WHY A BOAT TRIP IS BETTER THAN A FLIGHT

The journey from Colombia to Panama is not a straightforward transit. The dangerous Darien Gap Jungle makes it impossible to pass through overland on a bus or via car. The most common way to reach Panama from Colombia is to fly to Panama City. However, we found that the flight tickets were $250 USD one way, which is quite expensive given the distance of the flight. The next option is to sail or take a boat from Cartagena, Colombia to Panama City, which sounded like the most adventurous option. We organized a 3-night/4-day San Blas Islands tour boat trip from Colombia to Panama, which costs $399 USD with San Blas Adventures.

WHY WE DECIDED TO GO DO A SAN BLAS ISLANDS TOUR

If you need to get to Panama City in a rush then you will definitely need to fly. However, if you are backpacking or traveling through Central/South America, the boat trip is the best option.

• The cost of the San Blas Islands Tour was $399 and the flight from Colombia to Panama was $250. Therefore you get the San Blas Islands tour and transit bundled into one convenient package for only $150 more than the flight itself.
• You need to transit one way or the other so combining the transit with an authentic adventure seems to make the most sense.

My mate Josh and I decided that for the extra $150 we would do the boat trip with San Blas Adventures for $399. Included in this fee were all accommodation, transits, meals, snorkels, and activities. The only other money we spent was on beers and coconuts but it was only a few dollars here and there. The group was awesome and we ended up having an epic time.

SAN BLAS ADVENTURES BOAT TOUR

In this San Blas Islands blog post, I am going to give you a detailed look into the four-day San Blas Islands tour with San Blas Adventures. It was seriously an epic four days of living like nomadic pirates and getting a unique insight into the Kuna culture and way of life. Of course, the scenery was out of this world and I was lucky enough to get permission from the Kuna leaders to fly my drone to be able to get a unique aerial perspective of this beautiful region.

SAN BLAS ADVENTURES TOUR AVAILABILITY

The calendar below shows the availability of the current tours with San Blas Adventures!

CARTAGENA TO SAPZURRO

For our journey, we needed to get from Cartagena to Panama City. The first step was to get to Sapzurro, a small town where the San Blas Islands tour departs. San Blas Adventures makes it really easy with instructions on how to get there by public transport. It was two relatively long days of transit before the tour even started, which is something to take into consideration, but there is no real way around that unless you sail from Cartagena directly. Beware of sailing directly as you will be stuck on the boat the whole time. The max time we were on the boat was 2 hours and for the rest we were exploring islands and villages, which is the best way!

From Cartagena we caught the following transports to Sapzurro:

TRANSIT DAY 1

• Taxi from Cartagena to the bus station
• 10-hour public bus to Necocli

TRANSIT DAY 2

• 1.5-hour Public boat from Necocli to Capurgana
• 15-minute ferry from Capurgan to Sapzurro (or you can do the 5km hike over the hill)

THE PANAMA – COLOMBIA BORDER

DAY 1

We woke early and jumped in our passenger boat, which we would be cruising for the next four days. This was the official start of our San Blas Island tour. All of the bags were wrapped in black garbage bags, people were showered, and smelt nice. The next four days would be all about the adventure and that kicked off with our first stop at the Panama/Colombia border.

Our boat pulled in and we were asked to bring out all of our bags and lay them in rows on the wet cement. Still in the black garbage bags, a sniffer dog was released from a small cage as a soldier with a machine gun led him around our bags. He finished and luckily none of the guys in our group had been dumb enough to try and smuggle anything across the border!

We thought that might be the end of the process. However, they indicated we would need to have every single back, and every single pocket individually searched. This took about an hour for our group of 13. After we finally finished we went to the local bakery with our bags to chill and wait for our passports.

After five hours of waiting on the island, we finally got our passports and could head off. It is a pretty lengthy process as the guards need approval from the head office. It doesn’t seem like the most efficient system ever but if you want to get through via boat this is just how it goes. We had a kick-around with some local kids, watched the world cup, had numerous coffees, and pastries, and chatted amongst ourselves. Five hours passed quickly.

 ATIDUP ISLAND

DAY 1

Leaving our lengthy process of border security behind us we got back in our boat and headed off in the direction of Atidup Island. It was finally time after 2.5 days of transit to enjoy the San Blas Islands tour. This is where the fun began.

