Our new 8-Day Medellín Multisport with Cartagena tour explores the very best of Medellín and the surrounding natural areas. Experience the best of the Antioquia department while biking along varied ecosystems, rafting on isolated rivers, hiking through nature reserves, and exploring world heritage neighborhoods. Your comfort and safety are guaranteed with high-end dual suspension mountain bikes and rafting equipment. Certified adventure guides lead the way, so relax and enjoy the very best of Antioquia! We finish the trip with 2 nights in Cartagena, a leading city of Latin America and a colonial masterpiece!
Day 1: Arrive Medellín, transfer, and overnight
Arrive Medellín international airport – anytime is OK – where you are met and transferred to your hotel for your first overnight in Medellín.
Day 2: Discover Medellín on a guided tour, plus Arvi Nature Reserve
Medellín
Known for its wonderful year round weather, Medellín is one of the most prosperous, scenic, and upbeat metropolitan cities in South America. It is no wonder they call it “The City of Eternal Spring.” The civic architecture connects the main city attractions, with walking pathways and a great metro system.We will start with a tour of the Fernando Botero Plaza, where we learn about Colombia’s most renowned artist.
We will explore the Antioquia Museum and the Botanical Garden, which is a worthwhile wildlife refuge and nature research center. From the Gardens, we will ride the metro and cable car all the way up to the ARVI Park. ARVI is the city’s most important park, home to hundreds of hectares of native forest. The cable car ride offers impressive views of the city and the forest canopy below. In the park, you can hike along incredible scenic trails, visit a lake, and search for local birdlife. We will take the aerial car back to Medellín in the afternoon.
Day 3: Bike to Guatape, hike up Peñol Rock
We will drive to the lush valleys, towering mountains, and serene lakes west of Medellín. We will set up our bikes and begin the ride with a four-kilometer warm-up ascent. You will pass beautiful farmland and enjoy views of the colonial town of Granada.
El Peñol
At the ridge, we will begin a 14-kilometer downhill ride through sections of the endemic cloud forest. As we approach Guatape, you will enjoy the scenic reservoir with fiord-like inlets that create hundreds of recreational areas along the shore. Look out for your first views of the famous Peñol Rock, standing tall at 200 meters.
Upon arrival in Guatape, we will explore the quaint town center and enjoy its colorful buildings and street decorations. After a typical Antioquia lunch, we will climb the 642 stairs to the top of Peñol Rock, with sweeping views of the reservoir. We will return to Medellín in the afternoon.
Day 4: Rafting the Rio Buey
Río Buey
The Rio Buey is the best single day rafting trip in the Medellín region. The river is very scenic and mostly isolated, surrounded by cloud forest and remote farmland. We will drive along the Cauca River Valley, a fertile area dotted with small traditional towns, to reach the shores of the Buey River where we will set up our boats. After a safety talk, you will hit the waters of the Buey for a thrilling 5-hour voyage. Expert guides will interpret the surrounding ecosystem along the way. Your run concludes at a magnificent canyon and forest area where local birds and wildlife are abundant. This scenic class III-IV river takes us for 27 kilometers of exhilarating river time. We will return to Medellín in the late afternoon.
Day 5: Downhill biking through cloud forest to a colonial town (Sante Fe)
We will drive north from Medellín through a scenic region lined with green pastures and dotted by beautiful haciendas. We will reach a ridge at 2,700 meters (8,500 ft.) and personalize your dual suspension bike to fit your riding style and experience.
Santa Fé de Antioquia
Begin your descent along a highland paramo ecosystem with endemic flora and fauna, including bright purple flowers and unique birds. The narrow single lane road feels ethereal, twisting and turning with seemingly no end. You will peddle through a lush cloud forest with open views to the Cauca River valley and test yourself on brief, exhilarating ascents. The Cauca is Colombia’s second most important river, flowing from the mountains all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. The environment changes into tropical lowlands at the end of the ride, and the landscapes overflow with bananas, mangos, coffee, cacao, and yucca plantations. Advanced riders can opt for more technical single trails, meeting up with the group at a crossroads. Your ride will end in the small village of Cordova, where we will load up our bikes and continue to nearby Santa Fe de Antioquia. Santa Fe is a world heritage site, packed with historic intrigue, plazas, churches, and beautiful colonial architecture. After a short village tour, we will return to Medellín.
Day 6: Transfer, depart for Cartagena
After breakfast, we will transfer you to the airport, where you will catch your flight to Cartagena (flights not included). On arrival in Cartagena, you will enter the easy multi-lingual taxi kiosk and take a cheap taxi to your hotel tonight. Be sure to enjoy a wander in the evening as musicians and dancers emerge for dazzling performances in the plazas.
Cartagena at Night
Day 7: Free day in beautiful Cartagena
Cartagena
You will have a free day in beautiful colonial Cartagena.
Day 8: Depart Cartagena
After breakfast, you will depart Cartagena.