Colombia Bucket List // What I’d Like to Do in a Return Trip

After all of my posts about Bogota, I’m sure it comes as no surprise that Colombia captured my heart–especially since I probably stated that fact in each one!

It was so hard to leave, but I felt a little better flying away knowing that I plan to return early next year. Here’s a list of a few things I’m thinking about doing when I return.

Muséo del Oro

I’ll be honest, when I first heard about the Gold Museum I had no interest in it, however people kept talking about it. The Gold Museum has a collection of gold and other materials that speaks to the history of Colombia and the people who have inhabited it. I’ve heard it’s an impressive display and came highly recommended from my city tour guide Nestor, the tour guide through the Salt Cathedral and other family members who visited. I almost went on a tour the day after the Salt Cathedral, but I decided to stay home and hang out with family instead, which was definitely the best choice! It is on my list of places to go when I return.

Bogota Botanical Gardens

I heard a lot about the different plant life of Colombia from both Nestor and our tour guide at Hacienda Coloma, who tends to the orchids that they have on their grounds and is so proud of them. Nestor told me that if you’re interested in seeing the native plant life of Colombia, the botanical gardens are a must-visit. Apparently, I’m developing an interest in plant life, because as soon as he mentioned I knew I wanted to go. Not only is this a place that people can visit, but it has research labs.

Get Outside of Bogota

I had a couple glimpses of what it’s like outside of the city when I journeyed out to Hacienda Coloma and the Salt Cathedral. I already knew that I’d love to explore more of Colombia, but those excursions made my desire to get outside of the capitol city stronger. Here are a few places that I’d love to visit:

>> Leticia is in the Amazon area of Colombia and is located at the place where Colombia, Brazil and Peru meet. I’ve always wanted to visit the Amazon, so this is pretty high on my list of possible excursions when I return to Colombia.

>> Santa Marta is in the northern part of Colombia and is a great Caribbean destination if you’re looking for something a little different. It’s also the oldest city in South America, which is what interests me the most!

>> Coffee Country, aka the Coffee Triangle, aka Pereira, Manizales and Armenia. Coffee is such an important part of my life seeing as how it’s the fuel that gets me through each day, and a trip out to coffee country would be so fascinating. I loved my trip to Hacienda Coloma, but I’m sure it’s different to experience the coffee production process in a larger place. This excursion was actually #1 on my list until I heard about Leticia and Santa Marta. I think I’d visit one of those cities first, but coffee country is still high on my list.

>> Medellín is the second largest city in Colombia and both Nestor and my tour guide at the Salt Cathedral told me it would be worth a visit. From what I’ve read it used to be one of the most violent cities, but is now a great place to visit and absolutely beautiful.

>> Cartagena is another Caribbean destination in Colombia. Apparently it’s old and beautiful and all you have to do is talk about old stone walls and cobbled alleyways and my heart melts!

>> Cali aka Santiago de Cali is the sports capitol of Colombia and a city that’s growing economically. I was told it’s a great place for salsa dancing, which is something I’m always interested in! (Although, I watched a video of Cali salsa dancing on YouTube and I would definitely need to practice!)

Have you ever been to Colombia or looked at traveling there? What else should I add to this list?

[Tweet “Interested in getting outside of Bogota? Here are a few cities to add to the list! #travel #travelblogger #colombia”]

Other Colombia posts (not already linked in this post):
>> First Impressions  |  Monserrate  |  Glass Factory  |  La Candelaria  |  Bogota Graffiti Tour