Bogota to Salento

Day 1: Bogotá
Day 2: Ciclovía & La Candelaría 
Day 3: Bogotá - Cali - Buga (flight)
Day 4: Buga - La Unión,  60 mi. (96 km) (768 m)
Day 5: La Unión - Cerritos, 35 mi. (56 km) (658 m)
Day 6: Cerritos - Pueblo Tapao, 32 mi. (51 km) (934 m)
Day 7: Pueblo Tapao - Salento, 22 mi. (35 km) (1007 m)
Day 8:  Salento and hike Corcora Valley
Day 9: Salento - Quimbaya, 25 mi. (40 km) (585 m)
Day 10: Quimbaya - Cerritos, 26 mi. (42 km) (464 m)
Day 11: Pereira -  Bogotá (flight)

Day 1: Bogotá
Arrive in Bogotá on Saturday, transfer, and settle in at your first hotel. Bogotá is diverse and multicultural, blending the old and the new. You will find colonial architecture, next to modern, and the many parks and the Andes to the East add color and majesty. 

Accommodation: Hotel de la Opera

Day 2: Ciclovía & La Candelaría
On the schedule today is the Ciclovia. Each Sunday and public holiday from 7 am until 2 pm, certain main streets of Bogotá and other cities and municipalities are blocked from traffic for runners, skaters, and bicyclists. At the same time, stages are set up in city parks. Aerobics instructors, yoga teachers, and musicians lead people through various performances. Bogotá's weekly ciclovías are used by approximately 2 million people (about 30% of the population) on over 120 km of car-free streets.  After a historical tour through the heart of the city, you will take one of the classic bike routes to the north of the city to reach the neighborhood known as Usaquén. From the city center to Usaquén is about 14 kilometers.  During the tour you will observe how the Ciclovia is enjoyed by many citizens and is a major space for culture, recreation and sport. Once you have done the tour of Usaquén you will return to the hotel. 

After lunch at a local restaurant you will enjoy a walking tour of Candelaria. This tour gives you an overview of Colombia's capital and provides opportunities to interact with locals, visit the most important spots in the city, and get the max of the artistic and historical value of all the streets and alleys we walkthrough. Candelaria district is the oldest and most important neighborhood in Bogotá.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Hotel de la Opera

Day 3: Bogotá - Cali - Buga (flight)
After breakfast you will be transferred to from your hotel in Bogata to the airport where you will take domestic flight to Cali, which can be arranged through our partner. Upon arrival, you will enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before a transfer to Buga where you will spend the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Guadalajara

Day 4: Buga - La Unión,  60 mi. (96 km) (768 m)
Leaving Buga the route takes you past Media Canoa, Roldanillo, and La Unión. Suggested is a visit to the Uva National Park which offers an amazing blend of nature, culture, and adventure. The park is located just a 15-minute walk from Hotel Los Viñedos, and the experience lasts between 2-4 hours.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Los Viñedos

Day 5: La Unión - Cerritos, 35 mi. (56 km) (658 m)
Begin your day with a 50-minute transfer by support vehicle from La Unión to Zaragoza (46 km). Upon arrival in Zaragoza, the bike route will commence. Cycle through scenic routes, passing through the charming towns of Cartago and La Virginia, before reaching your hotel in Cerritos. During your stop in Cartago, you’ll have the opportunity to join a guided city tour. Explore historical sites, taste local drinks, and visit the Casa del Virrey, a significant cultural landmark. As you continue on the route, you'll pass through sugar cane plantations, particularly in the stretch between Ansermanuevo and La Virginia. Along the route you can enjoy a delightful tasting of guarapo (a traditional sugar cane drink) and pineapple along the main road leading to the Cerritos hotel. End the day with your arrival at the hotel in Cerritos, where you can relax and unwind after a day of cycling and exploration.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel San Antonio del Cerro