Atidup Island was beautiful. No one else was there, it was our private island for the afternoon. A beach volleyball court was sheltered by plentiful coconut trees. The sun was out and the good times were rolling. All around us were beautiful yet empty, palm-tree-laden islands. Most of the islands we would see on the trip seemed untouched or occupied by one small bamboo hut.

Coconuts and beers were available but Josh and I opted to get straight into the water to snorkel the nearby reef, which turned out to be amazing. A huge shelf of the reef drops down into the dark abyss. Hundreds of fish swam about the brightly colored coral. We even found a tunnel that we held our breath through for a few nervous moments!

Back on dry land we grabbed a coconut and settled into a chair. The local Kuna tribe from Caledonia village had sent a boat of talented kids to perform a traditional dance. They are the champions in the region and it showed. It was a great show for the kids, some as young as five getting in on the action with flutes and dancing.

In the distance, the sun began to set over the layers of mountains in the Darien Gap. From beneath the palm trees, we watched the early colors develop. We jumped in the boat to watch the final moments of the sunset, which spectacularly lit up the dense layer of clouds above.

CALEDONIA ISLAND

DAY 1

We arrived after sunset at Caledonia Island, which would be our home for the evening. It is the main Kuna Island in the San Blas Islands. The village is home to 900 people, 600 of which are children. The Kuna people sleep in hammocks, eat a lot of seafood and the kids love soccer. They have a rich history and have overcome a lot throughout the years.

There is just one hostel and restaurant on the island, both of which offer luxuries like beer for sale and allow alcohol consumption. Alcohol is not allowed outside of the hostel or restaurant. We had a big group dinner of octopus, fish, and vegetables before heading back to the hostel for a few drinks.

DAY 2 

Our accommodation at Caledonia Island was simple but everything we needed. The bungalow-style accommodation hung out over the water and one side and was an epic spot to welcome the new day. Our legendary crew made us a breakfast of fresh fruit, Kuna bread, chia seeds, peanut butter, coffee, and tea. The food was really good throughout the whole trip but breakfasts with fresh tropical fruit were my favorite.

After quickly packing up we set off for a big day of adventures on our San Blas Islands tour. In the San Blas Islands archipelago, there are 365 different islands and on this trip, we would be setting foot on five of those! We boarded our boat and settled in for a 2-hour drive. It would be the longest boat ride of the adventure. You get to spend 90% of your time on the islands and 10% (8 hours) in the boat throughout the entire 4 days, which is prime.

PELICAN ISLAND

DAY 2

The waves weren’t too bad for most of the trip to Pelican Island but I was definitely glad to be on a boat for 2 hours and not a sailboat for 4 days. Two hours was enough. We rolled into Pelican Island, another deserted island for our group of 13 to enjoy for the afternoon. One of the great parts about this San Blas Islands tour is that it wasn’t rushed. Sometimes on a trip or island hopping adventure, you get one or two hours on an island. We would get 3-5 hours. It meant you could play volleyball, explore, and have lunch but also wind down and read a book. You didn’t get to the accommodation at night completely wrecked from trying to fit it all in.

Beach volleyball fast become the activity of choice for our crew. It’s always risky spending four days in tight quarters with a group of others but I think the adventurous nature of this trip ensures everyone on board loves the beach, and being outdoors, and wasn’t looking for a luxury, glamping experience. Everyone was keen to get involved with activities, games, or exploring.

Josh and I shot some hoops on the jungle basketball court despite both scoring 1/50 shots. It’s just how you look in the photo right?

After another amazing lunch of quinoa salad, pasta salad, and chicken, we lay on the beach watching small sailboats ferry coconuts to and from the villages.

TUPILE (REVOLUTION ISLAND)

DAY 2

After our relaxing afternoon at Pelican Island, we docked into our home for the night, which was Revolution Island. It got the name after being the central hub for the revolution when the Kuna tribes came together here to take back their land. Now, Tupile, is a peaceful village with kids playing volleyball and soccer, older women making bracelets.

We went on a short tour of the village but Josh and I got sidetracked and ended up losing our group and getting involved in some games and soccer with the local kids. It was a crazy afternoon of laughs and fun hanging out with the kids and teenagers of the village.

Dinner at Tupile was amazing! The crew made chicken burritos, Panama-style, and a pumpkin sauce. It was incredible the quality of food they were coming out with as they cooked from small islands with ingredients we had brought in coolers from Colombia.

Our beds for the night would be hammocks. I had never slept in a hammock before so this was a first for me and it ended up being more comfortable than I had expected. I slept in shorts and a t-shirt without even a blanket, although some in our group used blankets that had been brought.

