7 Days Roundtrip - Caribbean Express

Tour Caribbean Express

I was really surprised by the warmth of Colombians, always willing to help, curious and at the same time proud of their country and culture. The Caribbean people are music and joy, they live in a natural paradise with beautiful beaches and colorful cities. I will be back.

(Baruk Taskiran, Turkey)

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrival in Cartagena
Day 2
Private City-Tour & Rum Tasting
Day 3
Beach Day at Rosario Islands
Day 4
Barranquilla & The Magdalena River
Day 5
Coffee Farm and Waterfalls in Minca
Day 6
Beaches at Tayrona National Park
Day 7
Trip to Cartagena and Return Flight

Route & Places

Included Services

✔
Land package from/to Cartagena
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Private transport & transfers
✔
Overnight stays in double room
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Meals: 6xB/1xL/0xD
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Private english speaking guide on tours
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All entrance fees
✔
24h local phone assitance in english

You will find a list of the services included per day in the detailed itinerary of the tour

Pricing

*Comfort category*	*low season*	*high season*
Standard	from 1.195	from 1.325
Superior	from 1.495	from 1.645
Luxury	from 1.895	from 2.065

Prices in USD, per Person in DBL room

High season: 15.12-15.01 + Easter Week. Low Season: rest of the year

Hotel selection

*City*	*Standard*	*Superior*	*Luxury*
Cartagena	3* Hotel Monterrey	4* La Passion Boutique	5* Casa San Agustín
Barranquilla	3* Washington Plaza	4* NH Royal Smartsuites	5* Hotel Dann Carlton
Santa Marta	3* Hotel Casa Verde	4* Casa Carolina	5* Hotel Don Pepe

Hotels subject to availability. In case of not having availability, comparable hotels are chosen.

Itinerary

Arrival in Cartagena

We personally welcome you at the Cartagena airport. We transfer you to your hotel, deliver a welcome souvenir and do a brief briefing of what your tour will be and what you should take into account during your stay. Welcome to Cartagena!

Included: (B/-/), accomodation in DBL, private transfer, english speaking tourguide

Private City-Tour Cartagena and Rum Tasting

Cartagena de Indias is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in America. Its historic center, walled by fortifications built in the colonial era, preserves its original architecture and is displayed today in a host of colors that fill it with Caribbean life and joy. Its fascinating history as one of the pearls of that time, a place of collection of great treasures and the largest port of slaves in the colonies, gives immense importance to this World Heritage City. The stories about those pirate attacks of great magnitude are present in each of the fortifications that remain intact until today.

We start your private City-Tour visiting the Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, the largest fortification built by the Spanish in their colonies. In a one hour tour we will be able to appreciate this masterpiece of military architecture in coral stone and we will know the defense strategy of the city in relation to its topography. Then we move to Cerro de La Popa and its old Augustinian convent located 150 meters high at the highest point in the city. From there we catch a glimpse of the interesting topography. To finish we walk for approximately 2 hours through the main squares, churches and streets of the old walled city. We will also walk on the walls to have the best views of the historic center and modern skyline and to know the most important bastions. <

Tour at night:

The Spanish brought many things and customs to America, they transformed the continent. Likewise, the natives took care of transforming many of them and creating their own identity and product. This is the case of sugar cane, which was taken to another level and today is the base of one of the most exquisite drinks in the world. Venture into a time of knowledge and fun learning from the most famous drink in the Caribbean, Ron.

We pick you up from your hotel and start our tour walking to the picturesque bar. Here, an expert mixologist will tell us about the history and characteristics of this drink. This journey of flavors will take us to try different Colombian rums, some classified as the best in the world and learn their secrets. We will discover how wide and rich in flavors it can be and how small changes in the process can give life to such different spirits, while having fun and telling anecdotes. After living this experience, drinking a rum will for ever be a special experience.

Included: (B/-/), accomodation in DBL, english speaking tourguide, entrance fees

Rosario Islands

The Rosario Islands in Cartagena make up an Underwater Natural Park ideal for observing colorful coral reefs in shallow water. Located 45 kilometers from the Bay of Cartagena, the park protects underwater ecosystems, mainly coral reefs, which are fragile ecosystems, inhabited by a multitude of invertebrates and fish. Extensive seaweed meadows and seagrasses are also found in the park, also beautiful beaches to enjoy a swim in the Caribbean Sea.

A guide will pick you up from your hotel and walk you to the Bodeguita Pier. Here they will assist you to embark on the speedboat that will take you to the island. The boat trip lasts approximately 90min and makes a brief stop to spot the Forts of San Fernando and San José de Bocachica, which protected the bay from attacks by pirates and corsairs in colonial times. Once on the island you will have free time to bathe in the sea. As optional activities, which can be organized on the island, snorkeling, kayaking or visiting the San Martin de Pajarales Aquarium are offered. Your stay on the island includes a lunch. The return to Cartagena begins at 3 pm.

