- 2016-11-04 - Day 54 - Barichara, CO to Villa de Leyva, CO (198 km - 3:40 hrs)
- 2016-11-05 - Day 55 - Villa de Leyva, CO to Medellín, CO (419 km - 8:40 hrs)
- 2016-11-06 - Day 56 - Medellín, CO
- 2016-11-07 - Day 57 - Medellín, CO to Jardin, CO (129 km - 3:00 hrs)
- 2016-11-08 - Day 58 - Jardin, CO to Salento, CO (188 km - 4:00 hrs)
- 2016-11-09 - Day 59 - Salento, CO
- 2016-11-10 - Day 60 - Salento, CO to Cali, CO (292 km - 7:40 hrs)
- 2016-11-11 - Day 61 - Cali, CO
- 2016-11-12 - Day 62 - Cali, CO to Popayan, CO (143 km - 2:30 hrs)
In Barichara, we were lucky enough to have a small hostel all to ourselves and took the opportunity to go to bed early to rest well for the next day’s ride to Villa de Leyva. Although it is also perched in the mountains, it belongs to a different range, and we had to climb and descend several times before reaching it.
It ultimately took us nearly three hours to ride a superb road, almost always surrounded by beautiful mountains. Unfortunately, the presence of heavy trucks made the ride a bit unpleasant, not to mention the diesel smell that eventually becomes quite irritating.
The last portion of the route took us onto a more rural and truly beautiful road.
The arrival in the village is absolutely spectacular, with its all-white houses, cobblestone streets, and mountains surrounding everything.
We headed straight to the hotel because, despite their beauty, the streets are a real challenge on a big motorcycle. The hand-laid stones are far from uniform and at low speed, it’s more La Gorda deciding where she goes than the rider!
The town is simply stunning. Nestled between a series of lush green peaks, its large central square is impressive and delightful. There are also many restaurants and hotels for every budget.
The Crossing to Medellín #
Our plan was to reach Medellín the following day to spend one last evening with my contact from AVDRider.com. We left this beautiful little village with some regret. We hit the road very early on November 5th for the longest riding day of the trip: 8 hours for only 400 km. The reason: the mountains!
We chose Route 60, scenic but isolated, with dirt sections and major construction zones.
It turned out to be an absolutely incredible adventure riding day! We crossed high-altitude passes of extraordinary beauty, isolated villages, animals of all kinds, and finally arrived in the huge city of Medellín.
Unfortunately, the show was somewhat spoiled by a massive storm as we entered the city. Besides the sky literally falling on our heads, we had to deal with hundreds of bold (read: crazy) drivers on small, agile motorcycles who followed us and passed far too close for comfort, despite the storm.
We also had to contend with flooding, as the rainfall was far too heavy for the drainage system. Riding through a big puddle isn’t so bad, even if it’s deep. The problem is when you cross it alongside dozens of cars and trucks that don’t slow down at all. The splashes are so strong they go right over the motorcycle! Not fun…
Traffic was extremely dense, and I had to change lanes multiple times to reach my destination. The whole challenge was avoiding countless near-collisions with vehicles coming at us from every possible angle!
We finally arrived at our destination at the same time as my friend, also completely soaked, but wearing a broad smile of satisfaction despite the long riding day.
After a good hot shower, we headed to the El Poblado district for a nice meal and a short walk around. Since it was Saturday night, the place was buzzing and packed with young people enjoying the many bars in the area!
Sunday was dedicated to rest and celebrating my girlfriend’s birthday.
Jardin: A Step Back in Time #
We left Medellín on Monday, November 7th toward Jardin. Since it was a holiday, getting out of the big city was relatively easy. Once in the mountains, traffic became dense again. Only after two hours of spirited riding could we finally relax a bit, without aggressive drivers tailgating us or having to overtake heavy trucks crawling along these hilly roads.
We arrived in a village straight out of another century! Houses are painted in bright colors and several horses wander near the lively main square. Since we hadn’t booked a hotel, we started looking around and, of course, heavy rain began to fall!
After a few curses and several attempts, we found a small, almost empty hotel right next to the central square for $15 per person. We had a large room with three beds (very useful for drying our gear), but no parking.
After scouting the area, I decided to leave the bike on the street, near the door and directly under our room’s window, with the alarm activated and the cover on. In this kind of village, honestly, it didn’t worry me too much.
[…]
Colombia Summary #
I really enjoyed Colombia for its impressive lush nature, picturesque landscapes, mountains, and the kindness of its people. Many consider it a motorcycle paradise. That is not my opinion.
Take those same people and give them a steering wheel or motorcycle handlebars, and they become completely crazy and downright dangerous! Unfortunately, riding here is neither easy nor pleasant on many of the major roads I traveled and in cities, big and small. Since my trip is a road trip, it’s hard not to take that into account.
There were some small isolated roads that were incredibly beautiful and a joy to ride, but most of the time I was stressed by the countless motorcycles, cars, and trucks I had to share the road with—and fight not to crash into (especially the motorcycles!). Traffic density is much higher than what I experienced in Mexico and Central America.
My next visit to the country will be by plane and bus. I’ll be able to better enjoy the scenery and relax a bit more!
There was also the rain that spoiled the party somewhat… But that’s part of motorcycle travel, and I’ll have to get used to it—even if it’s not always easy!!!
- Favorite place: Villa de Leyva
- Disappointment: The Armenia region
- Most welcoming town: Villa de Leyva
- Best atmosphere: Cartagena
- Where I’d spend a full winter month: Cartagena Old Town
- Where I wouldn’t return: Armenia
- Biggest surprise: Heavy traffic density on all roads and the number of large trucks, even on Sundays
- Most beautiful road: Route 60 between Villa de Leyva and Medellín
- Ugliest road: Route 80 between Cartagena and Mompos
- If I had to do it again: A few more days in Villa de Leyva and a slightly different itinerary to visit Bogotá
- Next time: Travel during the dry season instead of the rainy season
- What I missed the most: Mexico, for its quiet roads!
Number of days: 16
Distance traveled: 2300 km