ISLA PELICANO

DAY 3

Another day, another island. We set off from Tupile and made our way to Isla Pelicano. It took about an hour and we arrived mid-morning. The island required almost no exploring as it was about fifty meters across the island at the longest point, which made it a sweet little spot to hang out on the sand, read a book and fly the drone!

The snorkeling at Isla Pelicano was pretty cool. While we didn’t quite find any epic reef, there were so many starfish and we even came across a spotted ray only a few meters out from the shore. You can tell this is a region with a diverse array of wildlife. Dolphins, fish, rays, and everything in between had been spotted during our San Blas Islands Tour.

Lunch was outstanding once again with multiple healthy salads and tuna baguettes. It’s amazing that the best, healthy food we had during our time in Colombia/Panama was on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean! The crew really rocked it at every meal.

This island was beautiful, but it wasn’t until I sent the drone up to explore that I saw how epic the reef system was around Isla Pelicano. Huge drop-offs from the shelf into deep blue water create an epic contrast. Giant blue holes look like perfect spots to snorkel, explore and watch the native marine life.

COCO BANDERA ISLAND

DAY 3

After Isla Pelicano, we made our way to our headquarters for the night, which would be Coco Bandera Island. It was a beautiful little island, about 100 meters long. It was adorned with palm trees and white sand with a few huts for sleeping, cooking, and the local Kuna people. We slept in hammocks inside the bamboo and leaf huts and eat our meals out in the communal hut.

Luckily the huts had strong roofs because that night a huge storm hit us. We managed to stay dry and despite the storm, it wasn’t cold, just very wet!

Coco Bandera Island has a volleyball court, which our crew made the most of for several hours! There was also some great snorkeling to be had and we even watched a few dolphins cruising around the island. Not long ago a huge sea turtle came ashore to lay her eggs. The hatchlings had already scampered out to sea before we arrived.

We spent the night enjoying a few beers, which were available for $2 a bottle on the island, and some rum we had brought from Colombia. Sat around a bonfire on Coco Bandera Island in the middle of the ocean was the perfect end to our last night of the San Blas Islands tour.

DAY 4

We packed up at Coco Bandera Island and enjoyed a relaxing morning in the sun. After lunch, we made the 1-hour boat trip to the port in Panama. Here we loaded into jeeps organized by San Blas Adventures and made the 3-hour journey through the jungle to arrive at our Hostel. We were pretty damn tired and dirty from our epic trip so we showered up and got a good night’s sleep at Mamallena Hostel in Panama City. If you want to book a night of accommodation at Mamallena for the night after your trip you can click here.

SAN BLAS ADVENTURES TOUR VIDEO

We made a short video of the adventure, which you can check out below.

SAN BLAS ISLANDS MAP

The map below was made by San Blas Adventures and give you a great guide of the whole process from Cartagena all the way through to Panama City. Depending on where you begin, whether it be Cartagena or Capurgana, this San Blas Islands Tour map will help you understand the whole process from start to finish.

WHAT TO PACK FOR A SAN BLAS ISLANDS TOUR

I went pretty basic in terms of packing but there are some key things to consider while packing your bag. You will need a daypack with all of your gear as your big luggage will be wrapped in plastic and taken from Colombia to Panama and you will only have access to it after the trip. Essentially they transport it there for you so you will wave goodbye to it in Colombia and see it at the end of the trip. This means you need to pack everything you need in your day pack. Here is what I recommend packing for the San Blas Islands tour.

Another point to note is that there will not be electricity along the way. So a power bank is necessary if you want to charge your phone and camera.

