COLOMBIA
In 1972, in the mountainous jungles of Colombia, local tomb raiders discovered a stone staircase leading up into the mountains. After passing 1200 steps, black archaeologists stumbled upon the remains of a huge ancient Indian city, consisting of a large number of terraces, stone squares, paved roads, houses and fortifications. Having started excavations, they discovered a huge amount of gold jewelry of an unknown Indian culture. A few months later, several more gangs of tomb robbers learned about this find, and a real war broke out in the jungle for the right to dig in ancient burials.
Detachments of fighters hunted each other from ambush, set booby traps, used machine guns and even mortars in skirmishes. A beautiful ancient city turned into a "Green Hell". That is how the fighters of numerous groups that fought in these parts until the end of the 70s began to call it.
After gold figurines and ceramic urns from the city began to appear in the local market, the authorities investigated and discovered the city in 1975. It got the name Ciudad Perdida (lit. "Lost City").
According to the local Kogi Indians, they visited the city long before the authorities discovered it, but kept its location secret. They called the city "Teyuna" and believed that their ancestors lived here - the bearers of the Tayrona culture. Ciudad Perdida was, apparently, a regional political and industrial center on the Buritaka River, from 2 to 8 thousand people could live here. The city was abandoned during the Spanish conquest.
The official authorities did not have time to establish full control over the ancient ruins, as the territory where the monument is located, for a long time became the arena of hostilities between the government army, right and left armed groups.
Until 2005, the area was closed to tourists. The Colombian army actively patrols the area of the monument, which is currently considered safe for travelers.
Ciudad Perdida will be one of the goals of our expedition trip. In order to get there, we will go through a 4-day mountain route (2 days there and 2 days back) and in the final we will climb the same 1200 steps leading right into the heart of the former "Green Hell" !!!
Of course, it would be wrong to visit Colombia and visit only a small part of the mountain jungle, and therefore our team prepared another 10 days of travel through this amazing country, about which we have only heard all sorts of different horror stories. Suffice it to mention the famous drug cartels, Pablo Escobar, Colombian guerrillas, and for many, a portrait of a dangerous and extremely unwilling state to travel immediately emerges in their heads. However, in reality this is not the case. Colombia, in general, is considered one of the most attractive countries for tourism, recommended for visiting even in the United States.
The country has a huge number of attractions, museums, beautiful beaches, ancient colonial cities.
We will try to cover the most interesting things in the country and therefore, after the mountain hike, we will visit the Caribbean coast in the Tayrona National Park, visit the capital of Colombia - the city of Bogota with its famous Museum of Gold. A special place will be taken by several days of adventure in the San Agustin National Archaeological Park, where our expedition team will visit the excavations of unique ancient and mysterious stone statues, sculptures and monuments, as well as religious buildings dating back to the heyday of the Aztecs in Mexico. We will visit the amazing Tatacoa desert, swim in the pool in the middle of the dunes, meet the sunset and admire the starry sky, which can be observed only in deserts. The bright point of our adventure will be the colonial Cartagena - the pearl of the Caribbean! And all this is accompanied by delicious coffee, varied cuisine and good-natured people of Colombia.
This expedition will be very bright, rich and varied! Any fan of active adventures will appreciate this route, developed by us back in 2013-14, supplemented and adapted for travel in the spring of 2024!
МАРШРУТНИЙ ПЛАН
IN THE COST OF EXPEDITIONIT INCLUDES:
• transfers from / to the airport along the entire route (if you arrive and depart on the dates exactly in accordance with the program of our trip);
• 2 domestic flights;
• accommodation in 3, 4 star hotels (double accommodation);
• all movements within the program;
• rental of buses and jeeps;
• fuel;
• driver services;
• entrance to national parks;
• entrance tickets to museums according to the program;
• meals: breakfasts;
• a special permit to visit Ciudad Perdida;
• 4-day trek to Ciudad Perdida with three meals a day;
• necessary bivouac equipment;
• Services of horse drivers;
• services of local guides;
• services of a Spanish-Russian speaking guide of the Paganel Studio team.
EXPEDITION COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:
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nternational flight from your home to Bogotá and departure from Santa Marta;
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Colombia visa (if necessary);
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meals not specified in the program;
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personal insurance;
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surcharge for single accommodation ...... € (optional);
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a mountain carrier, if one is needed;
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surcharge for additional activities;
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tips to guides, porters and drivers.
THE COST
2890 Euro
ITINERARY
Day 1
01.03.2024
Arrival in Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. Meeting with guides and crew at El Dorado International Airport (BOG). Transfer to the hotel. Rest.
