April Colombia 18 Day Trip - Itinerary Suggestions

[curiousnature12]

Hi Everyone,

I am headed to Colombia for the first time in April for 18 days. I will arrive/depart from Bogota and I'm debating how much time to spend in Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena, and whether I should add smaller cities in between them.

I am a black gay male in my early 30s from the US  and am looking to experience culture (museums, music, historical sites and architecture), food, and meet local guys, for fun, platonically, and/or as a local guide as my Spanish is still limited. I'm looking for both professional guys and non-professional situations. I will be working remotely for part of my trip and will want to be in places where I can find co working spaces/coffee shops or anywhere with access to free and decent WiFi. 

Any suggestions on how I should split my time between the 3 cities or other places/cities I should visit?

 

[Anthonyvan]

First of all, good choice of going to Colombia! I was in Bogota in Nov for a little over a week. I originally planned to visit Medellin or Cartagena, but some hiccups happened, so I ended up spending all the time in Bogota. 

If you enjoy the cultural stuff, I would highly recommend Museo del Oro, Museo Botero (even though I don't his aesthetics at all), and Museo Nacional de Colombia. I am sure there are some others you can see, but these three are a must. Historical sites are mostly in the downtown La Canderlaria area. Also Iglesia Nuestra Senora de Lourdes in Chapinero. You can go to the Mercado de Las Pulgas in Usaquen (it's only open in Sunday). Monserrate is also a must, but make sure you pick a good day. Otherwise, it's foggy and drizzling up there. 

In general, local guys' English is limited. But I did end up meeting three guys who had studied abroad, so that made the experience a lot more enjoyable. 

Since you mention you have to work remotely, how much time on average per day do you need to allocate to work? I wish I could travel like a digital nomad, but sadly I was there on vacation. 

Finally, as for guys, what are your aesthetics? That I believe is also a factor in deciding how you wish to spend your time. 

[tidewater]

I am afraid I have little insight regarding guys in Colombia as my visits have been with friends.  There certainly are many gorgeous ones everywhere though!  You may prefer focusing on bigger cities, but I would highly recommend Jardin (about 4 hours from Medellin) if you wanted a couple of days in a smaller town. It is a charming place located in beautiful, lush countryside (heart of coffee production). It was definitely a highlight for me and anyone I know who has visited.  Again, it probably won’t be a hot spot for any type of action but I think most would enjoy it (especially if you like a mix of bigger and smaller places on a trip).

[davet]

Bogota and Cartagena are great. Medellin is pleasant but I did not find it that culturally interesting. Because so many Colombians have put in experience at the best restaurants in Europe, there are phenomenal Michelin-bait restaurants in Medellin and Bogota at half to 1/3 the price of a comparable meal in the U.S.  There are many beautiful historical towns: Villa de Leyva (near Bogota), Santa Fe de Antioquia (near Medellin), Mompox (not near anything but so much atmosphere and history), more. And if you have the time, inclination, and tolerance of mosquitos, Ciudad Perdida is Colombia's answer to Machu Picchu and requires a 4 day hike into the jungle near Santa Marta.

[msclelovr]

As Uber is ceasing operations in Colombia at the end of January, has anyone checked into local taxi firms and their rates compared to the cost of hiring a car and driver for the day in the various cities?

[Walker]

2 hours ago, msclelovr said:

As Uber is ceasing operations in Colombia at the end of January, has anyone checked into local taxi firms and their rates compared to the cost of hiring a car and driver for the day in the various cities?

Oh no...I can't live without Uber in Colombia.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Walker

[Riobard]

A few months ago, one of my Über drivers in Bogotá, Diego, was a lovely young bilingual guy working around the clock to support his family including a newborn (possibly two children). Many of these workers rely on the ride service to fund their vehicles. Think of the foreclosures!

Edited January 14, 2020 by Riobard

[Riobard]

This is just one case, but it suggests that using this kind of resource privately, if you can connect with a provider, would run about $5USD per hour, ridiculously affordable. 

Parenthetically, Über admin takes 25% years of ride fees. 