• Daypack: For the last 3 years I have traveled the world with my Victoria Tourist Camera Laptop Backpack. It is only $60 on Amazon and one of the few camera backpacks that hold your camera and 3 lenses in a padded, easy access pouch, a 13-inch MacBook Pro and still have room for everything else. I’ve talked about how good this bag is to so many people that lots of my friends have traded in their expensive Lowepro bags for my budget backpack because it is the best all-rounder for a backpacker who takes photographs and uses a laptop. You can check it out on Amazon by clicking here.
• 2 T-shirts or tank tops
• 2 Boardshorts or shorts
• Reusable water bottle: Generally for me, the Hydro Flask has always been the best bottle to keep your water cold throughout the day and a great way to not use a ton of small plastic bottles. On this trip, you can buy gallon plastic bottles, which is still better than lots of small plastic bottles. Each morning fill up your Hydro Flask from your gallon and you are good to go! You can check out the Hydroflask and pick a color you like by clicking here.
• Flip-flops/Sandals: You won’t need shoes on this trip so save space by just packing a pair of flip-flops or sandals.
• Sunscreen
• Toiletries: I literally just packed soap, deodorant, toothbrush, and toothpaste. For me, island living is not a fashion parade. Bring the essentials but leave the beauty products and hair straighteners in your big bag!
• Power Bank: I’ve used a lot of power banks and the most reliable and long-lasting is the Anker Powerbank. It has a dual USB-slot and it never drains itself or magically appears to be dead like others I’ve had in the past. I can charge my camera batteries and my phone multiple times with this gem. You can check the Anker Powerbank out on Amazon by clicking here.
• Camera Gear: Your camera phone may be enough for you. Obviously, I packed a lot more to shoot the whole trip. If you want to check out the gear I use to capture photos on this trip and all of the trips I take across the world you can click here. I use a drone, GoPro, Sony Action Camera, DSLR camera and my iPhone.

View the full blog post: MY TRAVEL BLOGGER CAMERA GEAR & GENERAL TRAVEL EQUIPMENT LIST

I hope this blog post convinced you to explore the San Blas Islands via boat during your journey from Colombia to Panama City. Like I mentioned above it is only an extra $100-200 to do the entire tour than to fly direct. Therefore unless you are in a rush this is the best way to explore the San Blas Islands and transit to Panama to continue your travels.

It was an absolute blast thanks to our guide Svea and her crew who made sure everything was always organized and we were never hungry! I can’t recommend this experience enough so I hope you guys get out to the San Blas Islands and be sure to message me when you do with a photo! Let me know if you have any questions about the trip. You can email me at thejourneyera@gmail.com or contact me via direct message on Instagram.

If you are based in Medellin you can check out the top-rated Medellin to Guatape day trip, which includes hiking up the 650 stairs of La Piedra Del Penol as well as hotel pick-up and drop-off.

LA PIEDRA DEL PENOL ‘THE GUATAPE ROCK’

The entrance fee for climbing La Piedra Del Penol is $6 USD, which most tourists happily pay for such an epic natural wonder.

CLIMBING LA PIEDRA DEL PENOL ‘THE GUATAPE ROCK

650 stairs criss-cross like a zipper holding the giant crack in the rock together. It is quite a phenomenal set of stairs and is part of the attraction in itself. Although 650 stars may seem like an intimidating number, the stairs are quite small and the journey to the top of La Piedra Del Penol ‘The Guatape Rock’ only took about 10-15 minutes. There were many children and older tourists who made the trek to the top so don’t let the height or the stairs scare you away from this epic viewpoint.

THE SUMMIT OF LA PIEDRA DEL PENOL

Once we reached the top of the Guatape Rock I leaned on the railing, looked out over the edge, and was immediately blown away. The view was out of this world and has to be in the top views of Colombia without a doubt. Hundreds of small islets were scattered throughout the deep blue water of the lake as far as the eye could see.

On one side we could look down to the city of El Penol and to the other we could see the old-style town of Guatape, where we were staying. We watched kayakers and jetskis cruise through the lake below. It seemed like a scene out of Switzerland, Norway, or Austria rather than what I had expected the scenery to be like in Colombia.

Most people hang out at the top for a couple of hours. They want to recover from the stairs and also take in the epic view for as long as possible. There are lots of chairs, tables, and umbrellas as well as a cafe and a refreshment stand, which make this viewpoint a really good chill-out area to spend a morning or afternoon.

HISTORY OF LA PIEDRA DEL PENOL ‘THE GUATAPE ROCK’

In the ‘How to get there’ location section below I mention why there is a big, white ‘GU’ painted on the side of the rock. However, there is an even more interesting fact about this region that changes your whole perspective on the landscape. The Guatape Rock is a natural formation. However, the lake is man-made. It is part of a national hydroelectricity project and supplies more than 35% of the electricity for Colombia. It also provides electricity, which is sold to neighboring countries like Venezuela.

The town of El Penol, which you look at from the top of La Piedra Del Penol ‘The Guatape Rock’, is actually a new town. The old El Penol is underwater. The hydroelectricity project took the old town when the lake was created. The old El Penol is now almost completely underwater. Tens of thousands of residents had to be relocated to the new town. There is now a huge cross that sticks out of the water in the lake, which marks the spot where the old town is now submerged underwater.

