Covid winter shut down most borders and put many countries into the lockdown. Less than 10 countries were accepting foreigners without much fuss. Colombia was one of them and it was a clear choice for spending the Covid winter. I had been wanting to ride in Colombia ever since I rode through it on my KLR many years ago. But somehow, it was just "too far" to visit it again. Thanks to Covid, distance was the least of problems.
An old friend generously hosted me for over a month while another friend arranged for a motorcycle rental. We went on a few local rides and explored restaurants, coffee shops and roads of Eje Cafetero. This area is full of colonial towns with beautifully restored buildings, coffee and banana plantations, bamboo groves (I was warned that they are not bamboos but Guaduas) and endless vistas. While this area is not internationally recognized for it's beauty, it is quite popular among Colombianos.
Crossing Cauca river on a barge.
Coffee shops are everywhere in Colombia, especially in the heart of the Eje Cafetero.
Grilled meat for four people with drinks - $15.
Filandia's main plaza.
Being a full-on tourist.
Spanish colonial buildings feature balconies and in Colombia, they are filled with flowers.
Guaduas, not Bamboo!
Jeeps (called Willys) are ubiquitous form of transportation, overloaded with platanos (kind of bananas), coffee beans and other produce, often only "hanging" spaces for passengers.
After the warm-up to the Colombian traffic rules, I took off on a 9,000 km journey around the country.
I did not remember much from my previous ride, other than being cold. Even though I had spent about three weeks riding through Colombia, it was still a small piece of the big Latin American pie I had to finish in ten months. This time around, I had plenty of time and no destination, only this beautiful country waiting to be explored.
I first headed towards Nevados del Ruiz and surrounding mountains. Colombia is a country of mesmerizing altitude variations. Many valleys are at less than 1000 ft, while the glacier-covered peaks reach over 17,000 ft. In a single day, one can traverse several valleys and high passes, accumulating altitude gain of 20-30 thousand feet. As one climbs, low altitude sugar cane plantations are replaced by banana, orange and coffee plantations and eventually by high altitude desert cacti.
Morning coffee in my hotel in Salamina.
View of Salamina from the road to San Felix. Salamina is another old colonial town perched on a high mountain ridge with charming central plaza and nicely restored, colorful, buildings.
Incredibly green hills and crystal clear sky at 9,000 ft on the road between Salamina and San Felix.
Wax palms, tallest in the world, grow only in this part of Colombia.
At high altitude, there is no pollution, only crystal clear skies and fluffy clouds.
The road from San Felix to Manzanares goes through some of the most beautiful and tranquil scenery - a must do item on any rider's bucket list.
Colombia is blessed with two oceans. While the Carribean coast is well-connected to the rest of the country, only one road reaches the Pacific coast. Most of the western Colombia is considered unsafe even today. I wanted to visit Quibdo, a city not quite at the coast, but in Pacific jungle lowlands. The construction crews were working on the road and riding through muddy construction sites was challenging, but the scenery and the jungle feeling was well-worth it. Even though it goes through unsafe areas, there is a heavy police and military presence, which made me feel better.
Descending into the clouds of the Pacific lowland rainforest on the way to Quibdo.
I enjoyed the jungle ride tremendously. Even getting wet did not bother me. The road goes through Indian communities and one can see the traditional houses of the indigenous inhabitants.
Colombian Army uses KLR motorcycles.
Happy to be in the jungle.
Muddy construction sites on the way to Quibdo. Colombian roads have improved a great deal since my last ride. Major roads are wider, in many places got four lanes, many minor roads are newly re-built, in great condition.
High pass between Quibdo and Ciudad Bolivar.