[Riobard]

My drivers earned net about $7.50USD per hour (prorated) from me, based on my review of credit card receipts. Considering their likely tallies of “dead time” between fares, ie, waiting for an order prompt and travelling to pick-up, $5.00 seems about right.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Riobard

[Riobard]

Having expanded to ÜberEats, Über might do well to launch a ‘local guide’ platform. 

[msclelovr]

7 hours ago, Riobard said:

one of my Über drivers in Bogotá, Diego, was a lovely young bilingual guy working around the clock to support his family

Any chance @Riobard that you still have Diego’s contact details? I always prefer to have a good local driver.

[Riobard]

25 minutes ago, msclelovr said:

Any chance @Riobard that you still have Diego’s contact details? I always prefer to have a good local driver.

No, sorry, I would have contacted him for permission .... only vehicle make/model retained in my trip history.

[Riobard]

The future is ambiguous, a mess, lack of clarity around which app-based ride programs are ‘persona non grata’.

The taxi union, as I understand it, must pick off any single service judicially one by one. Cabify is next in line to be targeted. Tappsi, EasyTaxi, anyone’s guess.

It is unclear whether the union is against all phone-based apps and wants exclusively the old school of radio-dispatched via phone ... and curb side hail. App infrastructure costs do perhaps erode earnings disproportionately.

Edited January 14, 2020 by Riobard

[curiousnature12]

On 1/10/2020 at 11:27 AM, Anthonyvan said:

First of all, good choice of going to Colombia! I was in Bogota in Nov for a little over a week. I originally planned to visit Medellin or Cartagena, but some hiccups happened, so I ended up spending all the time in Bogota. 

If you enjoy the cultural stuff, I would highly recommend Museo del Oro, Museo Botero (even though I don't his aesthetics at all), and Museo Nacional de Colombia. I am sure there are some others you can see, but these three are a must. Historical sites are mostly in the downtown La Canderlaria area. Also Iglesia Nuestra Senora de Lourdes in Chapinero. You can go to the Mercado de Las Pulgas in Usaquen (it's only open in Sunday). Monserrate is also a must, but make sure you pick a good day. Otherwise, it's foggy and drizzling up there. 

In general, local guys' English is limited. But I did end up meeting three guys who had studied abroad, so that made the experience a lot more enjoyable. 

Since you mention you have to work remotely, how much time on average per day do you need to allocate to work? I wish I could travel like a digital nomad, but sadly I was there on vacation. 

Finally, as for guys, what are your aesthetics? That I believe is also a factor in deciding how you wish to spend your time. 

Apologies for the delayed reply! Thank you for the feedback and recommendations! I love cultural stuff, so I'll make sure to check these museums and historical sites. 

My goal is to use as little English as possible, and not rely on people knowing it by practicing with Duolingo, Youtube and make a conjugation tables on Google sheets probably.  

I work 8-10 hours a day, but I will be OOO for half of my time here and the rest I'll do tourist stuff during my evenings and weekends. I would prefer to only be on vacation, but I want to save some PTO days for future trips this year.

My aesthetics:

• Muscular/athletic/beefy body
• Nice ass (read: bubble butt, muscular, an ass with a pronounced shape)
• prefer a smooth body and ass, but can get past that if the guy is hot enough
• Like tattoos on guys, especially thigh ones, but cool with noon and others as long as I can still see their body
• Open on race generally, but looking for brown/black Colombians. Open to white/lighter Colombians, especially if the above criterion are met.
• Not an aesthetic, but looking for (power) bottoms, which may be difficult due to the machismo culture.

[curiousnature12]

Also the situation with Uber pulling out is frankly terrible for drivers and passengers as Uber was a safer option for tourists to get around major cities.

I still plan on going to Colombia, but I hope the reliable taxi apps are still available when I visit in April.

I have also heard people mention visiting Cali, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta. Are any of these cities worth visiting for a couple of days?