VIEWPOINT OF LA PIEDRA DEL PENOL ‘THE GUATAPE ROCK’

There is a cool little spot I found directly across from La Piedra Del Penol ‘The Guatape Rock’. It is halfway between Guatape and El Penon. Just after you go under a small footbridge jump out of the tricycle (it is walking distance from both El Penon and Guatape. I walked back to Guatape in 20 minutes from this viewpoint) Walk down the trail, through the bushes and you will get a clear shot and a tiny little river bank to chill on. I went down here by myself one morning and enjoyed the peace and quiet and it was really a nice time to take in the rock and the landscape by myself with no distractions. This is where I flew the drone for most of the drone shots and also took some photos with my telephoto lens.

I just sat on that bank and chilled out for almost two hours, waiting for the sun to come over the Guatape rock in between the clouds. These are the cool travel moments where you take it all in and soak it all up in an insane location.

GETTING FROM MEDELLIN TO GUATAPE

Getting from Medellin to Guatape is incredibly simple. All you need to do is get to the Caribe bus station. To get to the Caribe bus station you can take the Medellin Metro or a taxi. Once you arrive at the bus station you can purchase a ticket for $4 USD, which will take you directly all the way to Guatape or El Penol. From here you can either walk as we did or catch a tricycle to your accommodation. The local bus was comfortable, had some form of air-conditioning, and seemed quite safe. The views from Medellin to Guatape or quite beautiful too so my tip is to grab a window seat.

WHERE IS LA PIEDRA DEL PENOL ‘THE GUATAPE ROCK’?

La Piedra Del Penol is in the town of El Penol, which is a small town next to Guatape. It is a bit of a contentious issue because Guatape claims the rock but it is essentially in El Penol. I don’t know all the dirty details of that dispute but it is pretty intense. Guatape fired shots by attempting to paint ‘GUATAPE’ on the side of the rock. El Penol residents protested and the painters stopped after already planting the ‘GU’ in massive letters on the side of the rock. Those letters can still be seen today.

You can stay in El Penol, however, it is common to stay in Guatape, which has a vibrant old town and lots of adventure activities and hostels. The walls of the buildings in Guatape are so beautiful. Each panel has a 3D painting on it with a scene from a village or a mountain. Each building is a work of art and it makes wandering around the town seem like you are moving through an art gallery.

I stayed in Guatape and took a tricycle for a few dollars to La Piedra Del Penol and it’s what I suggest for you also as Guatape is a great little town to stay in

LA PIEDRA DEL PENON ‘THE GUATAPE ROCK’ MAP LOCATION

The hostel itself is quite cheap for how stunning the scenery is and there is an array of sleeping options from hammocks to dorms to private mountainside cabins.

CASA ELEMENTO AND THE GIANT HAMMOCKS

HOW TO GET TO MINCA FROM SANTA MARTA

From Santa Marta public market you can catch a shared van for $4, which takes you up the winding roads for just over an hour to the center of Minca. If you have a motorbike this would be a really fun ride. Once you reach Minca town center people will be waiting at the bus stop to take you throughout Minca. We always took the motorbike taxi option as it was 4x faster and a million times more fun than the bumpy jeep. We paid $5 to get to Casa Elemento from the town center.

CASA ELEMENTO ACCOMMODATION IN MINCA, COLOMBIA

Casa Elemento is an epic little mountainside accommodation with a pool, bar, restaurant chill vibes, and of course the giant hammocks of Minca! If you plan to stay at Casa Elemento you have a few options.

• There are hammock dorms, which are open plan rooms where up to 10 hammocks are suspended from the roof. They are actually quite comfortable and a unique way to experience a night in the mountains of Minca.
• There are dorm rooms with beds, which are a great budget option if you aren’t keen on a hammock.
• If you are here for the comfort and the view, a private mountainside cabin is actually not too expensive and is the best way to experience this epic location.

Check the prices and availability: Casa Elemento

 GIANT HAMMOCKS OF MINCA AT CASA ELEMENTO

Casa Elemento is a wide-open hostel with a beautiful pool that looks out to the mountains and a restaurant and bar with jungle views. However, it is the hammocks that are the best part of this fun hostel. At the top level near the pool, there are two hammocks. The first can hold up to 15 people and looks out over the valley. The day we visited, everybody was drinking, smoking joints, and having a blast as they lay about in the hammock.

