Wake for a before-hours private visit to the Antioquia Museum, housing one of the largest art collections of Fernando Botero. You'll be guided by the museum director, as you explore his iconic works. Meet a local personality and learn how Medellin overcame its dangerous history to become a model city and haven for American retirees. Following your meeting, you'll have time to wander around Plaza Botero, before moving on to Comuna 13, using the city's famous escalator system.
Meet your expert guide Chota, a young graffiti artist who was born and raised in the neighborhood, along with a survivor of Comuna 13 when it was at its most dangerous. Notorious for Pablo Escobar turning it into the crime capital of the world, discover more about the area's gruesome history and how it has reinvented itself into one of Medellín's coolest neighborhoods. Transfer to the city's Botanical Gardens, where you'll sit down for a scenic lunch. The rest of the day is yours at leisure. You Traveling Concierge will be on hand to give you advice on where to head. Dinner this evening is at the innovative and stylish Carmen restaurant, where traditional Colombian ingredients are thoughtfully curated. (B/L)
Wake early for your transfer to the airport, as you move on to your next destination, Cartagena. Once there, you'll be picked up directly from the airport and taken for motorcoach sightseeing. Travel to the pretty fisherman village of La Boquilla, outside of Cartagena. Enjoy a folkloric show based on local Afro-Colombian rhythms, before stepping onboard canoes to explore the mangroves and witness an artisanal fishing demonstration. Taste a traditional coconut drink before heading for lunch at Karibana Golf Club.
Transfer to your hotel, where you'll have superior rooms at the luxurious Sofitel Legend Santa Clara. Freshen up and enjoy some free time before a private guided visit to San Felipe Fortress, an impressive building constructed in the colonial era. Move on to a private guided visit to Las Bovedas and Convento de La Popa which is located at the top of Mount Popa. (B/L) Stay: Sofitel Legend Santa Clara, Cartagena (Superior Rooms).
Start your day with a guided walking tour of Old Cartagena, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. See its cobble-stoned streets and perfectly preserved 16th century colorful mansions. Visit the Inquisition Palace and the Church of San Pedro de Claver, before stopping at Plaza Bolivar and meeting with a palenquera fruit seller. Dressed in vibrant outfits, you'll find them expertly balancing bowls of fruit on their heads.
If you are traveling on a Chairman's Collection departure, meet the brother and nephew of Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez to learn about his life and literature. Your afternoon is at leisure. Choose between three restaurants all within walking distance from your hotel for a Your Choice Dining evening in Cartagena. Head to Alma for a romantic ambiance and an open-air courtyard, to la Vitrola for an upbeat 1950s-era Havana vibe with live music, or perhaps dress up for a swanky dinner at Maria, which is known for its expertly crafted cocktails and inventive seafood dishes. (B/DW)
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