Colombia Coffee and Corazón Motorcycle Adventure

Early in the morning the motorcycles are handed over and then we set off on our adventure on small country roads. To avoid the busy traffic around the capital Bogotá as much as possible we ride a small western curve. Via Facatativá and Tocaima we reach with short stops at waterfalls, our first viewpoints and cosy local restaurants.

Today is a day with 1000 impressions! We start on a tarred road to the village of Prado, then we take an easy track past beautiful rice fields and through small idyllic villages until we penetrate higher and higher up into the jungle. Spectacular views are guaranteed! Between Alpujarrá and Baraya we have to cross a river -until recently there was no bridge, so the alternative is to cross the river in small boats… We will let ourselves be surprised whether the bridge has been completed in the meantime! In the late afternoon, we reach the desolate Tatacoa desert and our accommodation in Villa Vieja via a scenic dirt road.

After a short stretch through the desert, we get back on the tarred road and via Natagaima and Ibagué we ride to Cajamarca. From here, a winding off-road route through the Colombian coffee mountains with great views begins… On the gentle serpentines we reach the small town of Toche, where a simple but good hostel with a nice atmosphere awaits us. From here you can see a nearby volcano - and also enjoy a bathe in a warm thermal spring!

Today's route is definitely a highlight! From Toche to Salento, we ride on a mega-beautiful off-road route. After a short while, we also see the famous, giant wax palms of the Cocora Valley. After 3-4 hours of driving with breathtaking views, we reach Salento, an enchanting colonial town, where we will have lunch and where we also have some time to look around before we continue to our accommodation in Filandia.

We ride via Cerritos and La Virginia to Rio Sucio. The area offers wide views across the valleys, and we will stop along the way to try the national drink “Aguapanela con limón y queso.” From Rio Sucio, a great offroad route takes us through lush jungle, surrounded by dense green vegetation. We end the day in the colourful town of Jardín, where there are plenty of options for dinner in the evening.

The colourful town has a great atmosphere. If you feel like going for a motorcycle ride, a trip to the village of Jericó is a good option. On the way, we stop in the village of Buenos Aires, which is rarely visited by tourists. On the main square, you can enjoy some of the best coffee in the region and visit the local coffee cooperative. We have lunch on the main square in Jericó. The route is about 100 km long, around half of it on unpaved roads. Along the way, you will mainly see the old Willys Jeeps travelling between coffee plantations, sugar cane fields and vegetable farms.

Today we are on our way to a highlight in Colombia: the Peñol de Guatapé. This famous monolith,which can be seen from a far, was declared a national monument in the 1940s. You can test your sporty skills and struggle your way to the top via more than 700steps. We shall keep this sporting challenge for the next morning and relax after the long day of riding directly at the reservoir, which can also be navigated by boat.

The morning can still be used to explore El Peñol, and around midday we continue towards San Carlos, where an approximately three hour off road section begins. The route is easy to ride and ends in Puerto Nare, a small town on the banks of Colombia’s largest river, the Río Magdalena. Puerto Nare sees few tourists. In the evening, we walk along the riverfront, where locals offer a variety of small dishes from the grill. If the weather is good, we can watch the sunset over the river.

We take the ferry to the other side of the river, where we have a typical local breakfast together with workers from the area before continuing towards Puerto Boyacá. After a few more kilometres on asphalt, the road soon turns into one of the best offroad sections of the tour. After lunch in the quiet town of Otanche, we continue through a rugged landscape with gorges and river crossings until we finally reach the small town of Quipama. In terms of climate and scenery, it is once again a complete contrast to the previous day.

The variety of landscapes continues today. We pass sugar cane plantations, banana fields and a wide range of vegetation. We make a short stop at a local farm to see how panela (unrefined cane sugar) is produced. Here, the work is still done using very simple methods. We then ride along a new paved road with gentle curves towards Muzo, from where the route climbs to an altitude of 3,000 metres. It can often be foggy at this elevation. We stop for lunch in Chiquinquirá before covering the remaining kilometres to Villa de Leyva, where we arrive in the evening. Its large colonial plaza is famous throughout Colombia. The town also offers plenty of choice when it comes to restaurants and food.

In the morning, you can either go for another ride on the unpaved roads around Villa de Leyva or spend the morning exploring the town. We leave the motorcycles here and take a transfer to the hotel in Bogotá. If you prefer to take an evening flight today, we can also transfer you directly to the airport.

You will be taken to the airport in Bogotá and you will return home full of experiences.