Where was I one year ago today? I was sitting in my Cubicle in Miami, Florida working as an Actuarial Analyst.
Wow how time goes fast! Feels like just yesterday that I decided to move to COLOMBIA! Since then It has been a wild ride. Besides experiencing the MAGICAL REALISM that Colombia has to offer, one thing I have loved doing here most is documenting time!
In todays BLOG article I will be going over My Top 10 Favorite Photographs of Colombia taken over the past 6 months. Let’s begin!
#10) – Wayúu Encounter
- Location: Pilón de Azúcar, Cabo de la Vela
- Departamento: La Guajira
- Date taken: June 2017
What an awesome picture! After hiking Pilon de Azucar in Cabo de la Vela I was feeling the effects of the sun on my face. I told the Wayúu (an indigenous population native to La Guajira) that I wanted my face painted exactly as them to protect my skin. First, they applied a clear gelatin substance to my face. After that they applied a fine black powder which mixed with the gel to create a face block from the sun. I gave my camera to an indigenous Wayúu boy and he snapped this picture of a female and myself.
LA GUAJIRA RECOMMENDATIONS: If you plan on making the trek to Cabo de la Vela or Punta Gallinas you are in for a real ride! The best part about this place is the journey to get there. I strongly recommend going all the way to PUNTA GALLINAS – The Northern-most point of South America! It will be well worth it. See the video I made of my trip to La Guajira below:
Other La Guajira Photos:
#9) San Andrés Pirate Ship
- Location: La Isla de San Andrés
- Departamento: San Andrés and Providencia
- Date taken: June 2017
My last day on the island I was walking along the coast looking for things to film when I spotted this abandoned pirate ship! The rust on this thing is amazing. Next to the ship was another very similar but I liked this one better. The abandoned ships are located on the coast close to El Centro (Downtown) San Andrés.
SAN ANDRÉS RECOMMENDATIONS: If you happen to be in Sán Andres, make sure to check out Las Islas de JOHNNY CAY and ACUARIO (See photos below)! They are pristine coral islands located just off the coast. I stayed at Hotel Sea Horse in Barrio San Luis and had a good time. It is a little far from downtown but it gave me the opportunity to see more of the island. If you want to exercise there is a super OLD-SCHOOL calisthenic park next to the abandoned ships.
WORD OF CAUTION: San Andrés is very expensive so be prepared! IMO it is the MOST EXPENSIVE PLACE in COLOMBIA.
See the video I made of my trip to San Andrés below:
See more Pictures from San Andrés below:
#8) Holding a Sloth in Leticia
- Location: Leticia, Colombia
- Departamento: Las Amazonas
- Date taken: April 2017
When I embarked on boat up the Amazon River in Leticia I didn’t know what to expect. We departed from the dock of “Las Tres Fronteras” (Colombia, Peru and Brazil) early in the morning. Our first stop was at a small port on the River. We entered into an indigenous structure and soon the indigenous people were bringing out tons of wild Amazonian animals for us to pet, hold and interact with! My favorite was the SLOTH! These things are so cool.
LETICIA RECOMMENDATIONS: I stayed at Omshanty Jungle Lodge at Km 11 and had a blast. The price was 20 mil a night for a bunk bed enclosed in a mosquitera. It rains a lot in Leticia so make sure to bring rain gear! Also, be sure to walk across the border to the Brazilian town of Tabatinga and stop at “Mansão de Chocolate” for some interesting Brazilian chocolate treats!
See more pictures of Leticia below:
#7) A Rainy day in Guatapé and El Peñón (The Stone)
- Location: Guatapé and El Peñón
- Departamento: Antioquia
- Date taken: April 2017
The colorful town of Guatapé is one of the most well known tourist places in all of Colombia and A MUST-SEE attraction. It is located two hours from Medellin and is easily accessible by bus. It is very tourist friendly and filled with lots of hip places to eat and drink. They also have awesome PONCHOS like the one in my photo. On this day I ate a hamburger for lunch, walked around the city, and took photos and videos before returning back to Medellin in bus.
Located only 5 to 10 minutes from Guatapé is El Peñon (The Stone). It’s a huge rock and has some 7-hundred something steps until the grandeur viewpoint at the top. On this particular day it was cloudy and rainy but still made for some great footage. A fellow tourist snapped this photo of me at the very top right after I purchased this excellent PONCHO for 70 mil at the gift stores below.
