the legend known as El Dorado. Visit the town of Guatavita and the lake at Tomine, beautiful with its white painted houses, pretty square and tranquillity. On Sundays there is a market and so there is more movement in the town. Return to Bogotá and overnight stay. Meals: B / - / D

Day 4 | Bogotá - Neiva - Tatacoa Desert - San Agustín
Transfer to the local airport for flight to Neiva. Arrival at Neiva airport and immediate transfer to the north to visit the town of Villavieja and the Museo Palenteológico. Then, visit the Tataco Desert crossing crevasses eroded by wind and water. The trip continues 217km to the south over a paved road until San Agustín. This scenic journey allows enjoying views of the extensive floodplains of the Magdalena River valley from 700masl all the way up to 1730masl and in balmy temperatures of 20ºC just as in San Agustín. After a journey roughly 4 hours arrive at San Agustin, check
into the hotel. Dinner and overnight stay. Meals: B / - / D

Day 5 | San Agustín Archaelogical Park
Morning visit to San Agustín Archeological Park, World Heritage Site declared by the UNESCO in 1995. See these enormous stone statues up close with your own eyes; how the each raised plateau is manmade and has been created specifically for the stone monuments, making where you are trading, holy and sacred ground. You will walk on to the ceremonial Fuente de Lavapatas before heading up the hill to the Lavapatas terrace from which you can enjoy a remarkable view over the surrounding countryside. Also visit the small Museo Arqueológico. After lunch, visit to the wonderful Colombian massif and of the strait of the Magadalena River, a spectacular rocky gorge that forces the river to pass through only 2.20 meters. Drive back to San Agustín and short visit to the town. Return to the hotel, dinner and overnight stay. Meals: B / L / D

Day 6 | San Agustín - Isnos - San Agustín
After breakfast, set off for the rural town of Isnos to see further Archaeological Parks such as the Alto de los Ídolos and the Alto de las Piedras where there are some well preserved tombs that still show some of the original paintwork and some of the largest stone figures found so far. Moving between these sights gives you the breathtaking view of the Macizo Colombiano and the incredible waterfalls of Salto del Mortiño (180 Mts) and Salto de Bordones (320 Mts). Lunch in Isnos and return to San Agustín. Overnight stay. Meals: B / - / -

Day 7 | San Agustín - La Plata - Tierradentro
After breakfast, set off in the morning to Tierradentro archaeological zone, following the Central Andes and bordering the Banks of the River Paez. Pass through the town of La Plata, from where the road is unpaved. After 7 hours journey, arrival at Tierraadentro and check in a simple hotel. Dinner and overnight stay. Meals: B / - / -

Day 8 | Tierradentro - Popayán
Breakfast. In the morning visit Tierradentro Archaeological Park, a World Heritage Site since 1995. Observe incredible subterranean galleries and tombs that are called “hypogeum” in the areas of Alto de Segovia and the Alto del Duende. Then, visit the Archaeological and Anthropological museums and the population of San Andrés de Pisimbalá to see the templo docterino and the Casa del Cabildo to learn more about their history, political and economic breakdown of the Paeces community which inhabited this region. In the afternoon, leave on a 5 hours unpaved drive to Popayán, the capital of the department of Cauca located 91km away. Enjoy the journey surrounded by the Andean scenery of mountains and high altitude plains. Arrival at Popayán and check-in. Dinner and overnight stay. Meals: B / - / -

Day 9 | Popayán
After breakfast, HALF DAY CITY TOUR IN POPAYÁN. Visit to the historic center of town founded in 1537, concentrating on Parque Caldas. Around the Parque Caldas are the main religious and government edifices, as well as the city’s original buildings such as the Torre del Reloj, considered one of the symbols of the city, built between 1673 and 1682 and set in 1737. Continue
towards the Puente de Humilladero, built in 1873 to facilitate access from the city center to El Callejón (currently barrio Bolívar) up a steep rise, particularly for those pilgrims making the journey on their knees. Visit to the Iglesia de Santo Domingo, a baroque style church designed by the Spanish architect Antonio García and commissioned by the Arboleda family, the Iglesia de San Francisco, considered the most beautiful baroque church in town, and the Panteón de los Próceres. Visit the Museo de Arte Religioso, which houses an interesting collection of religious art, and the Casa Museo Mosquera, the Settecento style house that belonged to General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera.Return to hotel and overnight stay. Meals: B / - / -

Day 10 | Popayán - Cartagena
After breakfast, transfer to the local airport for flight to Cartagena (vía Bogotá). Upon arrival, transfer and hotel check-in. Overnight stay. Meals:
B / - / -

Day 11 | Cartagena City Tour
Half day visit to the city’s colonial district, starting in Parque Bolívar, which is surrounded by large tress and four fountains with a statue of El Libertador in the center. Around the square, the Museo del Oro, which exhibits pre Hispanic objects, and the Palace of the Inquisition, recognizable from its baroque entrance door. The meetings of the tribunal took place in the palace, and it housed the prison and torture chambers for the alleged opponents of the Catholic church. The visit continues to the Santo Domingo church and the cathedral to end in the Ramparts and the Museo de Las Fortificaciones. Free afternoon for individual activities. Overnight stay. Meals: B / - / -

Days 12 & 13 | Cartagena
Free day for individual activities. An excursion to the Archipiélago del Rosario is recommended. Overnight stay. Meals: B / - / -

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Day 14 | Cartagena - Bogotá
Breakfast and transfer to the airport for flight to Bogotá. Meals: B / - /