Next few days, I spent riding at high altitude around Medellin - Sonson to Guatape, via remote towns of Granada, San Carlos and San Rafael. Road was mostly paved, but there were some rough sections and many construction sites, as usual. I spent one night in super touristy Guatape and continued north, dropping down into a deep valley and fighting trucks and buses up the main highway from Medellin to Cartagena and then dropping into Medellin suburb of Bello for some urban fix before heading over the mountains to Santa Fe de Antioquia to meet my friend. We continued north towards Turbo and Cartagena to meet some other riders. High mountains slowly become plains half way between Medellin and Turbo. Carribean coast is significantly drier and very flat, apart from Santa Marta mountains in the north.
High altitude road from Sonson to Rionegro, in perfect condition, with light traffic.
Elaborately decorated tuktuk in Guatape.
Guatape's main plaza.
Umbrella street in Guatape.
High altitude rolling hills north of Medellin.
Guatape houses adorned with "zocalos" , a colorful relief paintings in the lower part of the facade.
We spent two days riding along the Caribbean coast to Cartagena where we met up with another rider and continued further NE to Santa Marta. Caribbean coast is hot and muggy, but the hills of Santa Marta mountains provide cool breeze and cooler temperatures.
Enjoying early morning in jungle-covered Santa Marta mountains.
We spent one day relaxing in the jungle of Santa Marta mountains.
Hammocks are very popular in Colombia.
Caribbean coast of Colombia is surprisingly dry. Actually, further north, there is a real desert, with sand dunes.
Our friends hosted us at their amazing place in Cartagena.
Super-touristy Cartagena was empty this time. I could barely recognize the city. Many shops, restaurants and hotels were closed.
These streets are usually full of cars and people.
Cartagena cathedral.
At a Cartagena bar with friends.
Four of us rode from Cartagena to Mompox, an old historic town along the river Magdalena.
Mompox landmark church.
We split in Mompox and I was riding alone again. I headed east to explore Eastern Cordillera and Nevado del Cocuy national park. After several hundred kilometers of Magdalena river plains, I was back in the mountains. Things got cold and wet at times, but I managed to avoid major rains. Even though valleys are hot and sunny, surrounding mountains are usually shrouded in clouds. Riding over high mountain passes is sometimes wet, sometimes dry, but always chilly.
Climbing high mountains on the way to Cucuta.
High up in the mountains, moisture lifting from the valleys and forming clouds that obscure surrounding mountain peaks.
Road going through a thick jungle.
There is a reason why it's called "rain-forest".
Ruins of Gramalote church. The whole town moved a thousand feet up the mountain because of frequent landslides.
Many trees throughout Colombia are covered with moss.
Road from Cucuta to Arauca goes through tranquil country side.
The national highway between Pamplona and Bucaramanga goes at a high plateau (at about 3500 m) for 100 km. The deep blue sky with clouds in the distance at about the same level as the road or lower, was a sight to behold. It was a cold but memorable ride. In Colombia, roads often go higher than low level clouds and one looks at clouds from above.
Nearing the edge of the plateau before descending down to Bucaramanga.
One has the feeling of riding in heaven when fluffy clouds are below him.
The road from Bucaramanga to Malaga, through San Andres is one of the most scenic in this part of Colombia. It goes up and down, from deep valleys up to 4000m knife-edge passes and down again, through verdant fincas or lush jungle.
It may seem close in the photo, but it takes about an hour to ride down to the bottom of the valley and go up to the pass on the other side.
Typically clear morning skies get engulfed by clouds by noon. Riding up and down the steep mountains, one goes in and out of the clods.
Mid sections of high mountains are where jungle is at its densest.
The mountain behind was in sunshine an hour earlier when I rode on the road going down into the valley below.
Moisture from earlier rains lifting up from the jungle creating clouds that will dump the rain onto the same ground in the afternoon.
Wider valleys produce enough hot air to keep the clouds away and valleys in the sun.
A new bridge on the road between San Andres and Malaga. Currently, this road is more dirt than paved, but it will be all paved before too long.
The last view of the valley leading to Chicamocha Canyon and San Andres.
After four high passes, one gets a glimpse of Malaga from high above.