Day 2
02.03.2024
Bogota. We wake up. We are recovering from the shift in time zones. We go to have breakfast, and then we go on a tour of the capital.
First, we will start our walk from the famous Montserrat lookout. We will take the bus to the foot of the mountain, where we will transfer to the cable car to get to the monastery, located at an altitude of 3200 m. From here, we have a magnificent view of the capital of Colombia.
After descending, we will visit the colonial area of La Candelaria and the historical center of Bogota with its squares, markets, monuments, court and other attractions. It is a great opportunity to enjoy the culture and lifestyle of the inhabitants of the capital.
In the afternoon, visit the famous Museum of Gold, one of the most amazing museums in the world and Colombia. We will learn about the mystery of the mysterious "golden airplanes", get acquainted with an incredible collection of ancient Indian artifacts, finally find out what the legend of Eldorado was talking about and what secrets Lake Guatavita keeps!
At the end of the excursions, we gather in the hotel restaurant, hold a traditional evening of acquaintances of the Paganels, presenting expedition personal T-shirts and badges. We have supper.
Overnight at BH Bicentenario
(Meals included: breakfast).
Day 3
03.03.2024
After breakfast, we pick up all our things and take a private bus from Bogota to the town of Aipe, and then to the Tatacoa desert. Drive approximately 5 hours. Once in Aipa, we will take a short walk, stretch our legs, and have a bite to eat. Next, we will cross by chalupa (local typical boats) to the other side of the Magdalena River (the longest river in Colombia) to the settlement of Villa Vieja (Old City).
The city of Villavieja is the gateway to the Tatacoa Desert, which is actually a rainforest dried up a long time ago and now consists of magnificent cacti and sand formations of different colors. We jump into local tuk-tuks and go to the desert.
The landscape here is Martian and incredible! Photographers will take a hundred amazing shots, especially when it starts to get dark and the red desert turns scarlet and bright crimson!
We will walk for an hour through Cusco (red desert) and Los Hoyos (gray desert), where you can swim in the pool of spring water.
A very refreshing break after a hot day!
Then we drive 1 hour to the city of Neiva, check-in at the hotel, dinner and rest.
(Meals included: breakfast)
Day 4
03.04.2024
Today is a new and very exciting day for us. At dawn, after breakfast, we move further south.
We drive to the city of San Agustin, which is the archaeological capital of Colombia. We will visit one of the most mysterious parks in the world, classified as a UNESCO heritage. Dive into the unreal world of impressive statues and tombs in the heart of the Colombian rainforest.
We will see Hills A, B, C, Lavapatas Ceremonial Spring, Forest of Statues, Archaeological Museum. From here, you have a magnificent view of the Cordillera Andes.
There is an assumption that the creators of the statues arrived here from the Caribbean, long before the flourishing of the Chibcha (Muisca or Mosca) civilization known to us. It is well established that the most ancient stone monuments of San Agustin date back to the 6th century. BC e., and the most recent - by the 16th century, before the invasion of the first Europeans - the Spanish colonialists.
Judging by the number of graves and stone statues and the manner in which they were created, this people lived in the Magdalena Valley for a long time, possessed great power and influence, successfully fighting with their neighbors for many centuries. This people made good use of their location on the river, controlling the movement along the Magdalena from the coast of the Caribbean Sea to the hinterland, upstream, through all of present-day Colombia, up to present-day Ecuador.
The Spanish missionary monk Fray Juan de Santa Gertrudis was the first to report the existence of a huge collection of stone idols in the upper reaches of the Magdalena River in 1794. The Spanish conquistadors called the area of the San Agustin statues “infernito”, or “little hell”, believing that this place is diabolical and serves as a pagan temple.
The monuments of San Agustin are the stone chronology of South America: for centuries, the locals buried their dead in the same necropolis. Once there was a full-fledged infrastructure, as evidenced by the distinct traces of the remains of ancient roads, field boundaries, drainage ditches and artificial platforms.
Here is the largest collection of religious monuments and sculptures in South America, united by a number of common features. Firstly, they are all distinguished by careful study and detailed detailing. The abundance of small details allows us to make an unmistakable conclusion about the significance of at least part of the statues. For example, toothy stone guards with double-edged swords stood guard over the order.
Archaeologists find many similarities between the statues of San Agustin, the idols of the Olmec culture in Central America, the mysterious statues of the Indonesian valley of Bada, the idols of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and the sculptures of the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas archipelago of French Polynesia. The symbolic image of two large snakes wrapped around each other resembles the images of the times of Ancient Egypt in the temples of Thebes and Abu Simbel. Even more striking are the similarities between the corridor tombs of San Agustín and the European dolmens of the 5-th millennium BC. e. An explanation for this fact has not been found yet, there are only versions of the existence of a certain global civilization that inhabited the planet Earth before a catastrophe on a planetary scale.
