Photos from trip to Colombia in May-June 2023!

My wife and I were exceedingly blessed to spend a month in Colombia in May and June of 2023, after our 2022 trip was hampered by COVID and other illnesses in our family. We seemed to be making up for lost time with encounters with family and friends, as well as side trips to Santa Marta, Pereira, and Manizales. Below are just a few of the highlights of our trip.

Manizales is a city with pockets nestled in the mountains

The Hotel Irotama in Santa Marta has an enormous pool

The Nevado del Ruiz, an active volcano that was emitting fumaroles

We peeked inside a church in Madrid, a town outside of Bogotá, and witnessed a wedding!

The dizzying view from the top of the cathedral of Manizales

The Museo del Chicó in Bogotá is a former hacienda

Nevado del Tolima in the foreground, Nevado del Ruiz in the background

Plenty of birds to see in Colombia like this Bananaquit in Pereira

Informal gatherings of musicians, like this one in Bogotá, are always fun

The courtyard in the Museo del Chicó in Bogotá is beautiful

In the Laguna de Guatavita park, about two hours north of Bogotá

Like Manizales, the city of Pereira has cable car transportation

The Laguna de Guatavita, site of the Muisca ritual of the cacique or chief, also known as El Dorado or The Golden Man, covered in gold powder and bathing in the lake

Colombia: Irotama Hotel near Santa Marta, 1998

In 1998 we took a vacation to Santa Marta, which is a Caribbean destination on the north coast of Colombia. Though Santa Marta was founded in 1525, earlier than nearby Cartagena (1533), it doesn't have the colonial character of Cartagena but has other attractions, particularly its coast, which is influenced by nearby mountains. To the east of Santa Marta is Parque Tayrona, one of Colombia's national parks, which has areas of natural and archaeological interest.

The main beach area is south and west of Santa Marta proper, in an area called El Rodadero, which has most of the tourist-oriented amenities and hotels. Further west and removed from the El Rodadero area is the Hotel Irotama. It faces a nice beach and also has this beautiful swimming pool.

See my webpage on Colombia at http://www.latinandcaribbeantravel.com/colombia.html