What makes Colombia so special compared to other Latin American countries, is the feeling you still have a lot to discover. Not that you are the ‘first’ to explore, but there is so much to see and do, and not all can be found in the regular guide books. It’s easy to get of ‘the beaten track’ and enrich your experience in Colombia with something different. Most of the itineraries are confirmed around some of the highlights, while back at home, the experiences you didn’t plan, or found in the guidebooks, are best remembered. The Region Caribe is full with ‘highlights’, but then again, there are as much so called ‘hidden treasures’. Nature reserves or hidden beaches hardly anyone visits, the traditional indigenous cultures in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, or the jungle of the Darian for example.
One of the best ‘hidden gems’ at the Caribe are the indigenous villages of the Kogui, Wiwa, and Arhuaco in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is almost surreal to see the difference with our western world, and to think that we can actually find a completely different culture and way of life at such a short distance, is incredible.
Punta Gallinas is one of the most extraordinary destinations in South America. It is the northernmost spot of the southern continent, a piece of land where the desert directly turns into sea. The only population of the area is a handful of Wayuu families, their goats, and a colony of pink flamingos.
Palafitas' - Houses build on pillars sticking out of the water, sometime whole villages in the middle of a cienaga, it’s a common thing in the Caribe region. Think of the village of ‘Bocas de Atrato’ in the bay of Uruba, or the suburbs at the coast of the town Cienaga. But nothing as special as the village of ‘Nueva Venecia’ in the middle of ‘Cienaga de Pajaral’, close to Barranquilla.
Beaches of the finest white sand, exotic palm trees and a sea with the clearest turquoise-colored water: the coral island of Isla Múcura, part of the San Bernardo archipelago, is a paradise in the Caribbean. Relax on the beautiful beaches, explore the coral reefs with a snorkel, learn to dive, fill your belly with delicious coconut rice and fresh fish, and take a boat trip to one of the other islands, including the remarkable Islote de Santa Cruz, the most densely populated island in the world.
At the border of Panama and Colombia you find the well know beach villages of Capurgana and Sapzurro. But little further south in the bay or Uraba, you can enter the Atrato River from ‘Bocas de Atrato, connecting the ocean with fresh water, and the tremendous jungle and ecosystems of National Park Katios and the Darian.