After lunch in the city of San Agustin, visit the Archaeological Museum.
Return to the city. Check in hotel. Rest after an active and eventful day.
(Meals included: breakfast)
Day 5
05.03.2024
We wake up! We drink our morning Colombian coffee. After breakfast, a new adventure awaits us. Today we have to ride all day around the neighborhood of San Agustin on the local colorful Chiva bus.
There is a lot to see here. First we will go to the place La Pelota y la Chaquira, where there is an opportunity for an additional fee to ride horses through the historical excavations of San Agustin; while the other half of the group will be able to walk for 1 hour 30 minutes, exploring the local sights in more detail. The area around San Agustin is an ideal place for horseback riding. Horse riding will allow you to discover new places in the region. Accompanied by a local guide, departure from the hotel on horseback is organized to a place called La Pelota, where you can observe the last colored statues of San Agustín; after that, our path leads to La Chaquira, a magical place overlooking the impressive canyon of the Magdalena river.
Next, we will drive to the narrowest point of the Magdalena River. The main river of the country in this place is a narrow rocky canyon 2 meters 20 cm wide. The depth reaches 30 meters, 2 Andes mountain ranges join here.
Then we will continue to San José de Isnos, passing sugarcane fields. Depending on the day of the week, we will try to visit "Trapice" - where local craftsmen mine and produce panel (this is unrefined raw cane sugar obtained by evaporation from sugar cane juice. It does not contain any chemical additives, and in Colombia it is produced using " trapiche - a press for processing sugar cane).
Day 6
06.03.2024
We wake up and have breakfast. We leave the hotel with our suitcases in the direction of Neiva. On this day, we have to drive 5 hours to Neiva, from where we will fly to the city of Medellin. On the way we stop at a coffee farm.
El Huila is the first coffee producing region in Colombia. Therefore, this is a unique opportunity to visit a local coffee farm and learn all about making your favorite coffee. Accompanied by a local guide to visit a local village and then a coffee farm located near San Agustín, we will be shown and explained the whole process from the grain harvest to the coffee tasting stage.
Arrival in the city of Neiva in the afternoon. Departure at 17:00 at
Medellin, transfer to the hotel located in the heart of the city. Settlement, rest.
Day 7
03.07.2024
Medellin, "the city of eternal spring", is today one of the most innovative cities in Latin America. His recent past was closely connected with the life of Pablo Escobar and the violent showdown between the gangs. Over the past twenty years, Medellin has undergone radical changes. An innovative urban development program has transformed Medellin from the most dangerous city in the world into a modern example of urban transformation.
We explore the famous Piazza Botero with an exhibition by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, whose sculptures have become a symbol of the city.
Then we will go to Santo Domingo, an area of Medellin that was previously defined by banditry. Let's visit the bright Comuna 13 with another innovative project that has improved the quality of life of Medellin residents - escalators in narrow streets.
We will follow in the footsteps of the famous pirates and see the mixed heritage of exoticism and cultural richness of this city. Cartagena will plunge us into the era of the colony - with its colorful houses and lively squares of San Diego and Santo Domingo. If possible, we will visit Plaza de los Coches, Plaza de la Aduana, Bolivar Park, Gold Museum, Plaza de Santa Teresa.
Overnight at Hotel Masaya.
Day 8
03.08.2024
After packing our bags, we take the bus in the direction of another amazing natural attraction - El Peñol (the famous rock of El Peñol, on top of which there is a landscape of extraordinary lagoons) and Guatapé (the city of Guatape, classified as a natural and ecological heritage).
The height of the rock is 220 meters. According to scientists, it was formed more than 70 million years ago. The rock resembles a huge stone, its length is about 380 meters, and its width is about 100 meters, respectively.
According to rough estimates, the weight of such a huge "stone" is close to 10 million tons.
For a unique view, we have to climb the equipped zigzag staircase on one of the slopes of the monolith, which has 644 steps.
It is interesting that hundreds of years ago, the Tahamis Indians living in this territory considered the largest stone in the world to be a shrine that saved humanity from the wrath of the gods. According to legend, the giant fish Batolito lived in the river flowing in the valley, to which people made sacrifices.
Once the gods were so angry with the people that they decided to bring down the heavens on them. The Indians asked for help from Batolito, who propped up the sky and prevented him from falling to the ground. As punishment, the gods turned the fish into stone, which became a holy place for the Indians.