The second swing is actually a swing as well! This hammock swings back and forth, which will surely leave you blissed out and in full relaxation mode.

However, the best hammock is one that not everybody finds. It’s only a ten-minute walk down the stairs into the jungle but it’s hidden well enough to keep it from the masses. We ventured down the stairs, not knowing what was there, hoping to find something amazing, and there it was a giant hammock, suspended above a small creek in the middle of the Minca jungle.

The net is like a giant spider’s web and we all hung out for almost an hour, staring up at the canopy and listening to the noises of the jungle.

Nearby the giant hammock was an adventure course. It seemed to be abandoned but we decided to give it a crack without the harness as there was no staff around and it didn’t look too insane. We wanted the view from up top so this was the only way to get it. Without any safety harness, we slowly made our way along the high-line course over 25-meters above the forest floor below. It was actually really hard to hold on to the wire and I don’t suggest this to anyone but we had a good old laugh doing this course.. for free.

WHERE IS THE GIANT HAMMOCK AND CASA ELEMENTO

Below I’ve included a map that has pinned Casa Elemento.

La Piedra is a gigantic natural rock formation in the middle of El Penol. It’s surrounded by lakes, which aren’t so natural. 40 years ago the Old Penol was flooded by an electric dam project that now supplies 30% of the electricity for Colombia and is also a stunning landscape in itself. The most unique feature about the rock is the staircase that is wedged, in the crack of the rock. It almost seems like stitching that is holding the rock together.

660 steps to the top and we were finally at the summit of a place I had been eyeing off for a while. I flew my drone out away from the rock and after a short flight realized I’d left my spare batteries in my luggage. It wouldn’t matter, as I shot the rock from ground-level on our last day in Guatape.

We were invited by Lake View Hostel to stay for a few nights and it turned out to be a great adventure base. They ran a ton of cool tours, which we made the most of.  There was a really laidback vibe at the hostel and we met quite a few cool characters. Speaking of cool characters, we had actually traveled up from Medellin with Steve Yalo, who we had met on the Hostelworld campaign. You can check out his Youtube here as he makes awesome vlogs throughout his travels in the same way I make blogs.

The first activity we had a crack at was mountain biking. We decided to venture out on our own after renting the bikes from the hostel. The girls at the hostel told us it will be a 27-kilometer ride to San Rafael and it’s mostly downhill so you will catch the bus back. Being stubborn as we are, Josh and I laughed at them and told them we’d ride back. They laughed at us and said no you won’t enjoy the bus ride back. They were wrong. We did ride back. They were also right because it was one of the hardest things I’ve done all year!

On the way to San Rafael, we went down some epic descents on the side of the mountain. It was super fun but we already knew we were screwed on the way back up. In San Rafael, we visited some cool water holes such as Las Tangas, where we hit the diving board and the rope swing before getting a Spanish lesson from some local kids. Josh was puzzled throughout the encounter and is still coming to terms with muy bien.

The ride back was shit. It was great but shit. It was one of those hills that never ended. Every meter we had whizzed down on the journey into San Rafael was now taking us a lifetime to power back up, or crawl back up may be a more accurate term. Josh and I love a challenge and we knew we could make it. The final as we cruised back into Guatape in the dark was pretty awesome and we were absolutely wrecked.

On our last day in Guatape, I headed out on a little solo mission and found a little-hidden viewpoint of El Penon. I shot with the drone and the 70-200 while chilling by myself on the river bank. It was really peaceful and fun to fully concentrate on my shots and the moving weather conditions. I really like the challenge in these type of places to look on Google, Internet, Social Media and try and finish my trip with what I consider the best photo ever of a rock, the waterfall, the beach. Of course, it doesn’t always come off but this is the kind of challenge that excites me to go and take a million photos of a big rock, to push myself to create the best image I can.

With just a few hours before we had to go and catch a flight, I headed off on another tour booked by the Lake View Hostel. This time I was on a little speed boat and we cruised around the lake. We headed to Pablo Escobar’s old private island and we were able to walk around and look at all the buildings, swimming pools, and even his soccer field. It was a great tour and one I’m stoked I got the opportunity to take part in.

I rushed off back to meet Josh and we boarded a flight to Cartagena after a few bus rides. A couple of chill days in Cartagena followed and now I’m writing this from Necocli. It’s a small town we will use as a base for one night before our sailing adventure to Panama begins in 24 hours!