 

[curiousnature12]

Here is current break down for my itinerary:

 

• Bogota: April 9th - April 12th/13th
• Medellin: April 12th/13th - April 20th
• Cartagena: April 20th - April 27th
• Bogota April 27th - 28th (Depart for home)

Hotels I've picked for each city (Airbnb Recommendations are also welcome):

• Bogota
  • Holiday Inn Express & Suites (Doing Renovations)
  • Hilton Bogota
  • Embassy Suites
• Medellin
  • Medellin Marriott
  • Hotel Du Parc Royal
  • NH Collection Medellín Royal, Medellin
• Cartagena
  • Have not found hotels that I like in this area yet

Cartagena feels like a resort town, which is not what I'm into so I may split the week between it, Baranquilla, and Santa Marta or avoid the region entirely and focus on Bogota and Medellin and fit in more trips to other areas near them.

Any feedback on these hotel choices or other recommendations would be appreciated. I've found potential guys to meet for Medellin thanks to Chaturbate, but other recommendations would be helpful too.

[curiousnature12]

On 2/7/2020 at 6:58 PM, vadimt said:

Cartagena's walled Old Town is an incredible historic city founded in 16th century and has wonderful architecture, and feel of times long past (though a lot of it was restored in the last few decades). The beach city next to the walled town is not interesting at all. However, as the temperatures are usually above 100F and humidity is close to 100%, it's difficult to enjoy it before sunset. YMMV. If you are not interested in beach, book a hotel or AirBnB in the walled city and spend 2-3 days there, not much more. There are more African-Colombian guys there than in Medellín, though.

I liked Medellín much more than Bogotá, but there is no history there to speak of, comparing to Bogotá or Cartagena. It is very pleasant modern city. 

BTW, your preference for tattoos: it seems like every guy in Colombia has multiple tattoos. Check out the recommendations on using Chatubate to find the guys in Colombia somewhere here. I've met the great guys through it. Grindr is very active as well.

I hate that Uber exited from Colombia: it was ubiquitous, convenient and cheap. I suspect Beat will replace it for now.

Thanks for your comment!

The architecture for Cartagena and the Afro-Colombian population and local culture is what has me going, I will take your advice and limit my trip to 2-3 days in Cartagena while and extend my time in Bogota and Medellin. I wanted to see the Arab/Levant-Colombian people and culture (read: find hot Arab-Colombian muscle bottoms!!) in Barranquilla, but I heard it's a small and less tourist friendly city when it's not time for Carnival, so I'll keep my fingers crossed in Cartagena.

Is Cartagena worth visiting on a Friday-Sunday or can I visit during the week? Tempted to go during the week, explore the walled city & have two weekends to spend in Bogota or Medellin. I heard there were hot guys in Cali, but otherwise nothing historical or cultural sites to explore there, so I'll pass.

I noticed those tattoos when I meet Latin American guys elsewhere, so I'm excited, but cool with guys who don't have tattoos. Chaturbate has been great and I've made contacts in Barranquilla, Bogota, and Medellin recently.

I will make sure to download Beat and Taxify before I visit.

 

Edited February 11, 2020 by curiousnature12

[Anthonyvan]

Not sure if the Embassy you are referring to is the one in Zona G. If it is, it's a great area to stay. Very trendy and upscale. I find most patrons there are either business professionals or mid to upper class in Bogota. Just be prepared that the food there can get quite expensive. 

[snwbrdr015]

@curiousnature12 Cartagena is great. Hot? Yes, but I can easily spend a week here. There is a lot of action; the commercial scene is large. So many pay boys available at the tip of your finger (Grindr).

Barranquilla: boring AF. Went there because I visit Colombia several times and I wanted to see another place for change. Most boring city so far.

Cali: absolutely love it! I always spend at least 1 or 2 weeks here. Barrio Granada. Safe. Central. Not as busy as Medellin, but the guys are more down to earth and less complicated than the Paisa boys of Medellin. Quite a lot of Afro Colombian here too.

[curiousnature12]

On 2/11/2020 at 2:16 AM, vadimt said:

Is Cartagena worth visiting on a Friday-Sunday or can I visit during the week? 
I don't think that weekend in Cartagena is much different from weekdays: it's mostly tourist-oriented so every day is about the same. (I am talking about Old Town, and without much knowledge - after all it has a lot of students and stuff.) On the other hand the night life in Medellín and Bogotá is totally not gringo-oriented, so it follows normal patterns of all big cities with Friday and Saturday being the most popular days. So you plan looks sound.

This reminds me of Mexico City to some extent, so that would be good with me. Thanks!

