If you want to explore the rural heartland of the country at your own pace, having a vehicle is the best way to go.
The rewards are worth the minor hassles, even though driving here is not without challenges.
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The distance from Bogot to Bucaramanga is 437 km.
Some of the best preserved colonial architecture in the country can be found in the sleepy towns of Boyac and Santander.
The first stop after leaving Bogot is the Villa de Leyva with its cobblestone streets, whitewashed mansions and immense plaza.
You can take the back road from Villa to visit the mystical lakes and mist-covered moors of the Santuario de flora y fauna Iguaque, birthplace of Muisca goddess Bachué, and then take Highway 62 north to reach Barichara.
A short drive down the scenic road into the river canyon will lead you to the old-school museum run by the church that showcases intricate indigenous crafts, as well as curious fossils found in the surrounding area. Hormigas culonas or big-bottomed ants are a favorite snack in both towns, and they are famous for their cuisine.
The highway goes through the magnificent Chicamocha Canyon before coming to a modern city called Bucaramanga.
Due to their proximity to Bogot, many towns get crowded with day-trippers on Saturdays and Sundays, so try to visit during the week for a more tranquil experience.
Starts and ends in Medelln in 5 days.
Coffee plantations that cling impossibly to the steep terrain, to colorful traditional towns, thermal springs and pristine nature reserves are some of the highlights of the Eje Cafetero.
The town of Jardn is located on the southwest side of Highway 60 and is home to a large neo-Gothic church. If you want to get to the university city of Manizales, you have to take the dirt road up into the moors south of town.
After visiting a nearby coffee farm or one of the city's cloud-forest reserves, you can take a thermal bath in the nearby El Ruiz volcano. The town of Salento is located at the gateway to the Cocora Valley and has imposing wax palms.
The glaciers and mountain lakes can be seen from Salento. While in town sign up for a bean-to-cup coffee tour to find out how to brew the perfect cup before crossing the valley to the hilltop Filandia.
You can check out the howler monkeys, butterflies, and rich birdlife at the Rio Barbas canyon before going back to Medelln via Highway 20.
If you don't see anything on display, you can buy bags of single-origin coffee directly from the farms. Pre-ground packages don't travel as well as whole beans.
Santa Marta–Cabo de la Vela is a one week road trip.
From the jungle-covered mountains of the Sierra Nevada to the arid sands of the Guajira Peninsula, you can see the country's incredible cultural and natural diversity.
The small mountain hamlet of Minca is the first port of call from Santa Marta. You can enjoy a drink by the river while looking at the birdlife in the cloud forest.
You can jump onto the Transversal del Caribe highway if you want to go to the most beautiful nature reserve in the country. There are boulder-strewn white-sand beaches with jungle-covered bluffs behind the peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
The bohemian beach town of Palomino is located in the southern part of the park and is where a river runs from the mountains above.
After Palomino, the Sierra Nevada fades in the mirror and the landscapes transition from rich greens to the earth tones of Riohacha. The Guajira capital is a great place to buy Wayu crafts from the artisans.
You can get an early start to beat the heat on the road north into the Alta Guajira by taking the sand track that leads through the desert to Cabo de La Vela, where warm Caribbean waters are just steps from charming indigenous-owned guesthouses. It is a good idea to get a Wayu guide in the town of Uribia before going to the desert because there are no tracks and cellular phone coverage is spotty.
There is no commerce in the Alta Guajira so make sure to bring plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen.
The distance from Cali to Buenaventura is 120 miles.
This short and easy trip follows one of only two roads that leads to the Colombian Pacific, rising up and over the Western Cordillera mountains to the thick jungles of the coastal plain and the wildlife-filled waters just offshore.
After visiting the bustling city of Cali, you can take a boat tour of the nearby Lago Calima.
If you want to take a ride through the jungle on a homemade rail cart, you need to leave the car at the hamlet of Cordob. The last leg of the journey is a short drive downhill from where boat tours depart for the lost-world panorama of Baha Malaga and further out to sea to see nursing whales.
Humpback whales arrive in the warm waters around June but peak in August and October. It's easier for small groups of travelers to join a boat tour during peak times.
Starts and ends in Popayn, a distance of 800 km.
Some of the country's most important cultural sights, which can be visited on an adventurous loop through breathtaking countryside, can be found in the remote mountains of theColombian Massif.
There are whitewashed colonial mansions in the city of Popayn. You can see the moon-like landscape of the sulfur-spewing active craters if you drive up into the mountains.
Tierradentro is a collection of underground tombs spread over the peaks above the tiny hamlet of San Andres de Pisimbal.
The Desierto de la Tatacoa, a micro-desert complete with towering cacti, is a short drive from Neiva.
San Agustn is located in the upper reaches of the Magdalena and is home to enormous stone statues that were left behind by a long- lost civilization. Driving south on highway 45 will take you just a couple of hours to reach the crash site in the Amazon basin.
There are two ways to get from Mocoa. One of the most exciting roads in the country is Highway 10, also known as the Trampoline of Death, and it is possible for experienced drivers to return up into the mountains to Pasto. The Pan-American highway goes through beautiful mountain peaks to Popayn.
It is possible to take a drive back to Popayn through the moors of the south of the park and stop at the Coconuco hot springs.
It's a good idea to leave the car and hire horses to visit some of the outlying archaeological sites in San Agustn.
About 13 hours ago, this article was updated.
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