Colombia Camino Real

Day 1 – Welcome to Bogota!

Ready, set, go! The adventure begins as soon as your plane touches down in Bogota, Colombia’s high-altitude, high-excitement and always-full-of-surprises capital. After a seamless transfer by one of our team from the airport to your hotel in the gorgeous Historical Zone, there’s no time to waste: get out there and explore.

Our guide will loop you through the streets of the old town, pointing out the top sights like the Plaza Bolivar and Santander Park before leading you to Monserrate Hill. It’s an absolute slog up to the top… if you’re walking. Luckily for you, we’re easing you into things by taking the funicular! From here, you’ll meet with views of the different parts of the city sprawled out beneath you, like a patchwork quilt.

Finally, you’ll round off your whirlwind first day with a welcome dinner to truly bond with your Camino Crew. This is going to be so much fun!

Accommodation: HAB Hotel (or similar)
Included: Dinner

Day 2 – Lake Tota

Today’s when the real adventure starts – your first full day in Colombia! We’re getting things started the right way, with a 3.5-hour drive winding through the Andes towards the sky-high Lake Toya in Boyacá, over 3,000 metres above sea level. Here, you’ll roll up your sleeves for a cooking workshop, where you’ll learn age-old techniques straight from the masters. Squeeze your eyes shut as you experience brand-new flavours tingling on your tastebuds. Nothing tastes like this at home!

All good things must come to an end, but you’ll wrap the day up in style with dinner by a bonfire, sharing steaming mugs of mulled wine with your trip mates and jamming to live tunes under the stars.

Accommodation: Santa Ines (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 – Monguí

Wave goodbye to Lake Tota and return to the road, this time to the story-soaked-cobbles of Monguí, an adorable Andes Heritage town that’s famous for something you wouldn’t expect… Making footballs! Join in and get your needles ready: the local women, who’ve been stitching up footballs for over 80 years, are about to let you in on the secret.

After all that stitching and storytelling, what better way to unwind than with the local brew? Soak up the afternoon sun over a coffee-tasting session, overlooking Monguí’s green-hued surroundings. We bet the views here are hands-down more impressive than at your local coffee shop!

Accommodation: Real Calicante (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4 – First Hiking Day!

It’s kickoff time – your first hiking day is finally here.

Starting at dawn, you’ll leave Monguí and make your way to Mongue Black Lagoon, weaving through the mind-bending paramo along the way. What’s a paramo, you ask? A super-rare, high-altitude ecosystem found only in a few places on Earth. It’s basically a high mountain plateau, just below where the snow starts, where it’s not super-clear where the ground ends and the sky begins. So cool!

You’ll be hiking for 4 to 5 hours today, stopping along the way at a high mountain nursery to learn about the frailejón, a unique plant vital to this ecosystem. You’ll even get hands-on and plant one yourself, leaving your mark on the Ocetá Colombia’s most beautiful paramo.

After the hike, it’s back to town for a hot shower and a hearty meal. You’ve earned it!

Accommodation: Real Calicante (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 – Villa de Leyva

Another day, another destination – this time the artist’s paradise of Raquira. Seriously, everywhere you look here you’ll find wild colours, head-spinning patterns and meticulously crafted sculptures. Think you’ve got what it takes to mould clay into a masterpiece? Well, it’s time to find out!

After that, it’s back on the road to Villa de Leyva, Colombia’s sweetheart when it comes to gorgeous colonial towns that’ll make you want to stay for months rather than days. Check into your new hotel and grab some dinner, but don’t eat too much, because things are about to get spicy!

Tonight, we’ve lined up a salsa class with a teacher straight from Cali, the salsa capital of Colombia. With fiery beats, infectious rhythms and moves that just make you want to cha-cha-cha, you’ll dance the night away under the stars. What’s that? We can’t hear you over the music!

Accommodation: Aqua Vitae or Muisca Villa Leyva (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6 – Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva is so nice, you’re visiting it twice. Last night was a solid intro, but it’d be a crime to leave town without touring one of the most jaw-dropping spots in Colombia before you move on. So that’s exactly what today is for! Have your camera at the ready in the morning as you duck and dive through its labyrinth-like streets, before rounding it all off with lunch with a local family.

This afternoon, we’re dialling up the action on a quad bike tour of the nearby desert. As you zoom through the sand you’ll be whooping and hollering with every twist and turn and laughing until your sides hurt. This is what travel is all about!

