2The Caribbean coastRomantic Cartagena is a walled city fortified against pirates but nowadays a centre for the country's prolific cultural life. It dominates the Caribbean coastline where cobalt waters are dotted with coral islets. Nearby, Tayrona National Parkhas jungle-fringed sandy beaches.PHOTO ON PREVIOUS PAGE: HEMIS / ALAMYPROEXPORTISABELLE MAZILLEECOGUIAS68 ColombiaColombia at a glance3Pacific coastIsolated by impenetrable virgin forests, the wild, rain-swept Pacific coastline's new tourist eco-lodges are accessible by air via Nuquí. Flora and fauna are abundant and whales may be viewed from June to October.1PROVIDENCIAThis tiny volcanic island with an English colonial heritage, coves and laid-back villages is a unique wind-down destination with good walking, snorkelling and diving. Access is by air via the island of San Andrés. 234156 Islas del RosarioECUADORCOLOMBIABRAZILCOSTA RICAPANAMANICARAGUAPACIFIC OCEANCARIBBEAN SEASanta Marta.Tayrona National Park..Cali.Popayán.CartagenaNuquí..Santa Fe de AntioquiaArmenia..Pereira.Tabatinga (Brazil).BogotáSAN ANDRÉS ARCHIPELAGO.Villa De Leiva.HondaLeticia.Medellín.Manizales..BarranquillaPERU.Providencia.San Agustín

100 Miles200 KMISTOCKPHOTO.COMSHUTTERSTOCK.COMISABELLE MAZILLE.BogotáCOLOMBIAPANAMAVENEZUELA.Villa de LeivaIslas del Rosario.CartagenaPereira.69Essentials Climate Weather varies according to altitude. The dry season is from December to February, local holiday season. There can be heavy rain in April/May and October/November.Festivals Cartagena Hay Literary Festival 27?30 January 2011; Baranquilla Carnival 05?08 March 2011; Medellín Flower Fair 30 July?01 August; International Jazz Festival, Bogotá, September.Travelling from UK Time difference (GMT) -5hrs Travel time 19hrs Highlights of Colombia 13 days, 11 nightsBogotá 2 nights, Villa de Leiva 2n, Bogotá 1n, Cartagena 3n, Coffee Country 3n.Day 1 Fly to Bogotá, arriving the same evening. Day 2 Half day city tour of the capital, including the colonial heart and the Gold Museum. Days 3&4 Drive (3hrs) to the small colonial town of Villa de Leiva, declared a national monument and free from modern development, with museums, graceful mansions and flowery cobbled lanes. Excursions to the 110 million year-old fossil of a marine reptile and an ancient indigenous astronomical observatory. Day 5 Return to Bogotá and the extraordinary underground salt cathedral at Zipaquirá. Days 6-8 Fly to Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, one of the most evocative colonial cities on the continent; its beautifully restored heart enclosed within fortified walls. Walking tour of the narrow alleys lined with carved doors and ornate overhanging balconies and a day trip by boat to the coral beaches of the Islas del Rosario. Days 9-11 Fly to Pereira and continue by road to the Coffee Country (Zona Cafetera) on the western slopes of the central Andean range, with a warm, pleasant climate. The scenery is most attractive with lush, green mountains - coffee bushes are interspersed with enormous bamboo jungles and banana plants. The region has a very peaceful, rural atmosphere; most of the population live in villages or on farms where coffee is still produced in the traditional way with all the berries picked by hand. Stay on one of the coffee estates, with a guided tour of the plantations process. Day 12 Fly to Bogotá and connect to your international flight back to the UK, arriving day 13.Prices from £2,372pp based on two sharing, excluding transatlantic flights. Daily from the UK 6AmazoniaOccupying up to a third of the country, Colombia's Amazonian fecund rainforests are criss-crossed by rivers and sparsely populated by indian communities. Wildlife lodges are accessible from the main port, Leticia.5BOGOTÁCrouching below high peaks on a plateau in the temperate Andes, the capital is rich in monumental colonial architecture and world class museums. Close by, the colonial town of Villa de Leiva's tranquillity contrasts with Bogotá's frenetic energy.4COFFEE COUNTRYColombia's famous coffee is cultivated on the western flanks of the Andes. At around 1500m the area has an agreeable climate and visitors can relax on coffee estates and enjoy the prolific bird-life.020 8747 8315 / journeylatinamerica.co.uk bookings, consultant advice and additional information how about?» Viewing wildlife and jungle flora at an Amazonian lodge near Leticia or the remote Pacific beaches at one of the lodges near the modest resort of Nuquí; or stay a couple of nights at the re-invigorated city of Medellín. » Relaxing on the jungle-fringed and utterly romantic beach at Tayrona National Park. Villa de Leiva?wonderful place to stay; we arranged riding and swimming in natural pools. VB, West HampsteadVENEZUELA