I also used this as the Cover Photo for my FIRST video of 2017 titled FR33 YOUR M1ND which you can see below:
GUATAPÉ AND EL PEÑON RECOMMENDATIONS: If you are travelling from Medellin, leave early! Because of the altitude of Medellin and its surrounding cities, the weather tends to change very quick. It is very common for afternoon storms to roll in as it did for me this day. Leaving early will give a higher chance of favorable conditions. Although I only stayed for the day before returning to Medellin, there are many unique hotels in the vibrant town of Guatapé if you want to stay a night.
More photos of Guatapé and El Peñón:
#6) Heavy Fog in La Zona Cafetera
- Location: Valle de Cocora
- Departamento: Quindío
- Date taken: March 2017
El Valle de Cocora is located in La Zona Cafetera (The Coffee Region) and is one of the most popular tourist destinations of the country. To arrive, it is easiest to start from one of the main cities in the Coffee Region (i.e., Pereira, Armenia, Manizales, etc.) and take a bus to Salento. Once in Salento you can take a 30 minute Jeep Ride to El Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley) to begin your hike. One unique feature of this place is the GIANT palm trees that are found scattered throughout the valley. The Jeep Ride and Hike have some of the best views I have seen in my time here.
VALLE DE COCORA RECOMMENDATIONS: For the best views I recommend doing the main hike that begins where the Jeep’s drop you off. It is fairly difficult and takes roughly 3-4 hours to complete. Be prepared for some awesome views and don’t forget to bring rain gear!
More Shots of La Zona Cafetera:
#5) Calisthenics at Zipaquirá
- Location: Catedral de Sal, Zipaquirá
- Departamento: Cundinamarca
- Date taken: July 2017
The ONE-OF-A-KIND salt mines of La Catedral de Sal are located roughly one-hour north of Bogotá in the city of Zipaquirá. It is easily accessible by bus via Portal del Norte in Bogotá. The entrance cost is 30 mil for locals and 50 mil for tourists. They are illuminated with vibrant lights that give the intricate tunnels a very eerie feel. Also present is an abundance of hand carved crosses you can find along the passages. If you are in Bogotá be sure to make the journey and check it out.
ZIPAQUIRÁ RECOMMENDATIONS: If you make it to the end there is a 3D INDOOR UNDERGROUND MOVIE THEATER that was pretty cool and is FREE! I only stayed about 5 minutes but if you have the time and desire give it a try.
This was featured in Episode 1 on my Colombia VLOG Series that you can see below:
More shots of La Catedral de Sal in Zipaquirá:
#4) Punta Gallinas – The End of the Earth
- Location: Punta Gallinas
- Departamento: La Guajira
- Date taken: June 2017
The Northern-Most point of South America, La Guajira is absolutely breathtaking. The unexplored beauty of this place is something out of a fairy tale book. Very little people have made it to Punta Gallinas due to it’s difficulty to reach and location remoteness. After travelling from Cabo de la Vela to Punta Gallinas across remote Guajira desert in Jeep we arrived to a small boat dock practically in the middle of nowhere. We transferred our bags from Jeep to Boat and begin cruising down a river until we arrived at the official Punta Gallinas arrival dock. We ascended up a set up steps that had a somewhat “Jerusalistic” feel. Maybe this explains why they named a section of Punta Gallinas, “Nazareth”. At the top of the steps was the place we would be staying, the only lodging in Punta Gallinas by the name of “Hospedaje Alexandra”. Also at the top of the steps was this AWESOME viewpoint that you can see in the photo. My friend “Jaap” from the Netherlands snapped this photo capturing the vast unoccupied landscape of Punta Gallinas and the Upper Guajira Peninsula.
PUNTA GALLINAS RECOMMENDATIONS: Wow, where to begin? As you can probably tell, Punta Gallinas is one of, if not my favorite place in all of Colombia. The mystery of the unknown keeps drawing you in for more. Besides eating the best Chivo (Goat) I have eaten in my life at Hospedaje Alexandra, there is much room for unique experiences that you will never forget in your life at this place. My advice? Explore as much as you could. If I ever go back, which I would love to one day, I would like to continue further past Punta Gallinas to PNN Macuira, a remote national park located at the Northeast point of the peninsula. Also, remember to take lots of photos and videos to document your journey. The footage I have captured in this area hold a very special place in my memories.