After 5 hours of riding through jungles, green pastures and orchards ending up in a dry, Arizona-like, desert was the last thing I expected.
The dry desert did not last long. As soon as I started gaining altitude, it got cooler and greener.
Nevados del Cocuy are one of few mountains of Colombia covered with glaciers. Guican and El Cocuy are the jump off point for expeditions into the Nevados. I spend one night in each and rode back country roads hugging the glaciated peaks. I was lucky with the weather that day and I could see the glaciers very clearly. The next day, they were obscured by clouds and the rain was chasing me all the way to the other side of the mountain range. That's where mountains end and mighty Llanos begins.
The only road going as high as 4300m in Cocuy. I've ridden on much higher roads, both in S America and India, but this was the record for Colombia.
Looking back down to the valley where Guican and El Cocuy are. When I was sleeping in Guican the night before, it felt so high up, I was short of breath. But from this point, the town was way down below me.
This road passes a few alpine lodges and another pass on the way to a high lake.
The road turned to a rough track.
And eventually it disappeared completely.
Time to head back down.
Nevados del Cocuy.
I shared the mountain and vistas with only sheep, no other traffic.
There are some deep ravines and hanging valleys along the way.
Descending down a steep road into El Cocuy.
Taking back road from El Cocuy to Chita the following day with rain showers close behind me.
Frailejon, the ubiquitous plant of Colombian high desert (Paramo).
Shortcut road from Sacama to Colombia's LLanos.
After a night in Llanos city of Yopal, I headed back up the jungle covered mountains.
Descending down to hot Llanos after many days at high altitude was a pleasant change. Mountains are a lot more scenic, but lowlands are more comfortable at night. So, after a good night sleep in Yopal, I headed up the Andes towards Duitama. The weather wasn't the best, but at least there was no rain. I passed by the beautiful lake Tota.
Lake Tota.
The weather improved and after some fog near the high pass, I enjoyed beautiful day riding from Duitama to Guadalupe and Contratacion where I spent the night in a wonderful hotel. Once again, I was the only guest there. I rode very scenic road from Contratacion to Guacamayo and then headed NE to Socorro and Barichara from the back side.
The sunny side of the mountain crest between Duitama and Socorro.
One of many waterfalls along the route to Socorro.
A dirt track to Guadalupe and mountains where Contratacion is on the other side of the deep valley.
My GPS routed me on this dirt track through someone's coffee plantation.
Road from Contratacion to Guacamayo climbs steeply out of Contratacion and offers great views of the town from above.
The road from Contratacion to Guacamayo snaking up the mountain.
Contratacion is nested behind the first ridge. These roads see very little traffic. One has the whole place to himself.
Near the top of the pass approaching Barichara from the west.
From Barichara, I took the national highway up to old colonial town of Giron, only 20 km east of Bucaramanga. Many of the national highways, with quite a bit of truck and bus traffic, are well-worth riding because they go through some amazing scenery. Some should be appreciated for the engineering effort required to build them. The road from Pereira to Manizales and Bucaramanga to Pamplona are some of them. But almost any highway going over high mountains is going to be full of countless turns. Any of these roads can easily put Europe's Stelvio pass to shame in terms of twisties.
The main plaza in Giron.
There are several great vista points with sweeping views of Bucaramanga as the road to Pamplona climbs up.
The road keeps on climbing up through a thick jungle and above the clouds .
Eventually I entered clouds and it started raining at around 4200m, the high pass between Berlin and San Andres.
Luckily, as soon as I dropped below 4000m, rain stopped and it got warmer. San Andres is further down this valley and Chicamocha Canyon is further down the valley (some 10,000 ft below the pass).
This is the new bridge on the way from San Andres to Malaga that I rode a few days earlier. This photo is taken from the road from San Andres to Cepita. This road was recommended on rtwpaul.com .
Road descending into Chicamocha Canyon
Almost at the bottom of the canyon. Many roads are built along the mountains ridges because of frequent landslides.
