301 REDIRECT Colombia with Bird Rock Coffee

Coffee and travel: together at last! Today we arrive in Bogota, Colombia’s capital city, a seductive mix of pre-colonial history and architectural modernity. This is Colombia’s beating heart, cradled by towering Andean peaks at 8,600 feet above sea level, where winding calles radiate past Spanish-influenced plazas and must-see museums, into countryside stacked with pastel buildings.

No matter what time your flight arrives, we’ve organized private transfers from Bogota’s airport to our hotel in the colorful Quinto Camacho neighborhood. Settle in and explore the local bars, boutiques and restaurants. We’ll meet up in the morning, ready for our adventure ahead! Vámanos!

Get ready for a day of amazing art and local flavors. First, we head to the historic city center, La Candelaria, lined with colorful buildings and cobblestone streets. We’ll stop in the Botero Museum to see the works of Colombia’s most famous artist, sculptor and painter Fernando Botero who was so influential, he had a style named after him: “Boterismo.” Then we rise above the city to the beloved mountain top beacon, Monteserate Sanctuary. Built in the 17th century, this catholic shrine is an architectural marvel that provides stellar views of the city below.

For a little palate cleanser, we wander the aisles of the Paloquemao Markets to taste the eye-poppingly delicious fruit Colombia is known for. Be sure to grab a few alluring fresh local breads like almojabanas (cheese and corn bread), buñuelos (crispy fritters), and pan de bono (cheese buns). Our stomachs full, we meet with a local street artist who will guide us through Colombia’s cherished graffiti scene. Over dinner at a nearby restaurant tonight, we’ll celebrate our new art and history knowledge Colombian style!

Get your mugs ready—it’s coffee time. Today we say goodbye to Bogota and make our way east to La Palma y El Tucan, an incredible hub of coffee adventure. Set in the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes, this experiential farm will give us the inside look at one of Colombia’s main exports. We’ll get a guided tour by the owner, who supplies Jeff and Maritza with some of their best Colombian flavors. It’ll be an educational excursion of coffee in its element that ends in our own professional cupping experience.

Once we’ve tasted it, we’ll get to see how it’s made. First we get a lesson in coffee cherry picking through the farm’s cultivars, followed by a one-on-one class with a professional barista. We’ll learn some new things to apply to our morning coffee rituals back home. Dinner is prepared by La Palma y El Tucan’s onsite chef. We’ll dine looking out at the sprawling acreage before retiring to our private cabins set right among the foliage. This is coffee paradise.

Goodbye, magical coffee farm, we’ll never forget you! This morning, we head to the airport in Bogota and fly to Colombia’s Coffee Triangle. This region in the Andean rainforest is known for producing the majority of Colombia’s coffee—and some of the best in the world.

We land in Armenia, one of the Triangle’s main city centers, and transfer to Hacienda Bambusa, our home for the rest of the trip. Here, we’ll enjoy a locally sourced lunch prepared by the onsite chef. Afterwards, we’ll hit the trail for an easy hike around the Hacienda’s incredible property. We’ll see why the gorgeous main building looks like it’s part of the landscape as we make our way through the verdant trail and towering bamboo forest. Spend the rest of the evening relaxing around our Colombian oasis, poolside or on the deck gazing across the mountainside.

It’ll be hard to pry ourselves away from the Hacienda, but coffee travel must continue! We’ll head off the beaten path to visit two coffee farms. First up, Don Leo’s. We’ll saddle up in some classic Jeeps for a true off-road experience—plus, it’s the only way to get here! Don Leo himself will walk us through his farm and teach us about the art of growing coffee and how to pick the perfect coffee cherry. The bean is what’s inside the bright red cherry, so it takes skill to be able to source just the right ones. We see the next part of the process at Doña Nubia’s farm. Here, we get a look at the drying and roasting process that brings out the flavors and uniqueness of the coffee. Finally, we visit a local co-op to learn about coffee going from bean to cup. It’s the full coffee 360 experience all in one day! 

This afternoon, we’ll play a game of Tejo, a native aboriginal game and Colombia’s national sport. Think horseshoes meets skeeball, but more fun, and with one or two cervezas. We celebrate this evening back at the Hacienda with another delicious dinner.

This morning, we get in a little more relaxation at the Hacienda. After breakfast, either kick back or take a short hot-air balloon ride for a bird’s-eye view of where we’ve been traveling. Back on the ground, we’ll journey to the Cocora Valley, known for its lush landscape and iconic Quindío wax palm trees. These tall and skinny trees pepper the landscape, some at 200 feet tall, earning their status as Colombia’s national symbol. We’ll take a short hike through the valley and drive to a private nature reserve for lunch prepared by our Hacienda chef. 

On our way back, we’ll stop in the small mountain town of Salento, an artisan community known for colorful architecture and laid-back vibes. It’s the gateway to the Cocora Valley, nestled on the plateau above the valley’s river. The town serves as a peaceful escape from bustling Bogota, and a place to soak in tranquil vibes. After, we head back to the Hacienda for our farewell dinner, an authentic Colombian barbecue featuring an array of fresh local picadas (small, delicious bites) and a medley of flavors. Plus, a toast to our incredible Colombian journey.

Our time in Colombia comes to an end. We traveled and tasted our way through forests and coffee farms, Andean villages and the high-altitude capital. After breakfast, we can soak in that fresh greenery one last time, then transfer to the airport for departures. Adios, Colombia!