12 hours ago, Anthonyvan said:

Not sure if the Embassy you are referring to is the one in Zona G. If it is, it's a great area to stay. Very trendy and upscale. I find most patrons there are either business professionals or mid to upper class in Bogota. Just be prepared that the food there can get quite expensive. 

I was referring to The Embassy Suites in Zona G. I'm leaning on that one or the Hotel Hilton Bogota nearby. As long as I can bring back dinner dates or hookups with out issue, that is fine with me. I can always eat out or get groceries from near by.

Thanks for the feedback, your experience is what made we want to look for tour guides and potential companions for this trip.

2 hours ago, snwbrdr015 said:

@curiousnature12 Cartagena is great. Hot? Yes, but I can easily spend a week here. There is a lot of action; the commercial scene is large. So many pay boys available at the tip of your finger (Grindr).

Barranquilla: boring AF. Went there because I visit Colombia several times and I wanted to see another place for change. Most boring city so far.

Cali: absolutely love it! I always spend at least 1 or 2 weeks here. Barrio Granada. Safe. Central. Not as busy as Medellin, but the guys are more down to earth and less complicated than the Paisa boys of Medellin. Quite a lot of Afro Colombian here too.

I don't mind heat, especially dry heat, but humidity is another thing altogether... For me, preliminary Grindr reconnaissance of profiles in Cartagena has not shown a lot of options, so I'm mostly here for the architecture, weather and to actually see it for myself. I'm keeping low expectations when it comes to bars,, or guys in general. Will check out Mileroticos, but know that can be a challenge as well.

I will try to come back when it's festival season in Barranquilla. For Cali, good to know, but what did you do during the day when you weren't meeting up with guys?  Considering popping over for a weekend there as you can get a discount on hotels - Hotel Marriott Cali seems to be the best hotel in Barrio Granada, if not the entire city.

 

Edited February 12, 2020 by curiousnature12

[Anthonyvan]

I don't necessarily think a tour guide is necessary. I would say just talk to a few guys on Grindr or other gay dating apps and meet for food (it's a great way to gauge if there are any chemistry and connection. If there is none, both parties can part ways after food without feeling hurt. You are in a foreign country after all, so it's better to keep the fuss at a minimum level. I would say do not go for drinks because who knows if your drinks could be compromised). Many guys are very friendly and love to show you their culture if you can cover transportation, food, and entrances to museums. I met a couple nice guys just for sightseeing. I got quite lucky maybe because I was the extreme minority and exotic person there, or just because Colombians are  horny. 

Some other members might have commented on it, but neither Bogota nor Medellin has a large Afro/dark population. You may want to try Cali instead. Paisa have much lighter skin. 

Final note. I notice that you have like 4-5 days in Bogota. I don't think that's enough since Bogota is a huge city. But again, I am a slow traveler. But something you may want to keep in mind. 

[snwbrdr015]

@curiousnature12 I have stayed in an Airbnb in a apartment building next to the Cali Marriott you mention! I had an apartment with an amazing city view on the 13th floor for 35USD/night. Why would you stay in an overpriced hotel where it is more of a hassle to bring a steady flow of boys if you van have your own private place for a quarter of the hotel rate? 
What do I do during the day when NOT meeting boys.....huh? Meeting boys of course! Boys are ready whenever you want it! Besides that: visit the old church hill, the promenade, the parque or Chipe Chape shopping mall. Cruising the promenade bring back great memories...

 

In my opinon: 5 days Bogota CAN be sufficient. Big city sure, but only 10% is worth it / safe.
And you will more than just architecture in Cartagena...trust me . Very very humid though...that is true.

[ncc1701d]

i second the recommendation that Cartegena is worth 3 days max unless you want to venture to beaches outside. Loved Medellin for it's people and all the little towns surrounding it. Highly recommend a prolonged coffee farm trip if you like coffee. Jardin and Jericho is amazing, and stay overnight or more. Don't miss Andres de carne outside Bogota for the wackiest decor but decent food. Fun night.

Would be interested to hear how things are without Uber...i couldn't imagine my trip without it..the safety and peace of mind it brought.