See the Video I made of my trip to Punta Gallinas below:
See more of my favorite Punta Gallinas pics below:
#3) Cacti Mountain – Playa Blanca
- Location: Playa Blanca, Santa Marta
- Departamento: Magdalena
- Date taken: August 2017
On my most recent trip this month to Santa Marta, we made the day trip to Playa Blanca. A discreet beach surrounded by mid-range cactus covered mountains that is accessible by boat. This beach is located roughly 20 minutes in boat from La Playa El Rodadero and features an overhead zip line attraction that costs 40 mil and extends from end to end of the beach.
When we arrived, I wanted to find the best viewpoint possible. There appeared to be an upward path at the far end up the beach that looked promising. I asked the first local on the beach I saw if “hay un camino allá” and his response was yes. This is the shot I got at the top overlooking Playa Blanca including one of the interesting cacti that cover the surrounding hills.
SANTA MARTA RECOMMENDATIONS: With regards to Santa Marta, there are many options for places to see and do. If you have the time and money, I recommended venturing to Tayrona Park located only 1 hour from Santa Marta. I myself did not make it there but the pictures from that place look spectacular. I had an amazing time at Playa Blanca and Rodadero Beach if you would like to stay closer to Santa Marta. Do your research and see what place best suits your desires.
Check out this photo I snapped of the Sunset at Rodadero Beach Below:
Other Favorite Pics of Santa Marta:
#2) The Red River of Santander
- Location: Quebrada Las Gachas, Guadalupe
- Departamento: Santander
- Date taken: July 2017
Quebrada Las Gachas, also known as the “Red River” of Santander, is located roughly 1-hour walking from the small town of Guadalupe hidden in the hills and valleys of Santander. Getting there was a very interesting journey. In fact, I made a VLOG of it which you can see below:
My trek to get there began in San Gil making stops at Socorro, Oiba and finally Guadalupe. The whole process was very interesting as the place isn’t that well known, not even by the locals. The highlight of “Las Gachas” is the circular hole features scattered along the river that when conditions are right, can give off a red tint. Although I am no expert, I believe the shade of red has something to do with the algae and seasonality of the river. Another example of this is the more known colorful river in Colombia called “Caño Cristales” located in the Meta Departamento.
GUADALUPE RECOMMENDATIONS: I had a lot of fun trying to locate the “Red River” of Santander. If you decide to make the trip yourself make sure to prepare appropriately. That is, proper footwear, a game plan, and also proper raingear in case you get caught in a storm as I did. While returning to Guadalupe from Las Gachas a HUGE thunderstorm rolled in soaking everything I had. It’s a good think I had plastic garbage bags to protect my equipment and electronics.
Check out this photo I snapped of the Red River that was shared by the @weekendsantander and @ig_santanderes pages!
Other Pictures of Guadalupe, Santander:
#1) Arrival to Cúcuta – March 1st 2017
- Location: Cúcuta, Colombia
- Departamento: Norte de Santander
- Date taken: March 2017
This is the very first picture I took when I arrived to Cúcuta, Colombia March 1st of 2017! I was staying at Hotel Sterling in downtown Cúcuta temporarily as I was apartment searching. On day two or three staying at the hotel I got locked in my hotel room and could not get out! There was some kind of doorknob malfunction and the hotel house maids had to unscrew the doorknob with a screwdriver! I was stuck for over an hour! What a great welcome to Colombia 🙂
CÚCUTA RECOMMENDATIONS: Cúcuta sees practically no tourism. I am pretty sure I am the only American that lives in this town. Given the current situation in Venezuela, Cúcuta has seen heaps of Venezuelan people seek refuge in Cúcuta. This has saturated the prices and minimum wage amount since most of the Venezuelans come from extreme lower class. In result, Cúcuta has the cheapest taxi and lunch prices I have come across so far in Colombia.
If you happen to come to Cúcuta I recommend a cocktail bar called “Solario” that has amazing cocktails and great atmosphere. You could also check out the “Templo Historico” which is regarded as one of the most popular landmarks in Cúcuta.
More Photos of Cúcuta Here:
That concludes My Top 10 Favorite Colombia Photos of the past 6 months in Colombia! I hope you enjoyed them and my stories. Want to hear more about my experiences in Colombia? I have lots of BIG THINGS planned so be sure to connect with my Social Media Accounts below!
- IG: @rarecolombia ; @ryanp3z
- Facebook.com/rarecolombia ; facebook.com/ryanpez
- rarecolombia@gmail.com
Also, make sure to check out my previous BLOGs of 2017 which you can see below:
Chao,
Ryan Lopez