Colombia: Coffee & Caribbean, 11 days

Met at El Dorado, transfer to La Candelaria (our preferred boutique hotel is a 1920s townhouse three streets from the Botero museum).

Old-town walking tour with a historian in the morning, then the Gold Museum (go early, before groups). Lunch at Prudencia. Afternoon free.

Sunday flea market at Usaquén, one of the city's most pleasant neighborhoods. Afternoon at three galleries with an art-scene curator.

Short flight to Armenia, 90-minute drive to Salento through the coffee-belt hills. Afternoon settle in.

The wax-palm valley is the iconic Colombia image. A moderate hike (3-5 hours depending on appetite), lunch back at the lodge, an easy evening.

A full day with a third-generation coffee producer: harvest, process, cup. Lunch at the farm. You leave with an understanding of what separates a well-processed coffee from a commodity one.

Flight to the Caribbean coast. Afternoon settle in to the old walled city. Evening dinner on a rooftop as the heat breaks.

Private sunrise walking tour of the walled city (this is the one morning where early is worth it). Afternoon in Getsemaní with its street-art scene. Cooking class with a local chef.

A private boat day to the Rosario archipelago. Swim, snorkel, lunch at a private-island restaurant. Return by late afternoon.

Intentionally unscheduled. Palenque day trip (ancestrally African village outside Cartagena) or rest by the pool. Farewell dinner.

Private transfer to Cartagena airport for your onward flight.