COLOMBIA // Doing Joy
You’ll find captured moments from my trips to Colombia peppered throughout my website. Inspiration abounds in the warm tropical breeze, vibrant expressions of history, and familiar musical rhythms. This post features images from my first trip, showing off the amazing hospitality of a country experiencing a resurgence in tourism. From the massive hammocks in the jungle at Casa Elemento in Minca to the palm-lined pools on Cartagena rooftops, I experienced a spectrum of leisure and luxury in the most unexpected places.
–Magdalena–
As a professional salsa dancer in my twenties, I became infatuated with Latin—and specifically Colombian—culture through music and dance. I’m half Chilean, but grew up in the US; this music was one connection I had to a broader understanding of the flavor and history of my own Latin roots.
So I did what any young woman of my generation does to brush up on her hip-shaking and Spanish fluency: I listened to a ton of Shakira. Idolizing this Colombian queen, I became smitten with “La Bicicleta,” her fun duet with Carlos Vives. I dreamed of visiting Santa Marta and Parque Tayrona, two spots featured in the Colombian anthem. So I booked a flight and convinced my best friend to join!
We made sure to hit those two destinations in the Department of Magdalena, keeping our eyes peeled for jaguars and consuming as much fresh fish as possible. But we also discovered unforeseen delights as we experienced “doing joy” in Minca, a small town perched up on the side of Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada. Riding up and down windy roads through the dense jungle on the back of a moto, stopping for monkey and toucan sightings, taking dips in the many cascadas, and exploring rich coffee and chocolate farms did, in fact, bring tears of joy to my eyes.
– Cartagena –
I managed to visit Cartagena three separate times in one trip to Colombia, as it’s a central jump-off point for navigating the northern part of the country. To understand Cartagena, the first place to start is the salsa classic “La Rebelión” by Joe Arroyo {go listen to it right now!}
Within the walls of the “old town,” you’ll find world-class food (including ceviche that is making my mouth water as I type), preserved colonial architecture, and serenades of your favorite Latin pop/reggaeton songs, among other tourist attractions.
–ISLA de Providencia–
Providencia is a quaint—but simultaneously majestic—Colombian island off the coast of Nicaragua. From Cartagena, we flew first to San Andres, then took a 20-minute flight to Providencia. This island is mostly known for its exceptional diving, but even if you aren’t SCUBA certified, you can snorkel through coral reefs alongside sharks and dolphins.
Quick facts: this entire island’s circumference is 17 km, and most islanders speak a unique form of Spanish-English Creole. We witnessed the annual crab migration, where hundreds of thousands of black land crabs move from the mountains down to the coastline to lay their eggs, as well as the Miss Old Folks contest. (Yes, that’s right. Miss Old Folks. I’m gonna let you Google that one.) I still dream of the colors in the pristine ocean . . . and, of course, the seemingly endless supply of fresh fruit.
In my next Colombia post, I’ll share more of the adventurous side of our trip—including a hike to the “Lost City” that involved advanced strength training, casual public embarrassment, and my resulting strong opinions about waterproof vs. non-waterproof hiking boots.