So far my Spanish was slowly coming back to me from my college days, but the daily struggle to communicate was real. Unlike Southeast Asia, the burden is not shouldered by the locals to learn English, the tourists instead must quickly grasp the Spanish language to get by. It’s a necessary challenge I’m taking on with four months to come to Central America.

Medellin will always remain in my memory for its hills. On our first morning in Medellin, Josh and I went for a run and found ourselves charging up a hill that never ended. 506 meters of incline in 5 kilometers. Welcome to Medellin.

It seemed hard to avoid the hills and we managed to flatten out our runs throughout the week but the incline became a staple in our diet. It’s not the kind of meal you crave, but god damn it’s got to be good for you.

Our first outing in Medellin was up into the hills. We were paying a short visit to the Marina Orth School thanks to the Givingway. The Marina Orth Foundation and this school are important because they are going against the grain. I love people and organizations who go against the grain.

This school was the first-ever bi-lingual public school in Colombia. Each student uses a $100 personal educational computer loaded with games, English lessons, coding, programming and much more. The school is a model for education worldwide. It’s a place that thinks through everything that could benefit the students and then puts it in place rather than finding the most cost-efficient, easiest or mass consumable product.

The school welcomes highly-skilled English speaking volunteers to teach for six months or more, giving the students a global education and an eye-opening experience as they get to see first hand, many other cultures from around the world.

It was an awesome visit and a great initiative that is spreading throughout Colombia quickly.

The next day we ventured out to the infamous, Comuna 13, the place Pablo Escobar was killed. It was formerly one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Medellin and in Colombia. However, the last 15 years has seen a remarkable transformation. The community has become a place of expression rather than violence. Street art covers every inch of the walls, performers spread their positive vibes and vendors look to earn their living from the growing tourism interest. There just seems to be so many awesome things to do in Medellin.

I can tell you right now, after 30 odd countries, this is one of the most amazing communities in the world that I have ever seen. We had an intense game of futbol with the kids on the court at the bottom of the hill. The backdrop was just insane and so were a few of the nutmegs we send through the kids’ legs. The game on that court is one I will never forget. Thanks lads.

Selina Medellin Hostel was a great base for our adventures throughout Medellin. The hostel was huge and had a super cool bar area and even a really amazing co-work space where Josh and I got some solid work done in between adventures.

The neighborhood around Selina Medellin Hostel is kind of like the Canggu, Bali of Colombia. Every restaurant was super fancy and had a hipster vibe. If you wanted tacos you could have them in a cone, sushi or if you are like me just regular. Coffee shops and hangouts were around every corner and it was a great little spot, although not the authentic ‘Colombian’ style of food in most restaurants.

Josh and I spent the next few days in Medellin working out at the local gym, running and getting some serious work done on the computer at our Airbnb. The local gym was a premium outdoor facility with a bench press and lat-pulldown machine. Take not rest of world, this is how you build an outdoor gym. Not surprisingly it was immensely popular.

On a Friday night, after watching the Socceroos battle through an unlucky loss to France earlier in the morning, I joined in with a futbol game on the local court. It was a high-quality affair and the best hit out I’ve had in quite some time. Friday night lights. It felt good to be back.

I felt I had packed everything I needed for four months in South America. I felt prepared for new cultures, foods and situations. To be honest, I’ve never felt surer of myself and comfortable than boarding that plane.

35 hours later I still felt sure of myself but also a little tired, as I stepped onto Colombian soil. Double red-eye flights had taken their toll on me but I arrived to warm weather and sunny skies at 9 am in the morning. Santa Marta, a beach town in the north of Colombia, was welcoming me with one of it’s finest days.

As always before I had left, everyone who heard of my plans to travel to Colombia had given me the speech. Be careful of the drugs, the cocaine, the guns, the gangs, the people. After two years of traveling, I knew as well as ever that the world was a safe place where unlucky incidents happened from time to time. People have good hearts.

So far Colombia has been as expected. I’ve met a ton of awesome people and had countless strangers take the time along the way to continue to deepen my faith and belief that at the root of human nature we ARE ALL THE SAME.

I was sent over to Colombia for a campaign with HostelWorld, to experience two amazing locations from unique hostels. I brought Josh Lynott over for the trip so it was bound to be an adventure. Santa Marta for six days would be followed by 4 days in the famous, Medellin.

