Can't Sit Still

Rishi's Travel Adventures & Recs

Colombia

September 2022

A South American country with almost unparalleled biodiversity and a vibrant culture. Combine this with the generally amazing people I encountered during my experience here, this may be my favorite country I’ve ever traveled to.

General Tips / Notes

  • South America in general I thought more people would speak English but it’s not always the case. Would be helpful to brush up on some Spanish if that’s possible
  • If a place doesn’t have a website, or you can’t find information you need about it, try hitting them up on Instagram or WhatsApp or both. Instagram also good to see how a place looks before going
  • Everything is much cheaper here than it is in America, also useful to have some cash
  • Keep phone numbers of uber & taxi drivers when you can
  • Bargaining is an option for many goods & services
  • Always be careful. People target tourists
  • Could be a good idea to register your trip with the US by the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
  • Depending on the length of your trip, travel insurance might not be a bad idea

Medellín

Colombia’s 2nd largest city constructed in the middle of mountains & jungles and probably my favorite city I’ve ever been to. I also highly recommend checking out the next section and making a point of getting out to Guatapé for a day or two.

General Notes / Tips

  • Definitely be super careful of your belongings (cover your pockets) and be conscious & aware when out at night. My buddy got his phone stolen when we were inside a taxi, they jumped in the car we were in when it was stopped. There are areas that are unsafe that may not even seem like they are, so try to know where you are and what you’re doing at all times
  • If you’re not staying at a hostel, try popping into one (Los Patios, Viajero, etc.) and seeing if activities are available to guests (tours, day trips, bar services, parties, etc.)
  • There’s places you can just walk around and mini markets on the street/shops to pop in and whatnot. If someone walks up & asks to perform, maybe let them. I didn’t want to at first but they just kinda started singing & rapping and they were incredible

Food / Coffee

Alambique
  • Unbelievably cool restaurant with some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life, this is an absolute must stop
  • Hit them up on WhatsApp or Instagram to make reservations
  • The Mexicorea (shrimp tacos) dish might be the best tacos I’ve ever had
Carmen
  • One of the best/most famous restaurants in the city
  • They do a really nice tasting menu, would need reservations
Bonhomía
  • Cool outdoor cafe, food is good. Best sangria I’ve ever had and good drinks too
Abbiocco
  • Nice restaurant we went to for lunch with cool drinks
  • I believe it’s the same people that do the Carmen restaurant mentioned above
  • Good pork belly dish & seafood pasta dish
Cuon
  • Colombian/Japanese fusion type place, good sushi and the like
El Altar Taqueria
  • Lowkey taco spot next to Los Patios Hostel
Olivia
  • Italian place, decent wood-fired pizza
Pergamino
  • One of the most famous coffee shops there, it’s great (the area that Pergamino is in is the nightlife center Parque Lleras, you can walk around and cafe / bar hop to different places during the day time)
  • Also a good place to grab coffee beans for souvenir gifts for friends / family who like coffee

Nightlife

If you are wanting to meet people, you can probably pregame at the hostels’ rooftop bars (not sure if they would charge you or how it works for people that aren’t staying there). I stayed at Los Patios (there are 2 locations next to each other- the one on Carrera 43E has the bigger bar for nighttime and the one on Calle 11A has a pool and smaller bar for daytime) which is great and I spent a night at Viajero too which is right next to Los Patios and also a good spot. They even have pretty good food.

El Poblado
  • Pretty much the only town we went out in, seems like the place for young people and tourists which is safer than other unknown areas
Parque Lleras
  • A huge nightlife hub in El Poblado filled with awesome bars that are busy for all hours of the night
  • Most of the places listed below are in this area
Salon Amador
  • Techno club, dark with flashing lights and electronic music
  • Supposedly has (or had) the greatest sound system / speakers in the Americas or something
Discoteca Bolivar
  • Reggaeton club, DJ and dancing
Vintrash
  • Bar/club type of place (lots of floors / rooms / environments) that is pretty popular
  • Went here for Gringo Tuesday’s so it seems to get particularly poppin on a Tuesday
La Octava
  • Bar with a ball pit that wasn’t very busy on a Wednesday night (not sure about other nights)
  • Solid for a pit stop in Parque Lleras
Chupitos
  • Bar with cool aesthetics
Social Club Academia
  • Salsa/bachata bar if you’re into that
Buena Vista
  • Bar / club with multiple floors and a rooftop
787 Club Medellin
  • Massive club, almost like a big rave
  • Late late night spot

Activities

Check hostels (Los Patios, Viajero, etc.) to see if they let non-guests participate in their activities. They make it really easy. I also took a private tour which includes some of the activities listed below (Comuna 13, Plaza Botero, Metrocable) and am happy to refer anyone to my tour guide Luis, he was phenomenal.

