Dreamy Caribbean beaches, snowy Andes mountain peaks, the impressive rainforest of the Sierra Nevada on lesser travelled roads. A trip full of sights and experiences far beyond your imagination. This versatile country of enchanting virgin beauty welcomes you with open arms.
The starting point of our motorcycletour is the small Caribbean coastal town of Santa Marta with its colorful and lively old town. We guide you through the tropical jungle of the Sierra Nevada, to the hidden, historic town of Mompox. Everywhere in the country we experience the impressive warmth and hospitality of Colombian people. Insights into the way of life of the Arahuaco and Wayuu native Americans provide us with lasting impressions of the country's cultural roots. Imagine riding along the coastline, with scenic changes from the La Guajira desert to the tropical, exuberant jungle vegetation of the Sierra Nevada with its peaks, some of which are 16,400 ft high. We will enjoy the dreamy beaches of the Caribbean, explore the fascinating heartland on winding jungle roads, and experience the desert in a most unique way.
The light motorcycle is the perfect means of transportation for this motorcycle trip, it allows us to explore areas that are hidden from most, away from the tourist highlights.
In addition to this 3-week winter escape, we also offer a shorter oneway option from Bogotá to Santa Marta or a 2-week motorcycle tour in the heart of Colombia, the Colombia Coffee & Corazón motorcycleadventure .
Everything you need to know about this tour. Do you have any further questions? Please contact us!
Arrival in Santa Marta and transfer to the hotel in Santa Marta (approx. 30 min ride). Santa Marta is located directly on the Caribbean Sea and, along with Cartagena, is one of the most important destinations for visitors to the Colombian Caribbean coast. There is a wide range of activities here.
After a relaxed start of the day with a typical local breakfast, the motorbikes are handed over to us. We ride to Minca, a nearby small town famous for its organic coffee growing. Here we escape the heat of the city and go on an off-road tour through the tropical forests. We visit a coffee finca(plantation) with a brewery. Here we can see in an authentic environment how coffee beans are planted, harvested, processed and prepared for export. We stay in a hotel with a wonderful view of the plantation in the jungle and dozens of hummingbirds fluttering around.
We leave Minca and ride along the main road for a short while before we take a beautiful winding unpaved road which will lead us way up to the charming coffee villages of San Pedro and San Javier, two charming places completely off the beaten track. The sights will surpass your imagination. We will have an authentic lunch up in the lush, green hills together with local farmers and then find our way back into the valley and in the late afternoon we will reach Aracataca, birthplace of the famous author Gabriel Garcia Márquez. We spend the night in nearby Fundación.
We start our day from Fundación, and after a short distance on a paved road we soon follow the beautiful hot and dusty roads through rural Colombia. These roads will lead us to Rio Magdalena, Colombia's main river. We will cross the Rio Magdalena in small canoes, and ultimately we reach the beautiful town named Mompox. Mompox could be described as the precious little sister of Cartagena. From the rooftop of our hotel we will have wonderful views over the landscape and the village.
From Mompox we ride along the Rio Magdalena riverbank. Today is going to be a hot day, and the scenery today will make you wonder if you'rein a stagecoach-type western movie of the 50's. Dusty scenery flickers before our eyes on the way to El Banco. Once at El Banco, we turn onto the main road and ride to Aguachica. From there, we leave the lowlands and take a beautiful and shady paved road that leads us into the hills from Ocaña to Playa Belén.
Playa de Belén is a beautiful, quaint village that impresses with its colonial character. After the heat we experienced in Mompox the past days, a more moderate climate awaits us here. The village is right on the Parque de Estoraques, a natural park with rock columns, rock formations and natural caves formed by thousands of years of erosion. We will explore a blissful waterfall with a natural "swimming pool". Here you can cleanse off the dust from the past days in crystal clear water, while a typical barbecue is prepared for you by the local host of the finca.
