20 Day El Dorado Guided Motorcycle Tour in Colombia: A Journey Full of Adventure

Overview

Hotel Refugio del Jaguar, Cra. 43B #10 - 41, El Poblado, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia

Highlights

• Starts and ends in Medélin
• Enjoy the impressive views of the mountain peaks in El Cocuy
• Get a total picture of the country
• Visit the archaeological finds at San Augustine
• Jungle, desert, Andes, and music everywhere
• Guide, support vehicle, and bike rental included
• 20 nights accommodation
• Airport transfers included

Itinerary

1. Day 1: Home - Medellin

   You will be picked up from the airport and taken to the hotel. There you will meet the tour guide.

2. Day 2: Medellin - Guatepe Lake (78 km / 48 mi)

   Because it takes some time to get used to the time and the temperature, you'll take it easy on this day. Take delivery of the bikes and drive quietly out of the city. Immediately, you'll enter the mountains and drive a short route to the Guatepe reservoir. You'll spend the night on the shore on the north side overlooking the lake.

3. Day 3: Guatepe - Berrio (213 km / 132 mi)

   Drive around the south side of the lake. This gives fantastic views over the hundreds of islands. Stop for coffee with a view of the village of Virgen del Carmen. Then, meander further through the lake area and drive on unpaved paths to the east. Spend the night just outside the villages of Berrio.

4. Day 4: Berrio - Zapatoca (243 km / 151 mi)

   You will now enter the valley between the two mountain ranges that run through the country from north to south. So, you'll descend, follow the main road through the valley, and then climb back into the mountains. The last part goes through a network of unpaved paths. You'll end in Zapatoca, a small typical Colombian mountain village with only one or two guesthouses.

5. Day 5: Zapatoca - Dutama (217 km / 135 mi)

   On this day, you'll ride one of the most fantastic routes through the mountains. During the first few hours, you will still be meandering on the asphalt. After the early lunch or coffee in San Gil, the route will be unpaved, and you'll climb to more than 4,000 meters. We pass Indian villages that live in tree houses and brave a river crossing several times. Dutama is a small town with a few basic hotels.

6. Day 6: Dutama - Villa de Leyva (100 km / 62 mi)

   After yesterday's beautiful ride, it will be a quiet day. It will just be under 100 kilometers through rolling hills. For the rest of the day, you can visit the beautiful traditional town of Villa de Leyva, the large square, and the small streets, all in white. Maybe there will be a performance on the square.

7. Day 7: Villa de Leyva - Bogota (180 km / 112 mi); Day 8: Bogotá - Stay

   You can also drive around Villa de Leyva. But then, you'll be so close that you might as well pay a visit to the capital. You will stay there for two nights. You can use the day to take a bike ride through the old quarters. The city has had a bad name for a long time, but things have gotten better there. There is a nice market, terraces, and shopping centers.

8. Day 9: Bogotá - Espinal (150 km / 93 mi)

   You will avoid the main road out of the city, driving on narrower roads through the mountains to the southeast. Drive along some unpaved paths to the small town of Espinal. This is located in the lowlands between the two mountain ranges.

9. Day 10: Espinal - Tatacoa (166 km / 103 mi)

   You'll stay in the lowlands, and via a route on mainly narrower roads, drive into the desert area of Colombia. This one is called the Tatacoa Desert. It's not like the Sahara, but it's dry, warm, sandy, and there are huge cacti. The area is known for its clear starry skies. You'll stay in a camp in the desert.

10. Day 11: Tatacoa - La Plata (182 km / 113 mi)

    Drive a short distance through the desert, and then arrive at the river. You will have to wait for the canoe boats that can take you to the other side. Then, get on the main road to the south. After a lunch stop in Neiva, drive via back roads towards the Embasle Betainia, a beautiful, large natural lake. You will drive along the north coast and stop for coffee or lunch in Yaguare, the village on the shore. Then, drive further through the agricultural fields and arrive in the small village of La Plata. You will try to stay at the beautiful hotel with a view over the valley.

11. Day 12: La Plata - San Augustin (146 km / 91 mi)

    Again, go on a nice shortcut route to San Augustin. Follow narrow paths in front of the fields and over the hills. Near San Augustin are the archaeological finds of the same name. Large statues that resemble the Mayan gods can be found there in the park. You will spend the night just outside the village in a beautiful location.