Welcome to Chicamocha Canyon
Climbing out of Chicamocha Canyon towards the main highway.
Switchbacks on the main highway Bucaramanga - San Gil.
I spent one day relaxing at the Cascada Juan Curi and exploring nearby valleys. The following day, I took a back road over the mountains to Duitama and ended up in Tunja. I remember Tunja from the earlier ride through Colombia, high and cold. I often wonder, why people choose to live in such cold places when perfect temperatures are only 20-30 km away. Villa de Leyva is another place of great historic importance for Colombia and consequently, very touristy. From there, a beautiful, newly paved, but with virtually no traffic, road took me to Barbosa. After riding another high pass through clouds, I ended up in Landazuri and eventually descended the Andes and spent the night by the mighty Magdalena river.
Chilling at the Juan Curi waterfal.
Valley outside San Gil.
Climbing mountains on the way from San Gil to San Joaquin.
Sweeping vistas from the road to San Joaquin.
Beautiful desolate valley out of San Joaquin.
The main plaza in Villa de Leyva.
Riding in the clouds of the high pass between Barbosa and Landazuri.
Final descent from Landazuri to Magdalena river basin.
One of many restaurants perched high up on a mountain ridge with sweeping vistas.
As a short two day trip, my friend and I rode a rough dirt road across the mountains straight east from Tulua to Ibague and back home next day. As usual, the mountains were shrouded in clouds and on the way back, we got caught in the rain and I managed to fall going down a slippery steep road.
Thick jungle on the way up the mountains.
Emerging out of the rising clouds.
One of many waterfalls along the route.
Another waterfall gushing out of the thick jungle.
Route de los tuneles outside Ibague.
Having had an amazing time riding and living in Colombia the previous winter, I decided to go there again. Despite some issues with the bike and much more rain than usual, I managed to ride 5,000 km and visit more beautiful places in this wonderful country.
Colombia riding at its best - rough dirt roads through thick jungle.
I flew into Cali, fourth largest city in Colombia and world's salsa capital, as the locals claim. The city is situated at the upper end of Cauca valley. While Colombia has much more charming cities, it was a good place to easy into Colombian way of life.
Modern pedestrian street in center of Cali.
From Cali, I headed to my friends place where a motorcycle was waiting for me. After a couple of weeks of preparing, I was ready to start my journey around Colombia.
Quiet community where I was staying in Cauca valley.
Cauca valley is full of quaint towns, surrounded by mountains on both sides.
One of many scenic cafes in the hills surrounding Cauca valley.
Colombians love fiestas and are ready to party any time of day or night.
A scenic restaurant along the main highway from Pereira to Manizales, one of the most scenic and enjoyable roads to ride.
Scenic hills and mountains are not far from towns of Cauca valley.
Lush vegetation of Cauca valley.
A side canyon seen from the road from Cartagena to Medellin.
Guaduas (not the same as bamboo) near Lake Calima.
Hanging out with friends.
My host makes the best empanadas.
Enjoying good company.
My friend's pets.
Riding in the midst of rainy season meant either sticking with valleys or getting soaked. The latter wasn't really an option for me. So I stuck mostly with the Magdalena river valley. It's one of the mightiest rivers of northern South America. It used to be the principal means of transportation in older days and many colonial towns lace the river.
Rough route of the trip (without side trips that I made). I rode north along the blue route (following Magdalena river) and returned back along the gray one (following Cauca river).
Picturesque road from Manizales to Bogota, climbing up to Nevados del Ruiz.
A friend got flat tire and needed a new one. The village where it happened didn't have any tires in the size we needed. No problem, one phone call and an hour later, a new tire arrives from the nearest town on a jeep.
Ruiz puffing smoke at sunrise. Most of the time, the volcano is obscured by clouds.
A scenic but rough road passes by northern half of Ruiz volcano.
My host and her coffee finca situated at the eastern side of Nevados del Ruiz. She hosts travelers in her finca called Los Angeles and it can be found on hotel booking sites.
