From the north to the south of Lima the landscape changes from high altitude mountains to desert landscape that is accompanied by the Pacific. There's small town called Paracas which is a popular spot to stop for a few nights. It was good to be back in to some warmth and less altitude and we didn't think about coming here until a couple we had met in the Galapagos were staying here and we thought that it would be a good opportunity to catchup with them and see what all the fuss was about. Paracas has some cool things to see and do. One trip everyone does is to take a boat to visit Los Ballestas islands (or poor mans Galapagos) which consists of thousands of birds including nazca boobies, comorants and terns and it also ... read more

After leaving our favourite place in Colombia, Capurgana, and leaving a sad Paco behind, we had to push on and continue our travels along the north coast, besides there was still lots to look forward to. Yes, we're going back in to the past for a moment to when we left Capurgana and took a boat and bus to get to a place called Tolu. We came here to base ourselves for a day trip to the San Bernardo islands which consists of several islands bathing in the warm waters of the Caribbean. We took a boat to the island of Murcura, latching on to a group who were doing a day tour from Cartagena. We had several hours on the small island and somehow found ourselves soaking up the sun on a quiet stretch (besides ... read more

Once again, Colombia delivers! The diversity of this country is amazing and in the department of La Guajira you'll find a desert landscape that meets the Caribbean Sea. It is also the most northern point of South America. We highly recommend doing a tour here if time permits. A three day, two night tour is a great time to see all of the highlights in the comfort of an air conditioned 4WD. The best place to start the tour was from Riohacha. If we had started it from Santa Marta we would have had to add an extra 4-5 hours of driving and the price is a lot more. There were plenty of agencies offering the tour in Riohacha and we chose Alta Guajira Tours as they looked the most professional. All the tours do the ... read more

The landscape around Piedra de Peñol is one of the best views in Colombia! followed up by the colours of Guatape make this spot an absolute must to visit. Most people probably know about these two places and it was easily accessible for a day trip from Medellin. Hostels in Medellin offer day trip tours to here but we decided to take the local bus from the north bus terminal. It took just under two hours to get to the rock, Piedra de Peñol. Climb the 650 steps and we were rewarded with absolutely incredible views. It would be wise to do it in the morning and not on a weekend as the top of the rock only offers a certain amount of space, not ideal for those who like their instagram poses without people in ... read more

The Valle de Cocora, with its 60 meter high wax palm trees towering above you backed by green countryside and jungles. It's definitely a place to visit and that's why most people do! Salento is the place to base yourself for the Valle. Its a small town with colourful buildings and a place to slow down and relax...if you have the time! The colours are great and create a joyful and friendly atmosphere to the town. There are plenty of hostels and restaurants in Salento, just make sure when you visit that you check when the national holidays are. We happened to visit at the same time as the Colombian Independence Holiday and almost couldn't get any accommodation. It also meant that visiting the palm trees was more noiser and busier than we would have liked. ... read more