[curiousnature12]

On 2/13/2020 at 12:03 AM, Anthonyvan said:

I don't necessarily think a tour guide is necessary. I would say just talk to a few guys on Grindr or other gay dating apps and meet for food (it's a great way to gauge if there are any chemistry and connection. If there is none, both parties can part ways after food without feeling hurt. You are in a foreign country after all, so it's better to keep the fuss at a minimum level. I would say do not go for drinks because who knows if your drinks could be compromised). Many guys are very friendly and love to show you their culture if you can cover transportation, food, and entrances to museums. I met a couple nice guys just for sightseeing. I got quite lucky maybe because I was the extreme minority and exotic person there, or just because Colombians are  horny. 

Some other members might have commented on it, but neither Bogota nor Medellin has a large Afro/dark population. You may want to try Cali instead. Paisa have much lighter skin. 

Final note. I notice that you have like 4-5 days in Bogota. I don't think that's enough since Bogota is a huge city. But again, I am a slow traveler. But something you may want to keep in mind. 

I meant to says meet guys and hang out without expectations, not necessarily a tour guide. I'd probably do that when I eventually go to Brazil and know basic Portugese.

I'm not only going only for Afro/darker skinned population, but I plan to spend a weekend in Cali and a couple days in Cartagena, so thanks again for the advice! 

I agree, it's definitely not enough! I will also spend another night in Bogota, but since this a "Digital Nomad Trip" I will focus on the key things to see during my evenings and days off and come back again especially if I like it! 

On 2/14/2020 at 9:04 AM, snwbrdr015 said:

@curiousnature12 I have stayed in an Airbnb in a apartment building next to the Cali Marriott you mention! I had an apartment with an amazing city view on the 13th floor for 35USD/night. Why would you stay in an overpriced hotel where it is more of a hassle to bring a steady flow of boys if you van have your own private place for a quarter of the hotel rate? 
What do I do during the day when NOT meeting boys.....huh? Meeting boys of course! Boys are ready whenever you want it! Besides that: visit the old church hill, the promenade, the parque or Chipe Chape shopping mall. Cruising the promenade bring back great memories...

 

In my opinon: 5 days Bogota CAN be sufficient. Big city sure, but only 10% is worth it / safe.
And you will more than just architecture in Cartagena...trust me . Very very humid though...that is true.

Very true, but I will be working during this trip, so being some where with reliable & fast internet 24/7 is important. I also have extremely high standards with accommodations, but can compromise for location and ease of meeting guys. Can you share here or I PM you for more details about the Airbnb you stayed at? 

Thanks for the advice on Bogota and Cartagena. Tempted to spend another day in Cartagena by the Bocagrande beach as that's where the modern high rises are, and maybe even the hotter guys visiting/living at. I've heard it compared to Miami Beach, which given how many gays flock to it, makes it more appealing as a main location. Can also take a taxi to and from the Old City, but prefer staying where I'll be closer to meeting guys.

On 2/17/2020 at 11:52 AM, ncc1701d said:

i second the recommendation that Cartegena is worth 3 days max unless you want to venture to beaches outside. Loved Medellin for it's people and all the little towns surrounding it. Highly recommend a prolonged coffee farm trip if you like coffee. Jardin and Jericho is amazing, and stay overnight or more. Don't miss Andres de carne outside Bogota for the wackiest decor but decent food. Fun night.

Would be interested to hear how things are without Uber...i couldn't imagine my trip without it..the safety and peace of mind it brought.

Thanks for the feedback. I'd be willing to stay by the beaches if there are more hot guys that are located there. I'm also excited for Medellin, and hope I can do day trips while i'm there. I think I will be ok with the other apps that have been recommended. I'll just have to keep more flexible schedules and live near central areas where I can get to places by foot or with safe public transit, if possible. Will be sharing the results here either way!

[curiousnature12]

I have finalized the cities and will buy airfare this weekend. Below are the cities I'm visiting and how long I'll be there:

• Medellin: 7 nights
• Bogota: 5 nights
• Cali: 4-5 nights
• Cartagena: 2-3 nights

I also want to meet these guys if possible, but don't how to talk to them when I email/DM them:

• Roy/Cali
• Andres Anteliz/Medellin

Edited February 20, 2020 by curiousnature12