Virtually all roads in Colombia offer amazing views of valleys and mountains. This road climbs up out of moisture-saturated Magdalena river valley towards Bogota.
A side road surrounded by thick vegetation climbs mountains out of La Dorada.
Road-side waterfalls are very common sight in Colombia.
I followed Magdalena river for about thousand kilometers.
Constant rains chased me all the way to the northernmost part of South American continent - Cabo de la Vela in Guajira province. I visited this part twelve years earlier, on my first ride through South America.
It's hard to imagine that northern tip of South American continent, surrounded by the Caribbean sea, can be so dry. It's a pure desert with various cacti as the only vegetation. Local indigenous people make hard living there. I hear they even have a hard time getting enough drinking water.
They are so impoverished that they put road blocks and demand money to let one pass through. The toll is minimal, but there were so many of them, every few hundred meters and I didn't have enough change. I don't think they give change, so I turned back. As it turns out, it was for the best because a few hours later, I got a flat tire. That could have meant a major problem in the middle of a desert.
Rough roads lead to Cabo de la Vela.
Placid water of a sheltered bay near Cabo de la Vela.
North side of Cabo de la Vela faces the Caribbean sea.
I got a flat tire in the most remote place of the trip. Luckily, even there, there was a tire shop where they managed to fix my flat tire.
After several thousand kilometers of plains and desert, I finally got a chance to ride Colombian mountains in the Nevados de Santa Marta.
Even though I rode the coastal road through the foothills of this mountain range several times before, this time, I finally ventured deeper into the mountains. I visited popular Minca and stayed at an amazing hotel overlooking canyon and surrounding jungle. I rode through coffee plantations to a rough road leading to sweeping views of the coast and glacier covered peaks.
An excellent paved road with very little traffic climbs up from Minca.
Coffee plantations are punctured by bamboo groves.
One of the most amazing stays I've had on this trip in Colombia. I was the only guest in virtually new hotel overlooking canyon and jungle-covered mountains.
View of Santa Marta and Caribbean coast from a viewpoint high up Santa Marta mountains.
The road to the best viewpoints is rather rough and goes through untouched jungle.
Even though I've been to Cartagena on every single visit to Colombia, the city is so special that I couldn't miss it this time either. Cartagena history is fascinating and the city is beautiful, comfortable and perfectly safe. IMHO, it's the best colonial city of all of South America.
Happy to be back in Cartagena again.
Most houses in Cartagena have wooden bars on windows and a plant crawling up the walls.
Gatsemani district of Cartagena is super touristy, packed with bars, restaurants, guesthouses and galleries.
Gatsemani mural.
Plaza in front of the cathedral is deserted in afternoon heat.
For a motorcycle rider, Colombian twisty mountain roads are the biggest attraction. However, charming colonial towns and big cities can be just as exciting and rewarding for a visitor.
Bello, suburb of Medellin during severe lockdowns and Covid protests in Europe.
Caballgata - four times a year, local ranch owners show off their horses.
Comuna 13, once one of the most dangerous places in Colombia and a bloody battleground, is a popular tourist attraction today. It's safe, fun, and one of the must-see parts of Medellin.
Numerous murals adorn foot path along the steep hill in Comuna 13.
Various tropical fruits cleaned, cut and ready to eat, can be found throughout Colombia.
Colorful neighborhood of Manizales.
Colombia is world's second (or first, depending on what you count) most biodiverse country. In terms of birds, it's number one and in terms of plants close second behind Brasil and the rest of the countries being way behind. I almost never take photos of flowers, but Colombia is an exception. I simply had to stop and shoot flowers (most photos taken by one single rural house). Colombians love taking care of their houses and plants play an important role.
Small sample of Colombia's bewildering flower collection.
Guacamayo - amazingly bright yellow flower tree. Flowers do not last long though. A few days after full bloom, flowers fall off.
Just one of many plants with giant leaves.
