Blending subtropical glamour with captivating cosmopolitan scene, featuring the best of Miami and the most exotic Caribbean cities of Colombia.
In the calm of dawn, we call on Santa Marta, rippling with life against the peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains where the air sparkles like diamonds onto the city’s vibrant street life, organic coffee farms, a UNESCO biosphere, and ruins of the Lost City that are older than Peru’s Machu Picchu. Mysticism and realism turn your wanderlust into wandermust in Cartagena de India. Here, the city tells a story that few others can, beginning with Spanish colonisation, repeated attacks by the (original) pirates of the Caribbean, revolution, and the final resting place of world-acclaimed Nobel Peace writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez (considered the best Spanish writer since Cervantes). An overnight aboard EXPLORA I allows time to explore Cartagena’s UNESCO fortified old city, where an exuberance for life overflows in a maze of cobbled streets dripping with bougainvillea and history.
Welcome to Miami and the sweep of South Beach - backdrop to every iconic Miami movie, and forefront of Latin American culture. Stroll through pastel-hued geometric buildings in the art deco district, to graffiti mural masterpieces at Wynwood Walls. Watch Latino life unfold in Little Havana - the heartbeat of this great city - where walk-up windows sell café cortadito, sweet sugarcane juice, hatuey beer and guava ice-cream. Watch passionate locals discuss politics, play dominoes and smoke cigars. Shimmy at a salsa class, shop designer boutiques and race marlin and sharks by speedboat. Then slow your pace to uncover rare and endangered species at the Everglades National Park outdoor oasis. You’ll find the Miami dream is real – and it’s not just Cuban heels that will give you a spring in your step.
Day 3Grand Turk Island
Take your time, for happy hour is infinite here. Embrace the radiant warmth as you absorb the island’s history within sparkling turquoise seas that join sapphire skies. Discover the iconic salt flats, visit old-world villages, taste conch and look out from the lighthouse. Snorkel and dive through calm crystal-clear waters and revel at a rum punch party aboard a catamaran. Or perhaps you’d prefer a little snooze beneath some bougainvillea shade – a compliment to the slower, more measured pace of life.
Day 5Santa Marta
The sign says you can have it all in Santa Marta. Blending a thriving Caribbean trade with bountiful countryside, history and culture, Colombia really does offer a great deal. Drift into the depths of the Colombian countryside where organic coffee farms and Minca, the bohemian mountainous haven sit beneath the Sierra Nevada peaks. Roam around town for museums, Bolivar’s Park, colourful markets and partake in a Colombian cooking class. Speed into lagoons to visit a village built on stilts, and roam further afield to Bogota. Unfurl true paradise at the Lost City, Tayrona National Park and Caoba tropical bio-reserve.Colombia’s raw regional beauty will leave you longing for more.
Day 6Cartagena
Sparkle in this jewel of the Caribbean; the cultured and very colourful Cartagena. Saunter or ride by Segway through a maze of cobbled streets for historic architecture, bougainvillea-dripping plazas, old churches and chic eateries where you’ll discover a blend of Caribbean cool and Colombian sophistication. Learn new cooking techniques with a personal chef, birdwatch at the National Aviary, visit botanical gardens, take a cycle tour or head to Turbaco. Roam offshore to Islas Del Rosario for magnificent beaches and snorkelling through colourful coral reefs. And as the sun sets over the ancient city walls, prepare for an intoxicating nightlife scene - in no time you’ll be sipping moreish mojitos, nodding to reggaeton and - once really in the spirit - gyrating to the salsa.
Day 7Cartagena
Sparkle in this jewel of the Caribbean; the cultured and very colourful Cartagena. Saunter or ride by Segway through a maze of cobbled streets for historic architecture, bougainvillea-dripping plazas, old churches and chic eateries where you’ll discover a blend of Caribbean cool and Colombian sophistication. Learn new cooking techniques with a personal chef, birdwatch at the National Aviary, visit botanical gardens, take a cycle tour or head to Turbaco. Roam offshore to Islas Del Rosario for magnificent beaches and snorkelling through colourful coral reefs. And as the sun sets over the ancient city walls, prepare for an intoxicating nightlife scene - in no time you’ll be sipping moreish mojitos, nodding to reggaeton and - once really in the spirit - gyrating to the salsa.
The Magical Realism of Miami, Santa Marta and Cartagena Itinerary
