SOUTH AMERICA’S SECRET TREASURE REVEALED
Colombia reinvents itself and ups its cool quotient
Colombia is shrugging off its troubled past and fast emerging as South America’s must-see destination, thanks to increased safety, the appeal of exploring new places and the country’s rising cool quotient.
It has been more than a year since President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Prize for the peace agreement, which aims to put an end to Colombia’s half-century-long civil war. Since he accepted the award in December 2016, more flights and people have started flocking to the country.
With everything from snowcapped mountains to jungles and two ocean coastlines, Colombia is one of the most biodiverse places in the world and it boasts a dazzling array of plants, birds and riches (this is, after all, the land the Spanish pilfered for gold and emeralds starting back in the 1530s).
There’s so much to do and see it’s hard to squeeze it all in, so I started with two of the country’s main cities: Cartagena, the beautiful, fortified port founded on the Caribbean coast in 1535, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage site; and Bogota in the Andes, which is also home to the scenic Juan Valdez coffee region.
Nestled 2,590 metres above sea level on one of the world’s longest mountain ranges, Bogota is the fourth-highest capital in the world — a buzzy, big city with stunning views of, and access to, the mountains.
I checked out Bogota’s biggest market, the Paloquemao. I was greeted outside with seemingly endless stalls of flowers — orchids (the country’s national flower), roses and birds of paradise, just to name a few. Cut flowers, incredibly affordable here, are one of the country’s top 10 exports. Inside, there’s a real cornucopia of fresh produce, with everything from tubers known as chuguas and giant carrots to fruits like curuba, guanabana and feijoa — which I never even knew existed — along with delicious papaya, pineapples and strawberries. You can also pick up a live chicken (they’ll butcher it on the spot for you), meats, spices and baked goods in this lively labyrinth of food.
While Bogota, with a population of about eight million, is a sprawling city, there are definitely some walkable areas:
PLAZA BOLIVAR
The square dates back to 1539 and is in the heart of the old city. Here you’ll find La Catedral Primada de Colombia, which has the tomb of Bogota’s founder, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. The Palace of Justice (where the now-defunct M-19 rebels killed almost half of the 25 Supreme Court justices in 1985), city hall and the Parliament of Colombia surround the plaza.
Luckily, the Gold Museum (Museo del Oro) is nearby and it’s one of the most important collections of its kind in the world, says Rosa Inés Rojas, my guide from Panamericana de Viajes (an organization that offers guides throughout the country).
The museum’s fascinating collection of more than 50,000 pieces of gold artifacts, ceramics and textiles from pre-Colombian cultures is a great place to learn about the country’s indigenous heritage and see remarkable pieces.
The city has no shortage of cultural offerings, and another key one is the Botero Gallery. Founded by Fernando Botero, one of the country’s most famous artists, it has more than 100 of his paintings and drawings. It also has an impressive selection from the artist’s personal collection, including works by Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall.
But Colombia’s creativity isn’t limited to museums and galleries.
Bogota and Cartagena are both having a bit of a culinary moment right now.
The combination of fresh ingredients, creativity and sophistication is exploding in their restaurant scenes.
The La T area boasts some of the city’s best restaurants, such as Central Cevichería, Osaki and Di Luca.
The smart Sofitel Bogota Victoria Regia is also in the heart of the area and its Basilic restaurant, which won the World Luxury Restaurant Awards in 2016, is known for mixing Colombian and Mediterranean flavours.
Basilic chef Nelson Granados says the country’s geography lends itself to a rich variety of fresh produce — both inland and on the Pacific and Caribbean coasts — year-round.
FOODIE FAVOURITE
Cartagena also has no shortage of fantastic chefs adding to the envelope-pushing culinary scene — only here they have the added benefit of fresh seafood. Carmen, Mistura and Fuerte de San Sebastian del Pastelillo are just some of the restos that will leave you savouring every bite.
Cartagena is warm, unhurried and charming — especially in the old town, which is filled with colourful buildings, dripping with bougainvillea and a cool vibe.
Most of the roughly four-kilometre wall surrounding the old city is still there, as are the forts.
Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas has been called the greatest fortress ever built by the Spaniards. Named after Spain’s King Philipe IV, it was commissioned in 1630. Built on top of San Lázaro hill, it’s a bit of a climb in the hot sun to get to the fort. But, armed with a hat and a bottle of water, the walk is enjoyable, leading to better views each step of the way.
The cannons, turrets and various nooks and crannies in the tunnels (complete with great acoustics and secret hideaways), are fun to explore, and the panoramic views of the city from the top are amazing.
It’s also great to see Cartagena from the ocean. I took a 30-minute boat ride across the bay to Isla de Tierra Bomba, a small island, and headed to the Blue Apple Beach House, which has a great restaurant for sharing dishes (think seafood paella, sea bass carpaccio, and blue cheese mussels). Plus, there’s a pool surrounded by sun lounges, a DJ and a private beach.
I headed down to the beach with some friends, and our small group had it practically to ourselves. The water was warm, beautiful and calm — the perfect mix for me to try paddleboarding, while some of the others kayaked and splashed around in the Caribbean.
It’s deceptively easy to forget the city of nearly one million people is nearby ... But Cartagena’s old town never feels very big. The cobblestone streets are lined with little shops, horse-drawn carriages clip-clop by and there are plenty of squares where you’ll find locals playing cards, selling their wares, or just relaxing.
The Getsemaní neighbourhood just outside of the walled, old city is a great area to wander. Here you’ll find some colourful murals, hip little restaurants like the recently opened Arrabal and the old stalwart Café Havana, which is known for its live salsa music.
In the historic centre, overlooking the Caribbean, is a stunning restored property, where the likes of King Felipe VI of Spain, Mick Jagger and Bill Gates have stayed.
The Sofitel Legend Santa Clara was originally built as a cloistered convent for the Poor Clares in 1621. The old wall still envelopes the property, which has a traditional, colonial Spanish style.
The hotel is built around a beautiful, large pool (which used to be the nuns’ orchard), and a colonialstyle garden. There’s also a lovely spa and a few very good restaurants run by executive chef Dominique Oudin. He honed his skills working with renowned French chefs, such as the U.K.’s Michel Roux (at the Michelin-starred Waterside Inn), and France’s Paul Bocuse (who died in January and was known as a leading figure in nouvelle cuisine). I had a stellar dinner complete with French service at Oudin’s Restaurante 1621, which won the World Luxury Restaurant Award in 2016 and 2017. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, I checked out a fab salsa band in the hotel’s El Coro Lounge Bar. As with the rest of Santa Clara, there are a few stories here. The El Coro bar used to be the chapel choir and also has an old crypt. When it was excavated in 1949, the local reporter Gabriel García Márquez covered the event.
Legend has it that when he saw remains being taken out he noticed a long lock of red hair, which years later inspired the country’s first Nobel Prize winner to write the novel Of Love and Other Demons.
“Do not allow me to forget you” is one of the famous quotes from that book. And, indeed, as my trip comes to an end, I vow not to forget Colombia but to return one day so I can see more of it.