A 12-Day UNESCO World Heritage Tour of Colombia

Arrival in Cartagena: Begin your journey in Cartagena de Indias, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1984. This city, strategically located on the Caribbean Sea, boasts the most extensive and complete system of military fortifications in South America, making it an eminent example of 16th to 18th-century military architecture.

Explore the Walled City: Wander through the historic center's narrow, cobbled streets, which retain their colonial charm with colorful facades and wrought-iron balconies. Discover the city's three distinct historic neighborhoods: San Pedro (with its cathedral and Andalusian palaces), San Diego (where merchants and the middle class lived), and Getsemani (the popular quarter).

Fortifications and Monuments: Visit the impressive Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, a formidable fortress that protected the city's vital port, an essential link in the West Indies route. Explore landmarks like the Palace of the Inquisition and the Cathedral of Santa Catalina de Alejandría.

Cultural Vibrancy: Experience Cartagena's vibrant blend of past and present, reflected in its bustling streets, colorful markets, and festivals. It is recognized as the country's most popular tourist destination.

Travel to Mompox: Journey inland to Santa Cruz de Mompox, a beautifully preserved Spanish colonial city founded in 1540 on the banks of the Magdalena River.

Riverside Charm and Architecture: Mompox developed uniquely parallel to the river, with its main street serving as a dyke. Its historic center has preserved the harmony and unity of its urban landscape, with most buildings still used for their original purposes. The city is notable for its unique layout with three plazas along the river, each with its own church, corresponding to former indigenous settlements. Significant churches include Santa Barbara (from 1613), San Francisco (16th-century), and Inmaculada Concepción, one of Colombia's most photogenic.

Artisanal Heritage and Independence: Mompox gained renown for its skilled goldsmiths and exquisite filigree jewelry. Historically, it played a crucial role in Colombia’s struggle for independence, being the first Colombian city to proclaim independence in 1810. Wander through its tranquil, winding streets and witness a living testament to centuries of colonial charm and a crucial part of Colombia's fight for freedom.

Flight to the Coffee Region: Travel to Colombia's Coffee Cultural Landscape, an exceptional and sustainable cultural landscape recognized as a strong symbol for coffee-growing regions worldwide. This area spans six farming landscapes and eighteen urban centers, mainly in the departments of Quindío, Risaralda, Caldas, Valle del Cauca, and Antioquia.

Coffee Farm Immersion: Explore this landscape that reflects a centennial tradition of coffee cultivation on small plots in challenging mountain conditions. You'll experience the production of Colombia's world-renowned Arabica coffee, recognized for its exceptional quality and Protected Origin label.

Cultural Experience: Discover the distinctive way of life of cafeteros (coffee farmers), whose traditions, including the sombrero aguadeño and raw hide shoulder bag, are passed down through generations. The urban areas showcase unique Antioquian colonization architecture with Spanish influence, using traditional materials like cob, pleated cane, and clay tiles.

Scenic Beauty: Immerse yourself in the lush, rolling hills and picturesque mosaic of coffee plantations.

Journey to San Agustín: Head to the Colombian Massif in the southwestern Andes to the San Agustín Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995.

Megalithic Sculptures: This remarkable site features the largest collection of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America. Hundreds of statues, carved from volcanic stone, depict gods and mythical animals in styles ranging from abstract to realist, showcasing the creativity and imagination of a northern Andean culture that flourished from the 1st to the 8th century AD.

Ancient Burial Sites: Explore burial mounds, terraces, funerary structures, and the unique Fuente de Lavapatas, a religious monument carved into a stream bed. The impressive funerary architecture, including stone corridors, columns, and sarcophagi, reveals the deep spiritual significance and social complexity of these ancient chiefdom societies.

Historical Discovery: Visit iconic areas like the Bosque de Las Estatuas (Forest of Statues) and Alto de los Ídolos, contemplating these enigmatic figures and the secrets of a civilization older than the Incas, about which much remains unknown.

Continue to Tierradentro: Travel to the National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, nestled in the mountains of the northern Andes.

Hypogea Exploration: This site is home to the largest concentration of pre-Columbian monumental shaft and chamber tombs, known as hypogea, dating from the 6th to the 10th century AD. These vast underground tombs, some up to 12 meters wide, are intricately decorated with polychrome murals and anthropomorphic carvings that reproduce the interior decor of contemporary homes.

Pre-Hispanic Insights: The park includes sites like Alto de San Andrés and Alto de Segovia, showcasing elaborate funerary structures and artistic mastery that reveal the social complexity and cultural wealth of this sophisticated pre-Hispanic society. Uncover the secrets of this little-known Andean civilization through its unique underground monuments and ancient sculptures.

Transfer: Conclude your tour with a transfer to the local international airport - Cali or Bogota - for your international departure, carrying memories of Colombia's profound history, vibrant cultures, and stunning landscapes.