Colombia Colombia’s heartland

  • Villa de Leyva
  • NEPTUNO ©
  • NEPTUNO ©
0 1 2

Dotted across the River Magdalena and its surrounding mountain ranges are the sleepy colonial towns of Villa de Leyva, Honda, Barichara and Mompós.

Overview

Dissected by voluminous rivers carving valleys through rugged Andean ranges to marshy outlets to the Caribbean Sea, Colombia’s interior has always presented challenges to the traveller. River craft routes have now in many places been superseded by road and air networks, but both along the banks of the River Magdalena and along the mountain roads towards the Venezuelan border are a string of long forgotten colonial towns of great architectural beauty and a lazy lifestyle. Some of these, such as Villa de Leyva, Honda, Barichara and the river port of Mompós have become popular weekend spots.

THE UK’S NO. 1 SPECIALIST IN TRAVEL TO LATIN AMERICA

What our clients say Contact Us

Holidays Colombia’s heartland

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Guatape, Colombia

Group - Classic

Colombia

Chachalaca: Colombia’s Colonial and Coffee Culture

14 days from £4,370pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Llanos

Private Journeys

Colombia

Off The Beaten Track Colombia: Colonial towns to the Llanos

13 days from £4,950pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

White car parked on a road in Colombia

Private Journeys

Colombia

Self-drive Colombia: Exploring the coffee region and beyond

12 days from £2,700pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Cocora Valley

Group - Discovery

Colombia

Weaverbird: Spirit of Colombia

16 days from £3,102pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Things to do

We proudly offer the widest range of activities, excursions and one-of-a-kind experiences across all our destinations, tried and tested personally by our travel experts.

Accommodation

Browse our unrivalled portfolio of accommodation . Every option has been carefully chosen by our team of travel experts, so you can rest assured that you’ll relax in utter comfort.

Casa Amarilla
Casa Belle Epoque
Posada de San Antonio
La Nube Posada

Where to go when - our guide to Colombia’s heartland

Cocuy Colombia

The weather in Colombia’s heartland is wide and varied

Dotted across the River Magdalena and its surrounding mountain ranges are the colonial towns of Villa de Leyva, Honda, Barichara and Mompós. While these are tranquil, sleepy towns during the week, they tend to be busier on the weekends. Villa de Leyva and Barichara remain in the 20s°C year round, with most rain falling in Apr - May and again between October - November. July is a good time to visit Villa de Leyva to catch the Virgen de Carmen celebrations, a popular religious festival with live folk music. While it can feel fairly humid and hot throughout the year, the best time to Mompós is April- June. It is best to avoid October - November as the town is prone to flooding during these months. During Semana Santa (Easter week) the quaint cobbled streets come alive with grand processions and parades.

View our Colombia’s heartland weather guide

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

0 1 2 3 4 5