12. Day 13: San Augustin - Popayan (130 km / 81 mi); Day 14: Popayan - Stay

    In the morning, you will visit the archaeological park if you didn't do this the day before. Then, you'll drive quietly on a beautiful route to Popayan and enter the mountains again. Popayan is a colonial village that is definitely worth a day trip. There are beautiful Spanish buildings, churches, and a beautiful square. In the narrow streets with white houses, you can imagine yourself back in time.

13. Day 15: Popayan - Palmira (205 km / 127 mi)

    It will be a long day today. Because you'll want to avoid the main road, take shortcuts on mostly gravel roads. You won't spend the night in Palmira itself, but a little further at a national park. You will have a nice view over the Nirvana National Park.

14. Day 16: Palmira - Armenia (257 km / 160 mi)

    In addition to Armenia, there are also places in this region with the names Albania, Montenegro, and perhaps more southern European countries. On this day, you will meander through the mountains with beautiful views while you end up at an altitude of over 3,500 meters. Then, follow a descent and arrive in the small village of Armenia.

15. Day 17: Armenia - Jardin (195 km / 121 mi)

    Take a beautiful route through the coffee plantations through the heart of the country. The last part just before Jardin is especially beautiful.

16. Day 18: Jardin - Medellin (150 km / 93 mi)

    Have a nice final ride with the highlight being a ride over the railway bridge or the railway tunnel for those who dare. You'll have plenty of time, so you might want to drive up and down a few times. Then, you'll come back to the city of Medellin.

17. Day 19: Medellin - Stay

    In the end, you will have a day of accommodation to get to know the city better and relax for a while before flying back home.

18. Day 20: Medellin - Departure

    In the morning, you will be taken to the airport.

19. Day 1: Home - Bogotá

    You will get a transfer from the airport to Bogotá, where you will stay at a centrally located hotel. Bogotá is 2,640 meters in altitude.

20. Day 2: Bogotá - Stay

    You can walk to visit the beautiful old historic center, La Candelaria, but Motor Trails recommends to take an organized bicycle ride (optional). This way, you will see many different areas and you will get a good impression of the city. It's a fun alternate tour off the beaten track and not a heavy cycling despite the mountainous surroundings.

21. Day 3: Bogotá - Santa Marta

    For 1.5 hours, you will fly to Santa Marta, where the temperatures are significantly higher than in Bogota, so get your slippers ready.

22. Day 4: Santa Marta - Stay

    On this day, you can relax or make an optional day trip to the famous National Park, Tayrona. From Santa Marta, you will get a transfer to the entrance of the park. You can walk through the jungle with beautiful views of several bays. Take swimwear with you because you can relax on one of the many beaches that you will pass. You will return on a speedboat to Taganga, which is close to Santa Marta. Finally, you will get a transfer back to your hotel in Santa Marta, then meet the rest of the group in Medellin.

Ride Details

Terrain

Half paved, half unpaved paths

Bike

Rental bike (Honda XR150cc motorcycles; upgrade to Honda XRE300cc is possible)

Mileage

2,612 kilometers / 1,623 miles

Daily rides

78 - 257 kilometers / 48 - 160 miles

Riding gear

Not included, but mandatory: Helmet, motorcycle clothing with protection, good quality gloves, high boots or sturdy shoes, and goggles

Meals

Breakfast included most of the time

Accommodation

Your overnight stays will be in middle-class hotels. These are usually reasonable hotels in Colombia with a private bathroom and toilet. Since temperatures can rise, there is not always hot water present. The hotel in Pueblo Bello is simple, and in Juan de Acosta, the eco-hostel has three spacious rooms with mezzanines, but the location and ambiance there are unique.

Food

Most breakfasts are included in the price.

Getting There

This trip gives you a total picture of the country of Colombia, we drive through the beautiful high mountains, the clear lakes, and the dry desert. In addition, we visit the archaeological finds at San Augustine. Finally, of course, we also briefly experience the relatively busy city of Bogota. Together with the Tatacoa desert, the high mountains, and the green lowlands, this trip gives you a beau