I have to admit it – Colombia was not high on my travel list. I’d heard the same tired warnings everyone hears, and somehow it kept slipping down the list behind everywhere else. And now? It’s one of my favourite countries on Earth, and I’m already plotting my way back.
We live between three continents these days – my family is in Poland, my husband’s family is in the Caribbean, and we’re based in Australia – so I’ve seen my share of beautiful places. But Colombia just kept giving. Cloud forests with the tallest palm trees on the planet, the best colonial city I’ve ever set foot in, jungle waterfalls, Caribbean beaches, and hot chocolate with cheese melted into it (yes, really – more on that later). And I only scratched the surface.
Seven days is not enough to see all of Colombia – it’s a big, wonderfully varied country and you could spend a month here easily. But seven days is enough for a proper “best of” that mixes the Caribbean coast with the green, misty coffee region inland. One honest heads-up before you start: the coast and the coffee region are far apart, so this itinerary uses one short domestic flight rather than pretending it’s all drivable. Here’s exactly how I’d spend the week.
A quick word on safety
I know exactly what some of you are thinking, because I thought it too – what about safety, given everything you’ve heard about Colombia’s past. It’s a fair question, and I won’t brush it off. But I’ll tell you honestly: across every single place in this itinerary, I never once felt in danger or like I’d wandered into anywhere sketchy. Cartagena, the coffee region, Santa Marta, Minca, Salinas – all of it felt welcoming, relaxed and easy to move around.
Colombia has changed enormously, and the country you’ll actually experience as a traveller today is a world away from its reputation. As anywhere, use the common sense you’d use in any unfamiliar place – keep an eye on your things, don’t flash valuables, take registered taxis or your accommodation’s recommendations at night – and you’ll be absolutely fine. Honestly, the warmth of the people was one of the things that stayed with me most.
Days 1-2: Cartagena, the best city I’ve ever been to
Start in Cartagena, and prepare to fall hard. Every evening here feels like a film – rooftops, warm nights, and salsa drifting up from the colonial streets below. It’s the best city I’ve ever been to, no contest.
Spend your first two days slowly. Wander the Walled City with no real plan, where the streets are the colour of mango and watermelon and bougainvillea spills over every balcony. Climb up onto the old stone walls for sunset. Cross into GetsemanΓ, the old barrio that’s become the soul of the city, with street art on every wall and plazas full of music after dark.
And eat. The food in Cartagena is world class – so much variety and so many places, from fruit carried in bowls on the heads of the palenqueras in their bright dresses, to long candle-lit dinners. For seafood, @buenavidamarisqueria_ is a must-visit. Drinks and food were genuinely some of the best of the whole trip.
Day 3: Island hopping to the Rosario Islands
Before heading inland, give yourself a day on the water. The Rosario Islands sit about an hour off Cartagena by boat – a little archipelago of turquoise water, coral and palm-fringed sand that feels a world away from the city heat.
We did it as an island-hopping day trip, boat to boat, with a stop at the old Pablo Escobar mansion on Isla Grande – now a crumbling, graffiti-covered ruin slowly being swallowed by the jungle. It’s an eerie, fascinating glimpse into Colombia’s recent history, and a reminder of how far the country has come. In between there’s snorkelling over coral, swimming in impossibly clear water, and long stretches of just being out at sea.
You can do the Rosarios as a day trip from Cartagena, or stay a night on one of the islands if you want the quiet version after the day boats clear out. I’m a tropical-paradise chaser at heart, so any excuse to get on clear water is a yes from me. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and don’t overpack the day – this is a slow-down-and-float kind of stop, not a tick-everything-off one.
Day 4: Inland to the coffee region – Salento, Cocora & Filandia
Catch a short domestic flight inland to the coffee region (the eje cafetero) – the green, misty heart of Colombia, and a complete contrast to the coast.
