Solo Traveling Colombia

People often think twice about visiting Colombia, as portrayed in movies with drug cartels and prostitution.  My 1-month journey alone as a solo female traveler to both touristy and remote locations proves the stereotype wrong. Colombia is blessed with Sunny beaches, tropical national parks, parties that do not end, and more color than you could imagine! 

In this post, I will cover some touristy destinations like The Cocora Valley, Medellin, Bogota, and Cartagena, as well as less-traveled destinations such as the River of Seven Colors and the Tatacoa Desert.

Canal Cristales - River of Seven Colors

Canal Cristales video - dive underneath!

Not many people know about the River of Seven Colors internationally, let alone visit. To get there, you can take a regional flight from Bogota to the town of La Macarena. It operates about three times a week and only takes about 30 people per flight. Book in advance! Let me know if you need help. You’d have to hire a local guide or go on a tour since it’s in a protected area run by indigenous people.

When there, I stayed at a local ranch close to the river. It’s the only accommodation within the river area at the time of writing. All other tours go from the town, where you take a boat down an Amazon-like canal filled with turtles, egrets, and other wildlife. 

Once there, taking the jeep to the ranch was about 30 minutes. And we hiked the next day to the river of seven-color.

Parrot at the rustic ranch, expect simple accommodations and enjoy the village life!

The fun doesn’t end there…We rode horses to visit local families. On the way it rained, and all the goats gathered under the tree to shelter from the rain. Took a boat ride in the mystic and quaint …. Lagoon.

Overall it was a very good 4 days to unwind from the busy city life. I highly recommend it if you have the time and flexibility to get there.

Desierto Tatacoa - Tatacoa desert

Right after I visited the Tatacoa desert, and embarked on my first time glamping journey under the milky way.

Glamping with steak, wine and starry night

Getting there was not very easy. First, you had to take a bus from Bogota to Neiva. There are multiple terminals in Bogota with different departure times, so I recommend going one day ahead to learn about the departure time, as terminals are quite spread out. Then I spent a night in the city of Neiva. Waking up early, I took another bus from Neiva to Villavieja. Finally, I took a motorcycle for 40 minutes to get to the clamping area. Treacherous, but worth it!

The area is declared a UNESCO archeological park. There are unique red and grey rock formations. The lands are not very stable, so to protect the area I don’t recommend climbing up and down those hills. Altho I did regardless and got scolded:)

Here’s some drone footage of my solo hike!

Now the touristy part…

Cocora Valley

From Bogota, take a flight to Pereira or Armenia and a bus to Salento. I miss heard 6 for 5 and missed the bus, but was able to take the cab to the city for 40$. They would charge you a toll, in addition to the fee indicated by Uber. 

Arriving in Salento, I stayed in the greenest and most idyllic hostel with a big garden. Check out the drone footage I took of the hostel!

The must-do in this area is the hike to Cocora Valley. First, you go to the town center to get on a colorful jeep. The jeeps depart whenever they get full. I was there around 9 am and waited 20 minutes. Once there, you can hike the valley or hire a horse to do some of the walking for you. It’ ’s quite muddy so not recommended on rainy days. Dress accordingly for your bum full of mud sliding down:) 

Pictures in Cocora Valley

And not to be missed, is the Instagram-worthy post signs near the entrance. You pay a small fee to enter those little gardens to take pictures. Is it worth it? you tell me!

The little town is also riddled with local restaurants with delicious food. I recommend the rainbow trout. It’s fresh delicious and rainbow color!

Bogota

Next up we have Bogota. Not a big city person but the highlights would be the murals in the city. I would love to explore the nightlife but I didn’t get a chance to. So consider staying in an idyllic hostel ( https://www.viajerohostels.com/es/destinos-colombia/salento/) with a lush garden to hang out with some friends! 

Cartagena and the Rosario Islands

Finally, you can’t miss Cartagena and its vibrant boat parties on Rosario Islands, a  small archipelago made up of 27 tiny islands. This tour goes to three islands in a day for the party and delicious seafood(included). It was pretty hectic, so I also stay at a hostel ( https://secreto.com.co/) on one of the islands for one night to unwind. It was a very beautiful and quaint hostel! Feels more like a retreat.

Other suggestions

Another unmissable is the monolith (giant rock) La Pedra

Coming to Colombia, if you are a big fan of Salsa, you should visit Cali to dance the night out. If you want to get to know the history of Colombia, its infamous past, the hope of its people, and its quickly developing economic future, I recommend you visit Medellin. I took some free walking tours. This tour goes to the Commune 13, once a dangerous neighborhood, transformed into a safe refuge for the displaced to find comfort through art and alternative tourism. Another must-do is the landmarks of Medellin. I also did the museum and found the history interesting. I don’t recommend food in Colombia, but some tours go to market place if you are feeling adventurous. 

The End

Are you planning a trip to Colombia soon? Ask me anything, and shoot me a message if you need my help planning! I hope you find my solo travel in Colombia inspiring.