FINALLY!!! Not only did I check the box for the 6th continent – I made it to the destination in South America I most wanted to experience. Thanks to an invitation from ProColombia via my host agency, I was able to be in Colombia from September 1-8, 2021… eight days in paradise!
Believe it not, there were a few people who thought I was nuts to go. Some because of COVID-19, but I’ll repeat – just like Kenya and Costa Rica this year – I felt like I had less of a chance getting it there than in going to my own neighborhood grocery store. As far as Colombia’s past history with drugs and violence, fortunately those are a thing of the past. The people are kind, generous and love life! My kind of place.
I arrived in Cartagena and could immeditately see why it is referred to as “little Miami” – some tall buildings graced the skyscape and flying over the Caribbean was beautiful. I met one of the other travel advisors on the trip and we shared a ride to our hotel – the Nacar Hotel Cartagena is a house in a restored historic landmark. The hotel marries colonial ambiance and modern elegance. A rooftop pool and bar were icing on the cake!
Our second day took us to San Felipe Castle, built by the Spanish during the colonial era and then on to the Emerald Museum. If you are not aware – Colombia is known as the Emerald capitol of the world and many of the African slaves that were brought in the 1850s were put to work in the mines. The history is fascinating!
We had a wonderful lunch and tour of the Sofitel Santa Clara – built in and around a 400 year old monastery. The pool and spa area are fabulous as you can see from the photos below and the courtyard in the center is divine. I can’t wait to book some lucky clients at this property – who wants to go first?
Additionally, we visited the charming and colorful neighborhood of Gethsemani. This is the part of Cartagena where you will get some of the true “flavor” of the local lifestyle. Street art, hip bars, cafes, an old church and a slower pace of life is what you see here. After a hot morning of wandering through the neighborhood we went to a local restaurant called Oh La La (owned by a French trained Colombian chef) for a tasting of local and native fruits and lunch followed by a dessert we had a hand in making! So much fun and so delicious!
After our lunch it was on to a coffee tasting at San Alberto, Colombia’s most award winning coffee! I learned so much – like my tastebuds are accustomed to bad coffee – LOL. For our Cartagena finale we spent the early evening at the Cafe del Mar enjoying the sunset over the Caribbean from a superb spot on top of the city’s iconic walls.
There is so much more I can share and will – in my blog and in the private Cline & Co Insiders Facebook group. Please join here if you haven’t already – PRIVATE GROUP.
Stay tuned for a recap of our trip to Bogota and the surrounding areas!