Comuna 13
  • This is an absolute must. Graffiti tour of Medellin’s famous Comuna 13
Guatapé
  • This is also a must, but requires a bit more time (1-2 days), as it is a town about 2 hours away from Medellín
  • See next section for more details
Plaza Botero
  • Big plaza with a number of statues from a famous sculptor
Metrocable
  • Cable car that runs above all of Medellin
Pablo Escobar Tour
  • I didn’t get a chance to do this but seemed cool
Walking Tours
  • These are offered at hostels and probably other spots
  • Good way to learn some history about the city

Lodging

Los Patios Hostel
  • Very highly rated and has won a bunch of awards for being one of the best hostels in the world
  • Certainly the best big city hostel I’ve ever stayed at, and about as social as I can imagine any hostel to possibly be
Viajero Hostel
  • Right next door to Los Patios, also a solid hostel (although I would say not as great but definitely a solid second option)

Guatapé

Small Colombian town about 2 hours east of Medellin, located on a large manmade lake which has great views. There are buses that go back and forth from Medellin to Guatapé for most of the day, but if you’re with a group of people an Uber is only about $50 one way (tough to call Ubers in Guatapé, but you can get a phone number in Medellín of a driver who will come pick you up). Worth spending one night here if you have the time.

General Notes / Tips

  • Bring cash from Medellín, ATM’s are tough to come by and a lot of services here require cash
  • Tuk Tuks are the main form of travel, get some phone numbers

Lodging

Luxé by The Charlee
  • One of the coolest places I’ve ever stayed in
  • US$382/night for a paradise house that sleeps 12
  • Lots of water sport activities & a restaurant on the location
Glamping
  • There’s options if you’re into that but I think you have to book far in advance for the good ones. Not sure though

Food

Restaurante Luxe
  • Restaurant at The Luxe resort (don’t think you have to be a guest to dine) which has cool views
  • They were developing something much bigger and better when I was there so maybe it’s even greater now
La Florida
  • Small bakery with unbelievably cheap food
  • Get a buñuelo
Sorbitos
  • Mexican food
Zocarolls
  • Huge cinnamon rolls. If you have a sweet tooth, this is a must

Nightlife

Discotecas
  • There are a couple which seem to be open only on weekends. Not much of a nightlife place

Activities

Piedra de Peñol
  • The massive rock that is what Guatapé is famous for and why tourists come
  • If you do one thing in this town, climb this rock
Jet Skiing
  • Can rent jet skis from basically anyone along the water and take them out on the water where you’ll see some amazing houses and views
Flyboarding & Other Water Sports
  • Can do this at The Luxe (I think you can still do this even if you aren’t a guest)
  • First time I ever did Flyboarding was here and it was awesome
Boat Tours
  • Lots of boat tours being offered along the water, can see sights such as Pablo Escobar’s abandoned mansion
  • Check the weather and make sure your boat is covered if that’s what you want
Walk Around
  • There are walking tours if you want a guide, but can cover the whole town by yourselves in less than an hour
  • Calle del Recuerdo is covered by colorful umbrellas

Cartagena

Colombia’s 5th largest city, sitting on the Caribbean with a tropical climate.

General Notes / Tips

  • There’s places you can just walk around and mini markets on the street/shops to pop in and whatnot. Fun to just do that, we walked around with beers some times and no one really fussed

Food

Mar y Zielo
  • Very cool restaurant (try and get on the rooftop) with awesome drinks
  • The Maíz y Chicharron (pork belly tacos) dish might be the best tacos I’ve ever had
Caffé Lunático
  • Really nice spot for tapas, we went for dinner but their brunch looked good too
  • Seems like they had some interesting cooking classes as well
Mirador Gastrobar
  • Great restaurant with awesome rooftop views and food / drinks
  • Bartenders name was Rishi, say whaddup
San Nicolas
  • Restaurant with amazing seafood risotto
ALQUÍMICO
  • Another cool restaurant/bar which turns into a club towards late night
  • Wasn’t obsessed with their food but drinks / vibes are great, usually high on World’s 50 Best Bars
El Burlador Gastrobar
  • Upscale restaurant, good food
Beiya
  • Small brunch spot which had pretty solid food
Colombitalia Arepas
  • Solid stop for street food
San Valentin / La Cevicheria
  • Nice restaurants I was recommended but we never got to go to so can’t personally vouch for