Accommodation: Aqua Vitae or Muisca Villa Leyva (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 – San Vicente

After all that adventure you’ll be desperate for the opportunity to catch your breath. Good news – today’s a travel day, so you can do exactly that. You’ll be on the road for seven to eight hours, stopping, of course, to stretch your legs, before sharing a late lunch on your arrival in San Vicente. The journey is the perfect time to crack open that new novel you’ve been planning to read for ages, or even just catch up on some much-needed zzz’s, so go ahead.

Time to sweeten the deal: the highlight of the day is going to be a tour of a local Cacao plantation. You’ll get to see firsthand how those delicious chocolate bars start off as humble cacao pods, and then you’ll even get to crack them open to take a whiff of their sweet, chocolatey smell. Is your mouth watering yet?

Accommodation: Boutique Hotel San Vicente (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

The El Camino Real – An ancient route from Barichara to Los Santos

The El Camino Real was originally an ancient path built by the Guane people who were indigenous to the area and used it for trading with the villages and towns along the way. When Colombia was gripped by Spanish rule in the sixteenth century the trail was named El Camino Real or the Royal Road. It was reconstructed to its current shape around one-hundred and fifty years ago by a German immigrant called Geo von Lengerke. By 1977 it was declared a National Monument.

The portion from Barichara to Guane, is the well-known part that’s promoted as a day hike – so you might bump into the occasional trekker there, but don’t be surprised if your group hardly happens upon another traveller for the rest of the trek! All-in-all the trail will take you through remote Andes landscapes and into towns and villages that will have you thinking you’ve literally walked a path that has taken you back in time!

Day 8 – The Camino Real: San Vicente to Zapatoca Hike

Today, lace up those boots and brace yourself for a trek that’s a real bucket list topper! You’ll be setting off from San Vicente, jumping straight into Colombia’s Camino Real. At the start, you’ll meet your local trekking guide who knows this trail like the back of their hand. Then, it’s time to walk, passing through the wow-worthy Yarigues National Park and losing yourself in the mist-shrouded cloud forest. You’ll actually walk through eight different Andean micro-climates in one hike today. Told you it was special!

Finally, after nine hours and 25 kilometres of trekking awesomeness, you’ll roll up to the finish line in Zapatoca. Your legs might be jelly, but your smile will be ear to ear. Your luggage will be waiting there for you – a fresh set of clothes, anyone?

Accommodation: Boutique Cabins Zapatoca (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 9 – The Camino Real: Zapatoca to Guane

Rise and shine! Today’s journey kicks off with a 4.5-hour trek down into the mind-blowing Chicamocha Canyon, using the old Lenguerke Bridge to cross the rushing Rio Suarez. Don’t look down!

All that walking is no mean feat, so fuel is on the horizon – a packed lunch with all the nutrients you’ll need to polish off the remaining four hours of hiking. You’ll tackle a whopping 23 kilometres total today, and you can’t have an achievement like that without plenty of huffing and puffing and sweaty high-fives from your Camino Crew along the way. You’ve got this!

Finally, when it feels like your achy feet can’t take another step, the end is in sight: the tiny village of Guane, your home for tonight. Savour that feeling as you throw your hiking boots off and roll into bed. You’ve smashed it.

Accommodation: Boutique Hotel Guane (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 10 – The Camino Real: Guane to Barichara

Good news: the hike this morning is a breeze compared to the last two days, so you can breathe a sigh of relief. After breakfast, you’ll leave lovely Guane at around 8am to beat the midday sun, with Barichara, just 5.5 kilometres away, set firmly in your sights.

Once you get to Barichara, it’s time to do… absolutely nothing! It’s been a full-on few days, so it’s finally time to do some serious R&R. Check into the hotel, take a dip in the pool, and take advantage of the laundry service to freshen up those totally gross hiking clothes. No judgement – it happens to all of us.

As the evening rolls in, a celebration is on the horizon: a pizza and wine night to celebrate your kick-ass hiking achievements. Cheers to new friends, once-in-a-lifetime adventures, and other adventures still to come!