Santa Marta is a beach region and a base for multiple adventures such as Tayrona Natural Parque, the mountains of Minca and the Lost City of Cuidad trekking. It’s also a popular beach destination for Colombians.

We were staying in an ex-cartel mansion called Calle 11 Hostel. Boy did the place have some character. White walls, contrasted against the red brick roof and the azure blue of the pool. If walls could talk what a story these would tell. It’s not every day you stay in an accommodation that in history was part of the Escobar empire. We were essentially staying in a museum, disguised as a budget, beachside accommodation.

I immediately fell into a satisfying groove of an early morning breakfast, followed by a day of catching up on lots of blog posts from the Philippines, with sporadic pool breaks to slice up the time.

Josh and I explored the Santa Marta region, climbing the cliffs no one else seemed to be enjoying and swimming in Playa Blanca, the beach no one else seemed to dream of swimming in. It was a bizarre emptiness up in those cactus-laden mountains. The highlight of our adventures nearby the hostel was a 700m open water swim to an island, only to be rejected by the dissatisfied senor, who sent us back into the water to swim back to the mainland.

The other highlight of the week was our 16km run from Rodadero to Santa Marta and back. We jogged through some interesting streets and neighborhoods. Old women cheered us on, kids joked around and then we seemed to make it into a poorer area. A family motioned to us, making a gun signal with their hand telling us to put our phones away. I just smiled naively.

I’ve made a conscious decision not to live in fear of bad situations and instead run full throttle assuming life will reward you for your faith in people as a whole, as a community. In two years no-one has ever attempted anything untoward and whether I attribute it to this attitude or not I am unsure but one can only guess.

After several days of this relaxing rejuvenation, it was time to get out and explore beyond the Rodadero, Santa Marta region. Brock the hostel owner at Calle 11 Hostel was a wealth of knowledge and quickly became our go to for information in the area but also chats as fellow Aussies on the road do. He had recently purchased the hostel and was living full-time in Santa Marta, having previously hailed from Perth. His first suggestion was Tayrona Natural Parque.

Off we set the next morning to explore the Natural Parque. A few buses and a taxi had me brushing up on my Spanish muy rapido. Yea I still suck but my one year of studying Spanish has given me a nice little base to get my learning underway.

Tayrona Natural Parque was quite beautiful. We made the 1.5-hour trek through the jungle and then along the coast as did hundreds of tourists on a Sunday. It was quite busy but still magnificent nonetheless. Huge boulders are the recognizable feature that gives this coastline its uniquity.

We decided to climb a few of these boulders at Cabo beach and fly the drone, which resulted in a summon by the police and a full search for weed. Not sure how we got away with no fine but I’m sure I said ‘lo siento’ enough times to make them leave us alone.

Our second big adventure from Santa Marta and Calle 11 Hostel was into the mountains of Minca. I liked Tayrona Natural Parque but Minca was absolutely the best spot in the region from what we say.

A couple of buses took us up above the clouds into Minca and before we knew it we were on the back of a dirt bike, our lives in the hands of a young local as we sped around muddy corners, back tires spinning, laughter flowing.

Minca is the ultimate location to disconnect. Wifi is long-gone and all decks and balconies seem to point towards the mountains and far away horizons. It’s a true mountain escape.

We stopped off at Casa Elemento for lunch and to take a peek at their jungle hammock, a huge multi-person hammock suspended high above the jungle floor but hidden by the thick canopy. It was an epic place to hang out for the afternoon with other travelers.

Josh convinced me to do the high-line ‘Extreme’ adventure course without a harness, which was not our brightest idea but it got the heart pumping as we toed our way across the course, knowing full well a slip would result in a 20m fall.

After our adventure at Casa Elemento, we continued on to our home for the night, Casa Viajes.

Casa Viajes had a vibe to it. The bar and restaurant area were all on undercover decking, so the whole hostel hung out the entire time in the common areas, overlooking the mountains all the way down to Santa Marta.

The food was off the charts. We were in the middle of the jungle and eating fresh, nut-crusted tuna, granola bowls with tropical fruits and avocado, bacon and toast breakfasts. Casa Viajes and even Minca, in general, had brushes of Ubud struck throughout the region.

We enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of Minca but had to head off to catch a flight after staying up in the mountains for just one night. We were off to Medellin for our next week of adventures!

Cheers if you have been here since week 1. Welcome if you just joined the journey. It’s been 100 weeks of backpacking continuously and a little over 26 months of adventure travel blogging. It’s been a ride.