Nightlife

If you are wanting to meet people, you can probably pregame at the hostels’ rooftop bars (not sure if they would charge you or how it works for people that aren’t staying there). There are many more clubs and bars in the area of the ones mentioned below, you can just pop in and out as you like.

ALQUÍMICO
  • Pretty sweet venue, mentioned above but is usually high on World’s 50 Best Bars
La Jugada
  • Big multi-story club
El Baron
  • Cool bar with seating in a big courtyard
  • Not sure if they have food, we went late

Activities

Rosario Islands
  • Can take a boat and spend a day at a beach club on the Caribbean
  • The one we went to was literally all like honeymoon-esque couples and us 3 bros so maybe do a little research and see if there are different beach club options
Walled City
  • We stayed in here but didn’t do a tour, would’ve been cool to learn about the history / different areas

Lodging

Airbnb in Walled City
  • Place was amazing
  • Private rooftop patio with hot tub
  • Only downside is no guests so would not be ideal to have one group here and others staying elsewhere if part of a larger group

Minca

A town in the midst of a Colombian jungle in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Must fly into Santa Marta, and it is an hour drive from there.

General Notes / Tips

  • To get from the town of Minca to the hostels (Mundo Nuevo but also other hostels we saw) is through a rocky and steep off-road path which climbs high altitudes. Whenever you don’t have lots of bags and need to travel on this path, take the moto (dirtbike), as it is much faster. Take the moto generally whenever you can, it’s fun. Also, get phone numbers of drivers to pick you up in different locations when you need
  • Probably shouldn’t need to be said, but just in case- bring a large amount of sunscreen and bug spray as you’ll be in the jungle

Activities

Cacao & Coffee Tours at La Candelaria
  • Tours of cacao and coffee farms run by the family which has been running the farm for generations
Waterfalls
  • There are a number of waterfalls (some of which can be difficult to find) that you can visit and swim in
  • Including Cascada Escondida & Malinka Waterfalls
Hiking
  • Mirador 360 is a high overlook which is about a 2-2.5 hour hike there and back from Mundo Nuevo
  • We hiked from La Candelaria to Cascada Escondida, which is a lot of jungle roaming

Lodging

Mundo Nuevo Eco Lodge
  • A hostel resort that blew my mind
  • Great staff, incredibly fresh food & coffee in the dining hall with a pool table, so many activities, and an infinity pool overlooking mountains with an amazing view

San Gil

A small town which is home to Chicamocha Canyon, the second largest canyon in the world (shoutout USA and Grand Canyon for the top spot). People pretty much only come here for adventure sports. Must fly into Bucaramanga, and then it’s about a 3 hour car ride from there. You can either taxi for around US$75 or take a bus for far cheaper (maybe US$10 or so) but then you have to deal with getting to and from the bus station from the airport and whatnot.

Activities

Bungee Extremo San Gil
  • Highest bungee jump in South America
  • Definitely not for the faint of heart
  • Went with a friend who skydived over 100 times or something and he said nothing he ever did came close to this jump
Paragliding
  • Over the Chicamocha Canyon, miles up where you’re literally with the birds
  • You are with a professional though and this is really not that scary unless you have a fear of heights
  • More than half of people in the group did throw up though
Zipline & Biking Zipline
  • Right near Bungee Extremo
Whitewater Rafting
  • Unfortunately weather did not permit this during my stay

Food

Most of the restaurants in this town did not seem to be very good, however I did find a couple I liked.

Gringo Mike’s
  • This place was actually really good, great oreo milkshake and burgers
  • Most of the restaurants in this town are pretty bad
Penelope Pizzeria
  • Good pizza, which once again it is hard to find decent food in this town
Balcón Sangileňo
  • Had a traditional breakfast here that I did not enjoy
  • Probably don’t go here

Lodging

Airbnb
  • Likely won’t be spending much time at the place so this one did the job for me, was pretty barebones otherwise
  • There are other hostels and AirBnBs that are easy to find