Base yourself in or near Salento, a brightly painted coffee town and the gateway to the area’s biggest draw. From Salento’s main square, hop in one of the iconic Willys jeeps – retro WWII-era jeeps that are the soul of Colombia’s coffee country – for the ride out to the Cocora Valley. Here you’ll find the tallest palm trees on Earth: the QuindΓo wax palm, Colombia’s national tree, rising up to 60m out of an Andean cloud forest that shouldn’t really exist. That’s taller than an 18-storey building, swaying in the mist.
There are two ways to do Cocora: the long 5-6 hour hike up through the cloud forest, or the easy way – take the jeep, wander among the palms, and soak it in without the climb. I’m not going to say which I picked.
If you have time, spend half a day in nearby Filandia too – a quieter, less-visited coffee town with a retro, authentic vibe and some of the most colourful streets you’ve never heard of. And order a hot chocolate: they put cheese in it, and it’s incredible.
Day 5: Fly to Santa Marta, gateway to the wild north
Fly back to the coast, this time to Santa Marta – the oldest city in Colombia and the place where the jungle, the mountains and the sea all crash into each other. It sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, a snow-capped mountain that rises straight out of the Caribbean (I didn’t see the snow when I visited in December, but it’s up there).
Use the afternoon to settle in, watch the fishing boats come in at golden hour, and eat well by the water before heading up into the hills tomorrow.
Days 6: Minca, jungle, waterfalls and coffee with the Arhuaca family
A short, winding drive up from Santa Marta takes you to Minca, a tiny mountain town tucked into the jungle – and one of the places that completely captured my heart.
This is where you slow right down. Hike up through the jungle and the waterfalls just keep appearing, one after another, each with a pool to cool off in. Stop for a coffee and chocolate workshop with the family at @fincalaarhuaca, who have grown cacao on this land for centuries – it’s an authentic, hands-on afternoon and the coffee and cacao are unforgettable.
For accommodation, I loved staying right in the thick of it. Somewhere like @costenoriverminca is tucked into the jungle on the CosteΓ±o River – the perfect launchpad, with every adventure on your doorstep and the sound of water all night.
Day 7: Salinas del Rey – wind, waves and an off-grid eco kite house
For your final stop, head along the coast to Salinas del Rey, near the village of Santa VerΓ³nica. It’s a wild, breezy stretch of Caribbean coast that’s quietly become one of the country’s best kitesurfing spots – steady trade winds, warm wavy water, and windmills lining the sand.
You don’t need a kite to love it, though. It’s a proper off-grid escape: long empty beaches, almost nobody around, and some of the best sunsets of the whole trip – riding or watching, the light goes gold and the whole place stops looking quite real. I stayed at @kiteecohouse, an off-grid eco kite house right on the beach with bungalows and a restaurant on site. Kiter heaven, and a perfect place to wind down before flying home. (If you kite, I’ve written a full guide to Salinas del Rey with all the wind detail.)
Quick tips for your 7 days in Colombia
β When to go – December to April for the driest, sunniest weather (I went in December and loved it). This is also peak season on the Caribbean coast and the windiest stretch for kiting.
β Getting around – you’ll want one or two short domestic flights to link the coast with the coffee region; they’re cheap and quick. On the ground, the Willys jeeps around Salento are half the fun.
β Don’t miss – the cheese in the hot chocolate, a Cartagena rooftop at sunset, a Willys jeep ride to Cocora, and at least one Minca waterfall you have to hike for.
β Where to eat & stay – @buenavidamarisqueria_ for seafood in Cartagena, @fincalaarhuaca for the coffee and cacao workshop in Minca, @costenoriverminca for jungle-and-river accommodation, and @kiteecohouse for the off-grid beach finish at Salinas del Rey.
β Pace yourself – seven days is a taste, not a tour. Pick your favourites, stay long enough to feel them, and leave a reason to come back. I certainly did.
Colombia took me completely by surprise – colourful, warm, wild at the edges, and so much easier to travel than its reputation suggests. If it’s been sitting low on your list like it was on mine, take this as your sign to move it up.
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