The following advice is based upon by
extensive knowledge of travel destinations in Colombia, where I live,
plus the fact that I very recently took a honeymoon myself (not in
Colombia though!) and as such have plenty of advice about what makes
for the perfect honeymoon! My advice is to not opt for the exciting,
action packed holiday of a lifetime to Colombia - instead go to
romantic places where it is easy to relax and unwind!
Weddings take an enormous amount of planning
– come your honeymoon, all you will want to do is C.H.I.L.L , and spend
some quality time with your new spouse. Colombia has some wonderful
destinations for a truly memorable honeymoon - here’s some suggestions
for a great romantic break.
Must
Visits on Colombia Honeymoons
Cartagena
- is probably the most beautiful colonial
city on the continent.
Cartagena is a romantic place to stroll the streets whilst admiring the
architecture
and taking in an ambience which can feel centuries old.
The city is a great place for candle-lit meals out in old plazas where
traditional musicians will inevitably try to serenade your table.
Taking a ride on a horse drawn cart is a fine (if not somewhat clichéd)
way to explore the old town. It gets very, very hot during the
afternoon – make sure you opt for a hotel (in the old town) with a
swimming pool to where you can escape from the heat in the afternoons.
My personal favourite in Cartagena (I’ve looked around most of the top
hotels in the old town) is the very fine Cartagena de Indias hotel. 3 or 4
nights is a good amount of time to spend in Cartagena. Just don’t visit
the beaches – all the beaches in or anywhere near Cartagena are
over-crowded and with murky water and are full of very pushy beach
hawkers. So visit for the old town, not the beaches!
Providencia
– this is the Caribbean
island
to get away from it all whilst on honeymoon in Colombia. It’s laid
back, sleepy and peaceful even by Caribbean standards! Providencia is a
volcanic island with rainforested peaks, near-deserted beaches
and
crystalline
waters. Most people haven’t even heard of the island, so
it
receives few visitors and is an authentic place to really relax and
unwind. The warm Caribbean waters are super calm and super clear –
snorkelling is great, and the Western hemisphere’s second largest
barrier reef is just offshore (great for scuba diving). My
recommended
place to stay is the new luxury hotel Deep Blue, whose
infinity edged
plunge pools have views to die for. Providencia is a long way from the
mainland (two flights), but just about everyone agrees it’s worth the
effort to
reach this charming paradise! If you’ve come this far, stay at least 4
nights.
Other
options for Colombia Honeymoons
By no means are the two suggested
destinations above the only places worth visiting in Colombia when on
honeymoon. You might also consider any of the following destinations
for a romantic break:
Coffee
Country - if you would like to see
more of the mainland, Colombia’s coffee country is one of the most
scenic and authentic parts to visit. There’s gentle hiking
opportunities, scenic
countryside and coffee farms and haciendas that
can be visited. I have yet to discover a top quality hotel I can
recommend though….
Park
Tayrona - some of Colombia’s most
beautiful
beaches are found in this National Park. The experience is
a
mix of jungle, beautiful coastal scenery and very scenic beaches. The
only drawback is that the sea is almost always very rough, with strong
currents and is very dangerous to swim in. So don’t expect to be
cuddling your spouse whilst frolicking in the Caribbean sea – go in
past your knees and your honeymoon being your last ever holiday! Having
said this, it’s still very much worth visiting Park Tayrona for its
scenery. Accommodation options are restricted to sleeping in a hammock
or the very nice Eco
Habs hotel.
Amazon
- if you want to include a little
adventure on your honeymoon to Colombia, I feel that the place to do so
is the Amazon region around Leticia. You can go on jungle treks,
piranha fishing and caiman watching (catching!) trips. With luck you’ll
spot some interesting wildlife
– monkeys, dolphins, parrots etc. The
Amazon isn’t for everyone though – during the day you’ll get dirty,
wet, sweaty and bitten by mosquitoes. But at the end of the day, a
shower and fresh set of clothes followed by a beer, on the veranda,
whilst you listen to the sounds of the jungle with your new spouse can
be a romantic and very special experience. The place I would recommend
to stay at would be the Heliconia
Lodge – a slightly rustic but a very
comfortable place to stay in a remote part of the Amazon.
These are the destinations I’d personally
recommend for
a honeymoon in Colombia. I’m not saying there is nowhere else of
interest in the country – there are a huge number of other interesting
places to visit. I just don’t think they are suitable for honeymoons.
They are either not relaxing enough destinations (Santa Marta, San
Andres, plus all other cities), or too adventurous and potentially
uncomfortable (eg; La Guajira), or they don’t have accommodation of
high enough standard for a honeymoon (much of Southern Colombia).