Transfer to the airport and flight to Cartagena, transfer to the hotel located in the heart of the Caribbean colonial pearl of Colombia. Settlement, rest.
Overnight at the Hotel Don Pedro De Heredia.
(Meals included: breakfast)
Day 9
09.03.2024
After breakfast, head out into the city to explore Cartagena de Indias, the undisputed queen of the Caribbean coast, a historic city of superbly preserved beauty nestled within an impressive 13 km of ancient colonial stone walls.
Cartagena's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site - a maze of cobbled alleys, balconies cascading under bougainvilleas, and massive churches that cast their shadows across the leafy square.
We will follow in the footsteps of the famous pirates and see the mixed heritage of exoticism and cultural richness of this city. Cartagena will plunge us into the era of the colony, with its colorful houses and lively squares of San Diego and Santo Domingo. We will visit, if possible, Plaza de los Coches, Plaza de la Aduana, Bolivar Park, Gold Museum, Plaza de Santa Teresa.
In the evening, you can sit on the shady streets in cozy restaurants and eat excellent seafood. Try delicious handmade ice cream. Or go shopping. Ride on a special song bus and sing songs with other tourists from all over the world while drinking a bottle of rum and a local accordionist :) There is something to do here. You won't be bored!
Overnight at the Hotel Don Pedro De Heredia.
(Meals included: breakfast)
Day 10
10.03.2024
Free day. You can choose one of the options for additional activities: go to the paradise islands of Rosario, go scuba diving, sunbathe on the beach, walk through the museums of the city ...
The Rosario Islands are a small paradise where we can enjoy clear water and wonderful corals. Meeting at 8:30 am at the port of Muelle de la Bodeguita, departure by boat to the island. After an hour of travel, we will be able to relax and enjoy this small island with its natural pools from the heart. We will appreciate the underwater world of corals by diving with a mask and snorkel, or just relaxing on the island. A typical lunch will be served. Return to the port of Cartagena in the afternoon.
When you sail on a boat from the port of Cartagena, look to the right. There, at the quay wall, makeshift submarines confiscated from local drug lords are lying around.
Overnight at Don Pedro de Heredia Hotel. (Food included: breakfast)
Day 11
11.03.2024
Today we say goodbye to Cartagena. After breakfast, we take a private bus further north to the city of Santa Marta. The journey will take 5 hours. Upon arrival, we will check into the hotel and take a walk around the neighborhood.
Santa Marta is located on the Caribbean coast of Colombia in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and is known as one of the main tourist destinations on the coast. The city is the capital of the department of Magdalena and an important seaport in Colombia. Santa Marta was founded on July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conquistador Rodrigo de Bastidas and became the first major Spanish settlement in these places. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Tayrona Indians, who were known as excellent goldsmiths, lived here.
Small communities of descendants of the Tayrona Indians still live in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
And also Santa Marta is famous for the fact that nearby (80 km), in the small town of Aracataca, the same Gabriel Garcia Marquez lived for quite some time.
Many of Marquez's works (including One Hundred Years of Solitude, the novel for which he won the Nobel Prize) take place in the fictional town of Macondo. Macondo is a small village that began to develop rapidly thanks to banana plantations, and then turned into a ghost town, struck by nostalgia and melancholy. Aracataca, where Marquez spent his childhood years, was the prototype of Macondo. At the entrance to the city, you can see the author's quote: "One day I came back and realized that the material for my work is somewhere between reality and nostalgia."
Overnight at AC Hotel by Marriott. (Meals included: breakfast)
Day 12
12.03.2024
Today begins the most active phase of our journey. We are going to Ciudad Perdida or the "Lost City". It is located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and is the highest mountain in the world near the sea.
We wake up at our hotel. We have breakfast. We hand over the suitcases to the office of the host Colombian side. We take things for the trip: backpacks, mountain shoes, trekking poles, sunscreen, repellents, raincoats, the necessary supply of dry things. Having finished packing, we leave Santa Marta at 8:30 in the morning by bus to the Aguacatera sector, where we will transfer to equipped 4x4 jeeps that will take us up the serpentine of mountains to the beginning of our track - Machete Pelao, the place where we will have lunch. In the same place, before the start of the track, local guides will instruct the Paganels on the route.
Trek to the Lost City will take 4 days (2 there and 2 back). If you don't want to hire an extra porter (which almost everyone does), then you'll have to carry all of your stuff on your shoulders, so pack the essentials and prepare for any weather on the way.
Accompanied by a professional local guide, we start to the first camp 7.6 km - Adam's Hut, a peasant community, where we will spend the first night. This track can be completed in 3 hours, or even in 5, it all depends on your mood and rhythm. The schedule of movement and rhythm is free.