The first half of the day leads us through green landscapes way up over winding, paved mountain roads up to 2400m (7800 ft). We then wind back down and eventually get to the Colombian-Venezuelan border town of Cúcuta. We ride straight through the busy heart of the city, and then towards Pamplona on a quiet country road. It is rather cool in this area with an average temperature of 16° Celcius (60F). For the first time in Colombia you'll see people with winter jackets. Our hotel is right on the center plaza of Pamplona and has the heartwarming charm of an old antique shop. From the antique typewriter to the cole-heated iron, the owner has collected everything that is old and special.
It is wise to layer up your clothing for this day. The road to Capitanejo starts out with gentle curves in a green landscape and then twists and turns to take us higher and higher up the mountains. From 3200m (10,500 ft), just behind Chitagá,the tar road turns into gravel when we pass the 4000m (13,000ft) mountaintop. At this height it is often foggy and damp, but if we are blessed with clear view weather, it will provide scenic views over fantastic mountains. And although we ride on a federal road, there hardly is any traffic. From Málaga it gets warmer again as we descend into the beautiful picture-perfect landscape of Capitanejo.
Off road we go up even higher today, into the El Cocuy National Park. We see amazing scenic mountains with summits over 5000m (16,400ft) high, whose pristine snow crests can be seen. We pass many small farms that mainly grow onions. Local folks are heartwarmingly friendly, open and happy when strangers pass by to admire their surroundings. People gather in the villages to exchange their goods. Around noon we arrive in our overnight accommodation El Cocuy and have enough time for a local tour on small pathways up to approx. 3800m (12,500ft). From here you have breathtaking views of the summits in the area. You will definitely notice the thin air - it's good that our overnight accommodation is"only" 3000m (9,800ft) high.
"This trip is truly a must! It was my 6th motorcycle trip and I can only say that Colombia is very high on the list of my most extraordinary trips.The people are extremely hospitable and the landscapes (especially in the Andes) are simply impressive. Some routes went over 4000m and were incredibly beautiful. The tour leader Brita knows the country very well and speaks the language fluently."
We start off the day on gravel roads,beginning at the end of the village and lead us through the gigantic,impressive mountains of the Andes for the rest of the day. You'll want to stop around just about every corner and let your eyes wander first. Gentle hills and rugged mountains alternate, the panorama is simply gigantic and hard to describe. We pass through villages Chita and Jérico, which are incredibly remote,they will amaze you. A very special and unique world that we can look into until we finally land in magical Mongui, full of new impressions. Here, too, since we are still at an altitude of 3000m (9,800ft), the air remains cool and thin. Mongui is famous for its football production, which is why you can see the round balls in the whole village.
Via Duitama and Gambita we head towards Barichara. We will cross another high mountain before going downhill on rocky and partially muddy paths. Depending on weather conditions, we have the option to choose between two off-road routes for this adventure. After we have passed San Gil, a winding road takes us to Barichara, where a colonial-style city with a warm climate awaits us.
Barichara is ideal for a rest day, and allow yourself to go shopping and feasting your stomach, your eyes and your heart.There are great restaurants, lots of handicrafted souvernirs to see and also adventurous activities such as rafting, bungee jumping or horse riding. If you just want to relax, you can sit back and watch the hustle and bustle on the plaza or take a stroll to admire the work of the stonemasons located at the city gates. Barichara is also famous for its "hormigas culonas" -roasted ants, which are offered as a delicacy.
We start the day off well rested on a long offroad track to Zapatoca, where we will have lunch. We will enjoy food prepared according to the local "Santander-way" on a large patio. Regional specialty are the „cazuelas“, fish or meat soups cooked in clay pots. The cathedral is worth a visit, as is the Don Quixote-Museum. A winding mountain road leads us from Zapatoca to Giron, the views on our way down again will be spectacular before we arrive at our hotel in Giron's old town.
With the ride to Aguachica we say goodbye to the green mountains of Colombia, we pass banana plantations and small villages and by midday we'll hit the flat plains again. The temperature can soar on our famous route "ruta del sol" (sunroad),wich provides a central connection between the Andes mountains and the coast.