Duration: 8-9h

Included: (B/-/), accomodation in DBL, english speaking group tourguide, entrance fees, transfer to pear, boat transportation

Barranquilla and the Magdalena River

Barranquilla is the main city in the Colombian Caribbean. With about 2 million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, the city is distinguished by its geographical location at the mouth of the Magdalena River. Its famous carnival is considered the second most important on the planet and belongs to the Intangible Heritage of UNESCO. The city with the highest historical immigration in Colombia stands out for its joy and authenticity, it is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the Caribbean culture and understand that "Life is a Carnival".

The trip to Barranquilla follows the picturesque coastal highway and takes 90 minutes. Once checked in the hotel, in the afternoon, we venture to the Great Boardwalk of the Magdalena River, the new pride of this city that recently returns its gaze and daily life to the river. In a boat we cross the largest river in Colombia and enjoy an incredible panoramic view of the city skyline. We enter the Isla de Salamanca National Park, which is located in an area where the sweet waters of the Magdalena River and the salt flats of the Caribbean Sea meet. The protected area is a set of small islands separated by narrow channels that were formed by accumulation of sediment from the Magdalena River. These islands make up the natural barrier that separates the Cienaga Grande de Santa Marta from the Caribbean Sea while maintaining the exchange of waters. In 1998 this ecosystem was declared a Ramsar site of world importance and a Man and Biosphere Reserve.

We enter the park accompanied by an expert environmental interpreter, a member of the neighboring communities. A path plunges us into the forests where the needle alligators wait and where we can see how the violin crab merges with the mangrove. Then we start a tour of approximately 90 minutes through the park's water trails. By canoe and led by a local pilot, we move through channels and mangrove tunnels until we reach the Cienaga de Marchena, paradise to observe some of the 199 species of birds in the park. EEnjoy the excellent culinary offer of Barranquilla at night (at leisure).

Included: (B/-/), accomodation in DBL, private transportation to Barranquilla, english speaking tourguide in Barranquilla, entrance fees, boat transportation

Coffee Farm and Waterfalls in Minca

Today we move to the Santa Marta area following the very contrasting coastal road. After about 90 minutes of travel we turn off to Minca, a small town located 20 kilometers from Santa Marta and 600 meters above the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. Its climate of thermal transition and the passage of the Minca River endow it with exuberant vegetation and make it home to numerous exotic birds, many of them endemic.

First we visit the La Victoria coffee farm, located 900 meters high. This farm has one of the most efficient coffee processes in Colombia. The German Micky Weber, owner of the farm, managed to put into operation machines that date back to 1892, turning the place into a true living museum. His coaching of ideas led the farm to self-sufficiency, from electrical energy to fertilizer for crops, everything is produced on the farm. In a route of approx. 2 hours we will learn about the ingenious process of La Victoria 1892 coffee, from harvesting to the cup. We will also have the opportunity to meet a very special brewery, and hopefully its founder Jonas, a master brewer from Bavaria, Germany. Nevada Beer is produced in the old chapel of the estate and uses water from its own springs. Its flavor, without a doubt, is as exquisite and exotic as its history. After a good coffee and / or beer, we stop in the Marinka Valley and visit the Arimaka Waterfall, where we will have time for a refreshing swim surrounded by nature. Once in Minca, we make a brief tour of the town and then drive down to Santa Marta and settle in the Hotel. In the afternoon you will have time to explore the historical center of the oldest city in Colombia (1521) on your own and enjoy good food in the city.

Included: (B/-/), accomodation in DBL, english speaking tourguide, public & private transportation, coffee

Beaches at Tayrona National Park

The foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal mountain in the world, sink into the sea like the fingers of a gigantic hand between which bays and inlets of singular beauty are formed. Its white sand beaches delimited in this sector by tropical dry forests and all bathed by the blue and crystalline waters of the Caribbean Sea, make Tayrona Park one of the most beautiful in the country. It has a diversity of trails that penetrate the rain forest and archaeological sites of great importance.

We leave Santa Marta to take the interesting coastal road and reach the eastern entrance of the park after approximately 1 hour. From the Cañaveral sector we start a walk, crossing the dry tropical forest until we reach the Arrecifes sector (approx. 1 hour). Here we take a short break and have time to refresh ourselves. We continue to the Arenillas, Piscina and Cabo San Juan beaches (approx. 1 hour), where we have time to enjoy a swim in the sea. At around 3pm we start our walk back to Cañaveral where the vehicle awaits us (approx. 2 hours). Return to Santa Marta (approx. 1 hour).

Included: (B/-/), accomodation in DBL, english speaking tourguide, private transportation, entrance fees

Trip to Cartagena and Return Flight

On this the last day of the trip, we return by vehicle to Cartagena (approx. 4h) where we finish the tour. It will have been a pleasure to have you as a guest and show you the natural and cultural beauties of the Colombian Caribbean, our home.

It is possible to extend this trip with stays in beach hotels in both the Cartagena and Santa Marta areas. We can even organize additional travel modules to other regions of Colombia, do not hesitate to ask us.

Included: (B/-/), private transportation to Cartagena

Gallery

Explaning Defese Strategy from Fort San Felipe

Cañaveral Beach at Tayrona National Park