Everyone goes at their own pace; the most important thing is that you feel comfortable. If you do not want to go, then you can take a mule for the ENTIRE route, which will take you through the mountains for 4 days.
In the evening, during dinner, the local guide will tell us the history and customs of the region and its people.
Adam's hut (and other huts) are equipped shelters in the middle of the jungle with all the necessary conditions for living. These huts have wooden bunk beds (side by side) with mattresses and individual mosquito nets and bedspreads for a more comfortable sleep. For those who want, there is an opportunity to sleep in a hammock. All huts have equipped toilets, showers with clean mountain water (there is no hot water, but believe me, it will not come in handy, it will be warm). There is a kitchen and chefs who prepare fresh and tasty food. Three solid meals a day and purified water to fill our hiking bottles for a day.
In March, the dry season, there are very few mosquitoes, but we will buy local soap-repellant to protect against bites.
Overnight at Adam's Hut on beds or in hammocks with mosquito nets. (Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Day 13
13.03.2024
Early rise at 7 am. Breakfast. Trek from Adam's Hut to Cabana Paraiso Teyuna camp. On the way we pass the village of Mutanyi Indians. Transition 6-7 hours. The length is 14.7 km.
The Cabana Paraiso Teyuna camp is located at an altitude of 830 meters above sea level. It is located almost at the very foot of the sacred city of Tayronas.
In the afternoon we can relax and swim in the river. In the evening, the guide will tell us more about Ciudad Perdida and its sacred meaning for the indigenous people of the Sierra.
Overnight in Cabana Paraiso Teyuna, on beds or in hammocks with mosquito nets. (Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Day 14
14.03.2024
Early rise and breakfast. We have a busy day ahead of us. To reach the holy city, we have to climb 1200 steps built by the ancient Tayrona culture. After an hour of travel, we will discover the once lost city.
Ciudad Perdida is a mythical place, a magnificent example of the Tayrona civilization's urban architecture, impressive in its location and scenery. "Tayrona" in the language of the Indians, the "Lost City" is a complex architectural system that is built on the basis of terraces, houses and ceremonial centers.
We walk around the city for three hours, studying the ancient ruins, various sacred places, taking pictures, rejoicing at the achievement of the goal of our walking route. It is very beautiful and mysterious! If possible, we will be able to communicate with the chief shaman of the Kogi Indians, who lives right here in the ancient city!
After a light snack, we begin the return descent to the Cabana Paraiso Teyuna camp, where we will rest and have lunch. Next, we will go downhill (about 5 hours long) to the Cabana Mumake shelter, where we will spend the night. The length is 7.6 km.
(Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Overnight at Cabana Mumake, on beds or in hammocks with mosquito nets.
Day 15
15.03.2024
We have a busy day today. We have to overcome the distance from the Gabriel Sanches camp to the place where our mountain expedition began - the village of El Mamey.
The path goes mainly down, although there are 2 small ascents ahead, and takes about 6-8 hours.
At the end of the route, we will have lunch and jeeps that will take our team to the city of Santa Marta to our cozy AC Hotel by Marriott. The length is 15.6 km.
Hot shower. Good coffee. Soft bed. At such moments, returning from the track through the jungle, being again in comfort, you experience unspeakable pleasure, and life begins to play with new colors!
In the evening, we gather in a restaurant on the central square of the city, we eat deliciously. We are resting.
(Meals included: breakfast, lunch)
Overnight at AC Hotel by Marriott.
Day 16
16.03.2024
The morning of the last day of our expedition can be spent on the beach near the hotel, swimming and sunbathing by the pool, or you can go out into the city and have time to buy a couple more souvenirs.
Farewell to Colombia. We say goodbye to each other and guides. Tears of parting. Airport transfer. Flight from Santa Marta to your city.
(Meals included: breakfast)
We are unique
For many years, we have been traveling the world to our small planet's most remote and unusual places. We do not use the services of domestic travel agencies. The trips we invent and carry out are always unique and have their unique zest, charm, and adventurous spirit.
Creation
The first thing that interests us is creativity in everything. During the expeditions, we shoot a lot of videos, take pictures, write stories, draw pictures. If you are interested in a creative approach to life and travel, then WELCOME... we are very happy to meet you!
Interest
By joining our team, you join a kind of club-family, which already consists of several hundred people who are interested in discovering the world with us.
Since most of the expenses for the organization of the trip are air tickets and travel documents for other types of transport, accommodation, excursions, services of local companies and guides, etc. are not refundable in case of your cancellation of the trip. We simply have no way to return it.
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