Day 6: Cerritos - Pueblo Tapao (via Cartago - Alcalá - Quimbaya), 32 mi. (51 km) (934 m)
A short distance from the hotel, you'll start walking on a highway, downhill with a good shoulder for about 10 km to return to Cartago. Before entering this town, you will take the road to Alcalá (approximately 20 km - with 2 uphill sections) where you will enter the coffee-growing region. You will see the first coffee plantations on this trip. Then, you will travel to Quimbaya, and just before entering the town, you'll have the opportunity to take a photo of the pre-Columbian objects carved at the side of the road, replicas of original pieces from the Quimbaya Culture, now in the Gold Museum in Bogotá. Your final journey will take you to Montenegro (medium traffic) and then to Pueblo Tapao until the hotel (low traffic). Once settled in the hotel, you will have the chance to walk along a trail within the grounds to learn about local plants, flowers, and birds (Colombia is the number one country in bird species worldwide).

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Finca Hotel La Tata

Day 7: Pueblo Tapao - Salento (via Montenegro - Circasia), 23 mi. (35 km) (1045 m)
You will continue to gain altitude and reach Salento, the oldest and one of the most beautiful towns in the coffee region. On the way to this incredible town, you will enjoy an authentic coffee experience tour at Finca El Ocaso, where you will learn everything about Colombian coffee and have the opportunity to enjoy the best coffee in the world. In the morning, you will begin by walking 4 km along a quiet road towards Montenegro and then to Circasia (approx. 15 km uphill), followed by 2 km of downhill gravel road and then 12 km to Salento on gravel roads, including 5 km uphill to enter the town. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Terrazas de Salento

Day 8:  Salento and hike Corcora Valley
Today is very special because you will have the privilege of visiting a unique place, the Cocora Valley (Valle de Cocora), which is a natural cloud forest, where the wax palm trees are the tallest in the world, unique to Colombia, and are the national tree as well. You will have a chance to hike in the valley and beyond with lots of photo ops.  You will ride a Jeep Willys from Salento to the Valley and back, just as the locals do and then you will have a chance to visit Salento and play Tejo, Colombia's crazy national sport. You will also enjoy a coffee experience tour at Café Jesus Martin in Salento. 

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Terrazas de Salento

Day 9: Salento - Quimbaya (via Filandia), 25 mi. (40 km) (585 m)
Cycling out of Salento, you will stop at Filandia. You will be able to appreciate a 360-degree view of the coffee landscape from the 27-meter-high Illuminated Hill Viewpoint, located on the outskirts of the municipality of Filandia on the road that leads to Quimbaya. You will also learn about one of the most important traditions of Filandia, the handicraft of basket making. A small industry made up of local families has dedicated themselves to transforming natural fibers such as vines and derivates from plants based on the development of decorative items such as baskets, containers or vases, among others. You will visit a traditional basket shop to learn about the process and buy some souvenirs. Tonight you will have dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel Casa Nogales

Day 10: Quimbaya - Cerritos (via Cartago - La Virginia), 26 mi. (42 km) (464 m)
On the last day of your bike trip, you will travel through the departments of Quindío, northern Valle del Cauca, and end in Risaralda across the hills and western slopes of the central mountain range (Andes), descending to 1,144 meters above sea level where the "La Vieja" river separates these three departments. You will enjoy the rich volcanic lands where the Quimbaya culture reached its peak, the most important goldsmiths in Colombia. The Quimbaya civilization was a pre-Columbian culture in Colombia, known for its goldwork characterized by technical precision and intricate designs. Most of the goldwork is made from tumbaga alloy, with 30% copper, giving the pieces significant color tones.
Finally, you will arrive in Cerritos, the most desired land in Colombia for its excellent climate, where cold air currents descending from the Páramo in the Los Nevados National Natural Park meet the warm currents from the Valle del Cauca. Dinner at a local restaurant.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel San Antonio del Cerro

Day 11: Pereira -  Bogotá (flight)
Today marks the end of your tour. After breakfast, you will take a private transfer from your hotel to Pereira Airport for your onward arrangements or flight back to Bogotá (scheduled at 13h42, arriving at 14:38).

Meals: Breakfast 

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Accommodation provided during this tour is in good three-star hotels. Please see each day’s detailed itinerary for the preferred accommodation that is used. Of course in the event of lack of availability, a comparable alternative will be offered.