7–9 vacation days
Dec–Mar
South America
Why go
One of the warmest welcomes in Latin America — and incredible coffee.
Highlights
- ★Cartagena
- ★Medellín
- ★Coffee Triangle
On the ground
City-by-city — where I stayed, what I did, and the practical bits worth knowing.
Salento
Coffee country base — small, walkable, dog-friendly.
- Stay
Terrazas Salento
One of the most beautiful places I stayed. Easy walk to everything in town, friendly staff, and dogs.
- Do
Cocora Valley hike
5+ hours, 10+ miles. Take a Willys jeep out to the trailhead and ride one back when you're done.
- Eat
Donde Laurita
Go for the trout.
- Play
Tejo at Betatown
Best spot to learn the game. Stay for poker night if you want a livelier crowd.
- Getting out
Armenia airport
About an hour by taxi from Salento. Tiny — only two gates — so arriving 30 min before boarding is fine.
My itinerary & photos
The full day-by-day from my trip — including where I stayed, what I'd repeat, and what I'd cut — is being written up now. Photos and notes from the road are coming with it.