I Spent Two Weeks Eating My Way Through Colombia

Here’s what I found

In the last fifteen years, Colombia has transformed from a country struggling with drug-fuelled violence to an increasingly popular tourist destination. It is also home to 10% of the world’s biodiversity, a welcoming population and some lovely fresh produce. I was fortunate enough to be able to visit for a friend’s wedding and explore some of it myself. If, like me, you’re a foodie and wondering what to expect if you travel there yourself, this might help.

Cartagena

If you’re looking for picturesque, Instagram-friendly streets, Cartagena is a good bet — though if you visit during the dry season (December-January and July-August in Cartagena) make sure you’re dressed for the heat. The Walled City is particularly popular with tourists — you might also want to try a nearby street food tour.

We stayed at Casa Pestagua for two days. It’s centrally located near the Santo Domingo Plaza. It was spacious, comfortable and was transformed into a beautiful venue for our friend’s wedding. If you’re in the area, it’s worth visiting Epoca Espresso Bar for great drinks (both coffee and cocktails) and fresh, tasty food. Afterwards you can stop by Gelateria Tramonti for some ice cream and linger in the suspensefully named Coffee and… to check out gifts you can take by home and even sample them yourself (the crunchy cocoa beans should be on your list).

As another lunch option, try the Covarachia soup at the popular Crepes and Waffles chain — the combination of fresh ingredients that are characteristic of Colombian food (tomato, corn, plantain and avocado) is delicious. The chicken crepe was a little disappointing as it was a bit soupy and bland, but the sweet crepes at this restaurant look delicious.

Another restaurant we tried was Alma — good ambience for a date night, delicious and well-presented starters, slightly disappointing mains. For a more casual dinner, spend some time at El Baron, an open air cafe/bar that will allow you to savour the ambience of San Pedro Claver square. Their delicious Rôti Chicken sandwich includes candied bacon and grilled jalapenos. Need I say more?

Guatapé

An extremely colourful town, Guatapé is a lovely place to walk around. We also found some food gems. The Folklore restaurant boasts (rightfully) of its award-winning burger. You might also enjoy ‘patacones’, made with plantain and topped with guacamole, beans and cheese.

For dinner, you might want to try Vecchio Forno, on the same street as Folklore. Don’t be deceived by the easy to miss wooden door and subtle sign. It serves tasty pizzas, though be prepared for a long wait and a dearth of tomato sauce on your pizza.

While in Guatapé, if heights don’t bother you, visiting and climbing the Peñón (a huge rock formation) allows you to capture a view of the city and surrounding areas. You can grab some ice cream and fresh mango slices at the top too.

Guatapé was home to one of my favourite hotels in Colombia, Sotavento Cabanas. If you’re looking for a peaceful cabin from which you can enjoy a beautiful view of a lake as well as lounge in a hot tub, look no further.

Medellin

In Medellin, we had the chance to participate in a walking tour of Comuna 13, which used to be one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Medellin. Our tour guide, Jason, who has lived in the area from the time he was thirteen himself, painted a picture of just how violent the situation was before he arrived. He explained that it was dominated by opposing drug gangs and showed us the area public executions. In his Spanish-American accent, he told us stories of how people lacked basic amenities and policemen refused to enter the area. He held up his iPad, allowing us to watch scenes of Operation Orion in which the military attempted to overthrow the drug cartels — think three days of open shooting in a city amidst civilians trying in vain to live normal lives.

The tale of Comuna 13 is one that instills hope. Jason explained that the resilience and determination of the neighbourhood’s residents, coupled with hip-hop music and grafitti giving young people a fresh outlet to express themselves have transformed the area. If you walk (or rather climb through the many steps) of Comuna 13 today, you’ll see streets buzzing with vendors and enormous, colourful murals that tell the neighbourhood’s story. Most importantly, as Jason keeps telling us, this is now a safe (and quite happy) place.

On another day, we were lucky enough to be shown around the Junin area of Medellin by our friend, a local. We started our afternoon at their legendary chocolate, Astor, shop only to find that it is somewhat overhyped (though their Sacher cake is worth a try).

This was followed by a very hearty typical Colombian lunch of Bandeja Paisa at the popular restaurant Hacienda, after waiting in a queue for about 30 minutes. Be warned, Bandeja Paisa is a very filling combination of beans, rice, beef, pork, plantain, avocado, eggs and arepa, so only go for this if you’re wearing loose clothing and are unlikely to eat for a few hours afterwards! We shared one Bandeja between two of us (our friend opted for the vegan version) and were still unable to do full justice to it.

We also managed to get a reservation at the popular Alambique, which we very nearly missed as we arrive a bit late and found it hard to locate the place. If you visit, look for a small white sign next to the Arepas Rellenas restaurant opposite Parque el Poblado. While the decor, lively ambience and live music were a highlight, we found it had been a bit overhyped. The tomato soup served with a creamy green dip was tasty, but the chicken salad and stuffed vegetarian puffs we ordered were average.

San Andres

If you love a good beach holiday, San Andres is the place for you. We stayed at a pleasant hotel with a extensive garden called Miraflores Boutique — the only issue we experienced was a scarcity of hot water in the shower — we just let the hotel staff know every time we wanted to shower and they would take care of it. Notably, the bathroom in our cabin like room also was designed in a way that means it has no door — worth noting if you’re going with someone for the first time and would rather they didn’t hear you on the toilet.

We visited West View, near our hotel, where we took a dip in the azure sea and enjoyed the San Andres Sun with a drink. We got through the centre of town quite quickly, doing a little bit of shopping, stopping at Pizzeta Florio for a decent pizza, some pasta and some creamy tiramisu. We were planning to visit the neighbouring island of Johnny Cay but were told it was ‘closed for cleaning’.

In San Andres you can also rent a golf cart to drive around the island, snorkel and parasail — we chose to relax on the beach with a drink, which is also a good option. I’d suggest caution with the alcoholic drinks from vendors on the beach, however — the daiquiri I had was exceptionally strong.

Bogota

We arrived at Bogota on the 31st of December. It was cold, grey and wet, a sharp contrast form the sunny skies we had seen for most of our trip. Nevertheless, the welcome we received at The W hotel we received was warm and very friendly. They also gave us a box enclosing a little doll and some paper so we could take part in the Colombian New Year tradition that involves burning off things from the old year to bring in the new.

After checking into the hotel, we decide to wander around a crafts market next to the Hacienda Santa Barbara, a shopping centre right by the hotel. Next we settle down for a coffee at Juan Valdez Cafe, a popular Colombian coffee chain we have visited before on our travels. I had previously enjoyed their frozen coffee (a great sweet treat). This time we opt for two cappuccinos, one with marshmallows soaked in it and one with small coffee-flavoured meringues. The coffee-flavoured meringues turn out to be a delicious find and they can be bought in convenient small packets, making them a great gift for coffee lovers back home.

Feeling satisfied, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for The W’s special New Year’s celebration, featuring unlimited food and cocktails. We were presented with an very impressive array of food, from colourful fresh salads and ceviche to Mexican street food, sushi and turkey. The dessert table also looked wonderfully inviting. We did find, however, that the food looked better than it tasted. We spent the rest of our night dancing to Colombian music and ringing in the New Year with the other guests.

During our visit, we were able to explore only a part of this friendly and diverse country — there’s more to see for those who love nature and adventure (such as scuba diving and paragliding). My main thought as I headed back home was whether I’d be able to recreate the Folklore burger — my mouth still waters at the thought of the deliciously juicy patty covered in passionfruit sauce.