Girardot is often mentioned as a great weekend getaway from Bogotá. It turned out to be one of the most run-down and disgusting places I’ve visited in Colombia.
Hacienda El Salitre is a historic villa dating back to 1736. Now serving as a hotel, it’s historically significant because it was used as a temporary headquarters for Simón Bolívar during the independence campaign for Nuevo Granada (now Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama).
The city of Tunja is the capital of the department of Boyacá in Colombia. It’s a university city with a pleasant atmosphere, two of the best-preserved colonial mansions in the country, and some beautiful colonial churches.
One of the best extreme sports destinations in Colombia is located a short drive north of Bogotá in the small town of Suesca. Although we didn’t visit Suesca specifically for that purpose (it was a great place to break up our drive to Boyacá), we took a couple hours in the morning to check out what outdoor activities are available.
Tierradentro is hard to get to. It’s well off the beaten tourist trail and all roads that lead to it are horrible. I was second-guessing my decision to visit while driving there. It was easily the worst road I had ever driven on with some terrifying stretches. Once we arrived and settled in, however, I was sure our time spent there would be a spectacular few days.
Venice is a dream world. A romantic city set on islands separated by canals and connected by bridges, it’s one of the most fascinating places in the entire world. It’s a place where there’s so much to see and do that it would take ages to finish everything, but it’s perfectly acceptable to just wander through the narrow streets and enjoy the atmosphere for your entire stay.