Food and especially accommodation are amazing values in Colombia. In terms of bang-for-the-buck, probably one of the best countries I've seen anywhere. Even the cheapest of hotels are immaculate, restaurants very clean and hygienic standards high. Most hotels will take your motorcycle into their inner courtyard for the night if they don't have a regular parking lot. I got so spoiled with the selection of hotels that I was looking not just for spotless and cheap hotels but the ones that have something special to offer (view, decor, ambiance, etc). I was paying about $13 on average.
I had one of the most memorable stays at the tranquil finca de Loa Angeles near Libano, Tolima.
Inner courtyard of my boutique hotel in Giron. Colombians love flowers and most houses and yards are filled with various ornamental plants and flowers.
Another traditional hotel in San Gil.
Colombians love hammocks. My private balcony in San Gil.
Another comfortable stay in El Cocuy.
My bike parked inside a hotel in Ciudad Bolivar.
My hotel room had a huge balcony overlooking the main plaza, for less than $10.
While the food is mostly meat-based, there is an amazing variety of tropical fruits, most of which foreigners never heard of. Fruit juice shops "Jugos Naturales" are everywhere and they whip up rich juices from fresh fruits for customers (all available with water or milk).
Colombianos are very fond of natural juices, in water or milk, blended right in front of you. Maracuya in milk, rich and frothy, is my favorite.
Many restaurants have tasteful interior.
Picado - grilled meats and potatoes.
Grilled platanos, often served with cheese inside. I prefer ripe platanos, caramelized with no cheese, for the dessert.
My friend got me hooked on cerviches in Cartagena.
Papaya and maracuya are available throughout Colombia and very cheap.
Papacuya - my combination of papaya and maracuya (passion fruit).
Guanabana (sour sop) is another very popular and tasty fruit.
Colombia's coffee is famous world-wide. Only Italians' love for the coffee rivals that of the Colombians. Coffee shops can be found even in the most remote corners of the country.
Coffee beans growing by the side of a road.
Old style espresso machine.
Red Willys converted into mobile coffee shops can be seen throughout Colombia.
While motorcyclists still have a lot of freedom and many traffic rules are simply suggestions, I do notice many rules that used to be disregarded by all riders being enforced now.
Police is courteous and 99% very friendly. On two occasions I broke traffic rules and in both cases they just warned me. Drivers are generally very considerate and will notice motorcycles and let them pass. When I wave them "thanks" they honk back "welcome."
Motorcycles are not considered "two-axle" vehicles for toll purposes like in "developed" countries. They are exempted from paying toll, just like bicycles.
Colombia is the land of motorcycles. Some gas stations feature separate sections for motorcycles only.
Just as I was pulling off from a red light, my chain broke. Quick look around and a motorcycle store was across the street. Motorcycle shops can be found in smallest of villages in Colombia. Labor cost to fix a bike is minimal.
Friendly and knowledgeable mechanic in Bello who helped me with the new chain. Unfortunately, not all mechanics are as good as this one. When I had front tire changed, the mechanic kept on banging on the axle while putting the wheel back on, he damaged the bearing seal and I had to get a new one in next town.
Tire repair shops are even more prevalent. Punctured tubes are never thrown away, but repaired. Here my tube is getting vulcanized by an old electric iron to serve as a spare.
Riding on the roof of an overloaded Willys is a common sight on rural roads.
Construction road block - one of quintessential experiences of riding in Colombia. After a long wait, people start losing patience, honk, rev engines and motorcycles pile up at the barricade. Then one guy busts through and the rest of bikers follow. The gate-keeper just gets out of the way and radios to the construction crew that the mad gang is coming their way.
Souvenir from Colombian police - caught by speeding camera.
While almost any mountain road in Colombia is simply amazing, from desolate dirt roads to national highways with perfectly smooth pavement, these are the roads that I personally found the most thrilling.
My favorite roads to ride in Colombia.
My other adventure rides: