Colombia Cycling
9 days from Casa Blanca Welcome to Colombia
From $ 3990
Duration9 days

Embark on a lively guided 9-day adventure of cycling, coffee, mountain towns and tropical beauty in oh-so-lovely Colombia. We’ll spend nine days pedaling through verdant highlands, past sprawling coffee plantations, and through quiet colonial villages as we explore the rapidly changing face of Colombia. Climbing from the flat lands of the Valle de Cauca to the coffee zone in the central Andes, the rolling hills of Colombia’s coffee region seem designed for cycling. Every serpentine turn unveils a new adventure in one of South America’s most exciting destinations. Colombians love cycling and you’ll soon understand why so many world famous cyclists have emerged from this nation. By day we’ll cycle the same roads that many of the greats train on and by night we’ll relax at small haciendas filled with big Colombia spirit. Big climbs lead to big descents, coffee beans transform into a steaming cup of joe, and the sugarcane of the lowlands will transition into the towering wax palms of the Cocora Valley. Colombia is a cyclist’s paradise just waiting to be discovered.

This tour is operated by

  • Duration: 9 days
    Service level: Standard
  • Starts in: Casa Blanca Welcome
    Physical Grading: Demanding
  • Ends in: Colombia
    Ages: 18+
Colombia Cycling - Tour Map

Itinerary

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Day 1: Bogotá Welcome Dinner

Start place: Casa Blanca Welcome

Our trip begins today in Bogotá, Colombia. Transfers from the airport to the hotel are provided. Please arrive in Bogotá by 4pm. At 6pm we will meet in the hotel lobby and get to know our guides and fellow travelers over a welcome drink. The guides will provide a brief orientation to discuss the upcoming itinerary. Dinner is on your own tonight. Your hotel is located near the vibrant Zona T area which has numerous restaurants to choose from. All meals on your own.
Day 2: Take to the Streets for the Original Ciclovía and Fly to Cali
Ciclovia is a beloved pastime for Bogotános. Every Sunday, the main street though the city is closed and cyclists and pedestrians have free range over the normally busy street. We’ll join the locals for a cycle through Bogotá, stopping to visit Paloquemao market, the gold museum, and downtown Bogotá. In the afternoon, we fly to Cali. Cali is a vibrant and diverse city known for its love of salsa, vibrant arts scene, and layered history. Rich Afro-Colombian heritage inspires everything from architecture to food. Cali is considered the salsa capital of the world and calenos live and breathe it - you won’t go a day without hearing salsa on the streets. In the evening, we gather with our guide for a trip briefing that will be held over our welcome dinner with a special salsa performance. All meals included.
Biking: 8 miles, 430 ft gain / 280 ft loss
Meals: B, L, D
Day 3: Ride La Cumbre to Calima Lake
Rise and shine in the land of sabrosura. After a short transfer to La Cumbre, your guides will familiarize you with your bike and go through a safety briefing and expectations for the week ahead. This first ride will give us a sample of cycling in Colombia as we ride over quintessential Colombian rolling hills to arrive at Calima mountain lake. Calima lake is a beautiful lake nestled in the hills outside Cali. We’ll be staying at a local hotel called "La Huerta," orchard in Spanish, that is set on a working farm. The owner has studied organic agriculture for many years and now experiments with different organic crops and technique on his land. After lunch, choose to explore the orchard and learn about local fruits and vegetables with the owner or embark on a 20 mile circumnavigation of the lake. Dinner is a traditional asado located on the hotels inspiring terrace. All meals included
Biking: 30 miles, 2,667 ft gain / 2,608ft loss. Optional ride: 20 miles, 1,450 ft gain / 1,850 ft loss
Meals: B, L, D
Day 4: Tropical Birds, Sugarcane Roads, & the Cauca River Journey
Colombia is famous worldwide for the number of endemic bird species that live within its forests. Choose to embark on an optional morning birding excursion with our guide as the sun rises. More than 100 type of birds inhabit and visit Calima Lake, a fun way to introduce ourselves to this activity and witness the biodiversity of Colombia. After breakfast at the hotel, we transfer about thirty minutes to start the next leg of our journey –a memorable ride through the Valle del Cauca. Valle del Cauca has been the muse for many a Colombian poet and you’ll soon see why. Today’s ride is mostly flat, allowing us to fully appreciate the spectacular views of the valley around us. Following the Cauca River, we allow its gentle twists and turns to guide us through the valley. Make sure to appreciate the flat lands of the Cauca today – they’re the last you’ll see in Colombia as we start our ascent into the coffee region. In the afternoon, we’ll arrive at our hotel for the night where we’ll have a group dinner. All meals included.
Biking: 57 miles, 2,372 ft gain / 2,270 ft loss
Meals: B, L, D
Day 5: Climb into the Coffee Region
After fueling up on a hearty Colombian breakfast, we gear up to start climbing from the flatlands of the Cauca into the coffee region. Today’s ride starts off flat before we start to see a change in the steepness of the climbs as well as the landscape around us. The ride is challenging but the views make it well worth the effort. As we ride North, we bid farewell to sugarcane plantations and start to see coffee plantations and forestlands. Every steep climb leads to epic views as the central mountain range begins to appear behind the terraced emerald hills of the coffee region. We’ll stop along the way to sample lemonade sweetened with freshly pressed sugarcane juice and have lunch along the way. Our ride ends at our peaceful, bicycle themed hotel for some well-deserved R&R. All meals included.
Biking: 55 miles,4,940 ft gain / 2,280 ft loss
Meals: B, L, D
Day 6: Explore the Valley of Wax Palms & Giant Bamboo
No visit to the coffee region would be complete without a hike through the towering wax palms. We take a break from the saddle today to explore the Cocora Valley and the town of Salento on foot. A short walking tour through the town of Salento, one of the Coffee Region’s oldest settlements, offers insight into Colombian culture and history. We ascend to a lookout point that has stunning views of the Cocora Valley in the distance before sampling some of the region’s best coffee at a local favorite café. All powered up, we’re ready to continue on to the Cocora Valley. Few sights are as impressive as the endemic wax palms of Cocora. Amongst the tallest in the world, they can grow up to 70m tall. Tonight, we’ll have the chance to play the traditional (and explosive) Colombian game of tejo. Have free time to explore Salento before heading back to the hotel. Dinner is on your own.
Hiking: 2 hours
Day 7: Haciendas, Buenavista Climb & Exquisite Coffee at a Cafe in the Mountains
After a good day of rest, we return to our bikes and start off the day with a long descent along rolling hills before facing the short, but steep, climb to Buenavista. This climb offers some of the best views of the route. The San Alberto Café is located at Buenavista pass, the perfect place to enjoy a local coffee with views across the entire region. Lunch is at the mirador followed by an educational coffee tour and tasting. Tonight, we venture into Filandia for dinner at one of the town’s most beloved institutions.
Biking: 52 miles, 3,615 ft gain / 4,626 ft loss
Day 8: From the Coffee Highway to the Cloud Forest
Our last ride starts with a final climb to the colorful town of Filandia, taking the coffee highway before we exit towards Circasia where we will start a long and gradual descent to finish with a few fun rollers. We arrive in the early afternoon at our hacienda where we’ll have lunch. In the afternoon, we venture to the hacienda’s cacao plantation where we can see the process of chocolate production from the source – and try some too! Free time to relax before our farewell dinner.
Biking: 47 miles, 2,592 ft gain / 4,551 ft loss. Walking: 2 hours
Day 9: Farewell to Colombia
After breakfast, we head to the airport for our departing flights. Trip members can opt to return to Bogotá for connecting flights home or extend their travels in Colombia. Breakfast included.

End place: Colombia

Meals: B

Inclusions

Included

  • Airport transfers
  • Internal flights
  • accommodations
  • meals as noted in the daily itinerary
  • choice of hybrid bike or road bike
  • skilled bi-lingual cycling guide
  • vehicle support while cycling
  • maps, trip notes and detailed route directions
  • luggage transfers
  • Accommodation

    Hotels

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