We continue north. We ride to Bosconia on the main road, then we turn towards Valledupar. We are not far from Nabusimake, this village is the spiritual center of the Arhuaco native America where they live their life like in pre-Columbian times and in harmony with nature. We stay in Valledupar, the place of origin of "Vallenato", ubiquitous folk music of Colombians dominated by the accordion.
We are now in the land of cattle and cowboys Through the backlands and the desert region "La Guajira", we meet the Wayúu native Americans, as we head back to the coast.
We will stay at the coast. Our destination is Palomino, where we end the day on the palm-fringed sandy beaches. Palomino is a small village tucked in between two rivers that flow down from the Sierra Nevada. The natural surroundings of this village allow for excellent virgin nature hiking, horse riding and river tube-rafting. You can also choose to relax on the beach, where you can enjoy the unique view of snow-capped mountains on one side, and the Caribbean sea on the other.
DAY 18 - PALOMINO - SANTA MARTA
We ride towards Santa Marta along a beautiful coastal road. In several places you can gaze over the turquoise-blue stunning Caribbean coastline. Once back in Santa Marta we return to the hotel that we started our tour with, in the center of the old town. On the crowded market you have another chance of souvenirshopping. Or you enjoy a cool drink by the sea, or on the roof terrace.
You will be taken to the airport in Santa Marta with unforgettable experiences and memories in your backpocket. It will be difficult to say goodbye to this wonderful country and its people.
Depending on the timezone of your country, you arrive at your home airport on Day 21 or Day 22.
Local circumstances could require adjustment of the route on site.
During this trip we ride on local AKT 200cc bikes - Made in Colombia.
During our trip through Colombia we ride on a wide arrange of road surfaces, under various circumstances. Sometimes we ride over good tar roads, over sand, dusty washboard roads, over rocky roads, and over high mountain ranges. We don't remain on high altitudes for a long time to avoid altitude issues. Some days we cover more miles than other days, but there is always enough time and opportunity to stop on the way, take pictures, visit villages or rest.
About half of the route takes place on unpaved roads. So off-road experience is necessary. We recommend to take offroad basic training classes as preparation for this trip. In doing so, you learn how best to handle the motorcycle off-road. It will also increase your riding pleasure. The motorcycles are light and handy dual-sport bikes, perfect for a combination of paved and unpaved routes. This tour is not suitable for beginners.
High temperatures can be found especially in the north and move around the whole year, both in the dry and rainy seasons, at an average of around 30° Celsius(86F). There are large temperature differences from 15° Celsius (59F) to the extreme heat of 38° Celsius (100F). Chances of rain always lure in the mountains.
A helmet is mandatory, as well as protective clothing, good gloves and boots or sturdy shoes. Because of the warm temperatures in the north (+ 30° C) it is advisable to wear breathable protective clothing. Ensure adequate ventilation for jackets and pants. Pack warm clothes for the colder regions. We recommend an open dual-sport helmet with protective glasses that locks out the dust. Furthermore,do yourself a favor with a pair of good sunglasses and rain protection gear.
For Colombia you need your valid driver's license together with a valid international driver's license and a valid passport (with a minimum 6 months validity). You are responsible to find out VISA requirements specifically belonging to the passport you hold. You can verify up to date information from your local embassy, or consulate in your country of citizenship or find this information online for example via https://visacentral.com/
Consult with your travel doctor for up to date medical travel information well before departure. It is your responsibility to make sure that you obtain your visa and have immunizations completed in time.
For non- USA-passport holders, a U.S. travel authorization called ESTA is required for a transit flight across the United States. More information at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta/.
MOTORCYCLE INSURANCE
The motorbike come with a standard liability insurance. This insurance covers physical damage to third parties. Material damage to third parties is not insured. Damage to the motorcycle is not covered by the basic insurance. You are liable for costs of damage to the motorcycle caused by yourself.
Rider starting at: € 3950,-
Pillion: x
Single room occupancy additional charge: € 350,-
Pocket money to bring with you: € 550,-*
Minimum number of riding participants: 6
Maximum number of riding participants: 12
Maximum number of pillion riders: 0
This tour is available on these dates:
.svg)
.svg)
