Two months in Colombia, from the páramos to the Caribbean coast

Laura Kankaanpaa, then an assistant product manager at Grand Angle, spent 7 months travelling in Latin America with her partner. In this journal, she recounts their 2 months in Colombia, exploring Andean parks and the Caribbean coast and meeting local guides. “Con mucho gusto” means “with great pleasure”, an expression they often heard during the trip.

© Guillaume Lorimier

A journey from the páramos to the Caribbean coast

We took our time travelling between several regions by bus, sometimes overnight. The distances and terrain make journeys long, and a landslide can change your plans. This slower pace also allowed us to appreciate the country’s contrasts: the high plateaus around Bogotá, the valleys of the coffee region and the heat of the Caribbean coast.

© Laura Kankaanpaa

Our route took us through several national parks. In Los Nevados, we walked among volcanoes and páramos. Around El Cocuy, snow-capped peaks tower over lakes and frailejones. In Chingaza, near Bogotá, we spotted an Andean bear. The park protects páramo and high Andean forest habitats where the species has been recorded.

© Guillaume Lorimier

Preparing for these walks required more advance planning than we had expected. Access conditions, bookings and requirements to be accompanied by a guide vary between parks. In Chingaza, for example, the park requires advance booking and an authorised guide. We therefore learnt to check the rules with each protected area rather than rely on an old printed guidebook.

The encounters that shaped the journey

© Guillaume Lorimier

Most of the people we met shared our activities: guides, climbers, hikers and cyclists. Several conversations began over a route or a bicycle, then continued over a meal. These encounters reflected particular places and circumstances, rather than representing all Colombians, but they gave the journey its character.

We also found that many bookings were arranged by phone or messaging. When information was missing online, a call to a guide or our accommodation often provided a recent update on trail conditions.

What we tasted

© Guillaume Lorimier

We ate plenty of potatoes, soups and meat dishes, as well as a wide variety of fruit: lulo, mango, pineapple and passion fruit. We discovered agua panela, made with cane sugar and sometimes served with cheese. In the coffee region, visits to plantations gave another dimension to what we drank each morning.

These impressions reflect our own journey. Food varies from one region to another, and our preferences say nothing about any supposedly uniform “Colombian” cuisine.

Safety: check the information before you travel

© Guillaume Lorimier

Our experience dates from 2022 and should not be used as current safety advice. The situation can change quickly depending on the region. Before travelling, consult the Colombia travel advice from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and follow the guidance of local authorities. Park access rules should also be checked directly with Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia.

Walking with local guides

© Guillaume Lorimier

We joined a few guided climbing and hiking days. The groups we encountered were small, and the guides knew their terrain in detail. Both in El Cocuy and near Choachí, we appreciated this local knowledge, which is useful when waymarking or access conditions change.

The practices we were used to in France did not always match theirs. Briefings, looking at the map together and introducing the equipment sometimes took a different form. Rather than drawing a general conclusion, we asked questions and adjusted our expectations with each guide.

© Guillaume Lorimier

Guiding conditions and rescue services cannot be compared directly from one country to another. For an outing at altitude or on a glacier, we recommend checking the guide’s training, insurance, equipment and rescue plan with your chosen operator.

What we take away from these 2 months

© Guillaume Lorimier

We remember the páramos, overnight buses and shared meals, but above all the conversations we struck up along the way. Travelling slowly gave us time to understand the constraints on access to the mountains and to meet the people who work there.

Claudia and David, two guides who welcomed us to their ecolodge, continued the conversation in an interview: listen to their story on SoundCloud. We also met Alphonso, an engineer and runner involved in a mountain festival near Los Nevados: listen to his interview.

To continue the journey through the Andes, read Laura’s account of her trek in Peru.

© Text and photos: Laura Kankaanpaa and Guillaume Lorimier