Accommodation: Boutique House Barichara (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11 – The Camino Real: Villanueva to Jordan

Wave goodbye to the cobbled gorgeousness of Barichara as you return to the trail, this time walking 17 kilometres. You’ll start off with quite the climb, spending most of the morning walking uphill, but don’t worry, the views make it more than worth the effort. After working up a sweat (we call that the sign of a good hike) you’ll arrive in Villanueva, just in time for a well-deserved lunch. Did you know Villanueva is famous for its pineapple plantations? Fresh and juicy, you might just taste the best pineapples of your life here!

Post-lunch, you’ll trek onwards toward Jordan, following the river for a leg-stretching 10 kilometres. And now, the finish line! Your digs tonight are basic, to say the least, but your group of 12 fun-loving Camino Women could make anywhere feel like home. Sleep tight!

Accommodation: Basic lodging in Jordan
Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12 – The Camino Real: Jordan to Los Santos

The sound of the water running alongside you as you walk the first two kilometres of this morning’s hike is the last sound you’ll hear in a while. You see, Jordan is a ghost town. Really! Ninety percent of its inhabitants have left to work elsewhere, meaning it’s mostly abandoned.

After exploring the spooky vibes of Jordan, it’s back on the path for a 3.5-hour hike to Los Santos. It’s the perfect amount of time to swap your favourite ghost stories with your Camino Crew as you walk.

Once you arrive in Los Santos, the day is far from over. If the weather’s on your side, take to the skies on a cable ride across the canyon that’ll give you a birds-eye view of the land you’ve just crossed. Prefer to keep your feet on solid ground? No problem! You’re staying at a wine farm tonight, so there are far worse places to kick back with a glass of vino.

Accommodation: Wine Farmhouse Mesa de los Santos (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 13 – Medellin

Take it easy this morning, enjoy your breakfast, and soak up those last few moments of peace. Your next stop is going to be far from peaceful because you’re heading… to Medellin!

Our driver will drop you off at the airport with plenty of time to make your quick one-hour flight to Colombia’s second-biggest city. Touch down in Medellin, and our local guide will scoop you up for a swift transfer to El Poblado, the city’s trendiest neighbourhood and so, obviously, the place you’ll be staying. Only the best for our Camino Crew!

Unpack, get chatting about the next few days and head out for dinner with your hiking pals if you fancy it. Our guide has plenty of recommendations to steer you in the right direction if you need a nudge. It’s time to see what all that Medellin hype is about.

Accommodation: 4* Ecohub (or similar)
Included: Breakfast

Day 14 – Comuna 13

Today, we’re leaping head-first into Medellin’s transformation, where a booming artistic movement that’s drenching the city in colour, pattern, and lots and lots of music is scrubbing away its gritty past.

There’s nowhere more “Medellin” than Comuna 13, once one of the most dangerous parts of the city that was completely run by cartel gang members. No stress, though – it’s now the most-visited part of the city, decked out with street art and totally safe to explore on today’s tour! With our guide leading the charge, you’ll zig-zag through this open-air gallery, uncovering the stories behind the most striking murals. By the end, you’ll see Medellin in a completely different light – colourful, bold and unquestionably hopeful!

Accommodation: 4* Ecohub (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 15 – Guatape

It’s the last day, so let’s sign off your Colombian journey with a bang! How do we do that? With a day trip to the beloved Gautape, Paisas’ favourite resort town to get away from it all. First up, tackle the epic Piedra de Peñol. This beast of a rock is massive, with over 700 steps for you to climb to the top. Oh yes, there’s one last hiking push for you, but the reward is some of the most gasp-worthy sights you’ve seen all trip as motivation. Dig deep, you can do it!

With the rock conquered, you’ll descend on the crayon-box-coloured streets of Guatape to snag some last-minute souvenirs, or maybe a final golden-crispy arepa, or maybe a last photo, or a hundred, or… oh, it’s going to be so hard to leave!

Returning to Medellin in the evening, gather with your group of newfound hiking sisters for one final Colombian dinner. What an adventure it’s been.

Accommodation: 4* Ecohub (or similar)
Included: Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

Day 16 – Farewell Friends!

Well, here we are – the day you’ve been dreading! It’s time to pack your bags and say your goodbyes over breakfast. After that, our team is ready to whisk you off to the airport with plenty of time for your flight.

From wandering Medellin’s graffiti-clad streets to trekking through those sky-touching paramo landscapes, it’s been an experience like no other. Don’t forget to swap contact info and share those last laughs with your newfound friends. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find yourselves on another Camino Women adventure together soon.

Included: Breakfast