Tales from Colombia
Besides their eye for quality – in art, gastronomy and culture – Galavanta are genuine trailblazers. Cristina and Alexis were the first to really look beyond Colombia’s traditional destinations while helping suppliers develop the infrastructure to attract high-end clients.
Their support of local communities and conservation efforts is something to behold, too. I caught up with Cristina recently and she told me about a new itinerary that’s really tying all of this together.
“There are five main geographic regions in Colombia,” says Cristina. “The Caribbean coast, Pacific Coast, Andes Mountains, Wetland Savannahs and the Amazon Rainforest. Each region has a totally unique ecosystem and culture.”
Galavanta’s latest offering does them all in one trip. You begin in the capital Bogotá and then travel to the five regions aboard your own private charter, a comfortable King Air 300 with space for six.
The first stop is in the Amazon and to Caño Cristales, Colombia’s ‘liquid rainbow’ river. From July to December, the plankton puts on a dazzling display of colours. There’s nothing like it on Earth.
It’s a few nights exploring the rainforest before flying to Los Llanos, a vastly different grassland plain, just east of the Andes. Guests will stay at Savannah Lodge, which has its own landing strip. The must-try activity is horseback riding with real-deal Llaneros.
Next, it’s the Andes and the cobbled streets and colonial architecture of Barichara. “There’s no better place to immerse yourself in the Andean way of life,” says Cristina. You have to visit Café Alfania, an organic family-owned coffee hacienda.
Of course, there are mountains in every direction for world-class biking and hiking, not to mention white-water rafting and a mega zipline over Chicamocha, the second-largest canyon in the world.
The ultimate stop, though, is Bahia Solano on the ultra-biodiverse Pacific Coast. Here you can stay at Galavanta’s new six-room lodge, which sits on its own 200m private beach. It’s a rustic affair, but you’ll have a private chef and an English-speaking host. Electricity, hot showers and Starlink internet are small luxuries in this remote location.
Top of the USPs, though, is a 38ft fishing yacht, the only one of its kind in the region. Trips hosted by the country’s most talented fisherman are as good as it gets. Maybe that’s because this is one of the few places on Earth where you can do a grand slam.
That means catching black or blue marlin, yellow-fin tuna and mahi mahi – in one day. If you prefer watching to fishing, there are humpback whales, whale sharks and sea turtles to marvel at from July to September.
Things finish with a soft landing in Cartagena. Here it’s history, architecture and Colombia’s best restaurants. But also the chance to visit a private nature reserve to see endangered cotton-top tamarin monkeys.
It’s this final activity that gives you an idea of what Galavanta are doing in the background. “You have to have a positive impact so that everyone in the value chain is benefitting,” says Cristina. It’s no surprise they’re becoming B Corp and that all their trips are carbon offset with certified local reforestation and conservation projects.