Magellan Motorcycle Tours

Andes and Caribbean Grand Tour

Colombia

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Andes and Caribbean Grand Tour

Colombia

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A full Colombia loop from Medellín, from Andean mountain roads to the Caribbean coast and coffee country.

Find out more about the Magellan team.

This route was built to show you the full range of Colombia on two wheels. You start and finish in Medellín, riding a full loop that links together Andean mountain roads, the Caribbean coast, colonial towns frozen in time, coffee country scenery and vast river valleys. It’s mostly tarmac, with mixed surfaces and a few short gravel sections, the kind of roads that take you beyond the obvious and into the places you’d never find if you stuck to the main highways.

Self Guided Tour
17 Days
1700 miles
Medellín, COLOMBIA
HIRE BIKE AVAILABLE
ON / OFF ROAD

BEST TIME TO GO

Dec - Mar, Jul - Aug

Medellín is where it all begins and ends, and it’s a cracking place to start. Give yourself time to settle in, explore the city, and ease into Colombia before you point the front wheel north. Comuna 13 is the famous one, but Medellín’s best bits are often the simple ones: great coffee, warm evenings, and that springtime feel the city is known for.

When you head out of town, the route points towards the Caribbean and the scenery starts changing quickly. The landscape gradually shifts from green valleys into tropical lowlands as you make your way towards the Caribbean coast. Arboletes is your first taste of Caribbean Colombia, palm trees, sea air, and black volcanic sands.

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Talk to us about Colombia

🇬🇧 +442039621162 9am - 5pm GMT, M - F
🇺🇸 +1 206-558-0990 5am - 12pm EST, M - F

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Andes peaks to Caribbean sunsets

From there, you stay coastal for a while, riding past fishing villages and bright boats pulled up on the sand as you make your way to Rincón del Mar. It’s a quiet, unpolished sort of place, perfect for slowing the pace. There’s a full day here with no riding, so you can do exactly what you want with it: beach time, a boat trip into the mangroves, or, if conditions are right, the bioluminescent waters at night.

Cartagena is next, and it could hardly feel more different. It’s colourful, historic and full of atmosphere, with the old town and Getsemaní made for an evening wander. After that, the loop turns inland across the Magdalena plains to Mompox, a riverside town where the pace drops and the streets feel like they’ve barely changed in generations.

As the route continues, the riding builds towards Santander and the mountains, with a proper highlight on the way: the iconic Zapatoca road, carved along the cliffs of the Chicamocha Canyon, with viewpoints that demand a stop. It’s a proper riding day, dramatic views, serious curves, and the sort of scenery that makes you stop just to take it in. That leads you to Barichara, a whitewashed colonial town that’s one of the prettiest overnight stops of the whole loop, with a day built in so you can explore properly. Walk the Camino Real to Guane, book a rafting trip if you fancy it, or simply take the day as a breather.

From here the route drops down into warmer country again and you get a different side of Colombia: plains, river corridors and rural towns, including an overnight at a countryside hacienda and a stop in Honda, a historic port town on the Magdalena River.

Then the climb returns. You head back into the Andes and into coffee country, where the air cools and the views stretch out across hillsides of green. The route takes you past Nevado del Ruiz, an active volcano towering over the Coffee Triangle, before running on through the coffee region towards Jardín, a classic Colombian town that’s a great place to spend an evening. If you want to see coffee culture up close, this is the part of the trip where it fits naturally.

The final stretch keeps the variety coming. You ride through coffee mountain roads and Andean villages, finishing at Cerro Tusa Springs beneath the silhouette of the world’s tallest natural pyramid, with hot pools waiting at the end of the day. Then it’s a final run back into Medellín to close the loop where you began.

Tour highlights

Medellín at the start of the route, with time to explore the city properly before the riding begins.

The first big shift in scenery as you ride north towards the Caribbean and finish the day in Arboletes by the sea.

Rincón del Mar, a quiet coastal stop with a full day off the bike to enjoy the Caribbean at your own pace.

Cartagena, with time to get lost in the UNESCO listed old town and the streets of Getsemaní.

Mompox, a UNESCO listed town where the pace slows and the evenings are made for wandering.

The Zapatoca road and the cliffs of the Chicamocha Canyon, one of the standout riding stretches of the loop.

Barichara with an explore day, including the option of walking the Camino Real to Guane.

Nevado del Ruiz, an active volcano towering over the Coffee Triangle on the run into the coffee region.

Cerro Tusa Springs, finishing beneath the world’s tallest natural pyramid with hot pools at the end of the day.

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Tour Map / Itinerary

Full Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival Day

Arrive in Medellín and get settled.

Day 2 Explore Day

Explore Medellín, with time to visit Comuna 13 and see the city’s street art and transformation story.

Day 3 283 Miles

Ride out towards the Caribbean coast, finishing in Arboletes.

Day 4 137 Miles

Coastal riding through fishing villages to Rincón del Mar.

Day 5 Explore Day

A full day off the bike to enjoy the Caribbean at your own pace.

Day 6 93 Miles

Ride the coast to Cartagena with time to explore the old town and Getsemaní.

Day 7 186 Miles

Head inland across the Magdalena plains to Mompox.

Day 8 217 Miles

A day spent heading south to Girón, near Bucaramanga.

Day 9 81 Miles

The Zapatoca road and Chicamocha Canyon viewpoints on the way to Barichara (short gravel sections).

Day 10 Explore Day

Explore Barichara and the surrounding area at your own pace.

Day 11 143 Miles

Descend into warmer country to Sabana de Torres and a countryside hacienda.

Day 12 211 Miles

Long scenic ride to Honda, a historic colonial port town.

Day 13 93 Miles

Climb back into the Andes towards Manizales and the coffee region.

Day 14 132 Miles

Ride into Jardín and enjoy an evening in one of Colombia’s classic coffee towns.

Day 15 51 Miles

Coffee mountain roads to Cerro Tusa Springs, beneath the world’s tallest natural pyramid.

Day 16 43 Miles

Final ride back into Medellín.

Day 17 Departure Day

Fly home from Medellín.

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What's included

Motorcycle insurance and breakdown cover is included.

16 nights’ accommodation in high-quality hotels.

Excellent breakfasts each morning in the hotels.

Full use of all hotels’ leisure facilities.

Detailed route plans and maps.

GPS routes (Garmin/TomTom).

Detailed daily itinerary including sights and suggested coffee / lunch stops.

What's not

Fuel.

Toll charges.

Admission charges.

Occasional hotel parking charges.

Meals and drinks other than specified above.

Travel and medical insurance.

Flights

Common questions about this trip

Where should I fly into and out of?

The tour starts and finishes in Medellín. The best place to fly into and out of is Rionegro Airport.

What sort of riding is this tour?

It’s predominantly paved (around 90%), with mixed surfaces and some short gravel sections.

How does a self guided tour work with Magellan?

We plan the route and day-by-day flow, book the accommodation, and provide the route pack and GPS routes so you can ride the trip at your own pace.

Do I need a sat nav?

We provide GPS routes, and most riders use either a sat nav unit they bring along or a phone app setup they’re comfortable with that runs GPX files.

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More information

For general information on planning and preparing for motorcycle trips including what to pack please see our Prepare for your trip section.

More Information

Magellan Hub

Want to ask one of the team a question, or a get a previous tourer’s take on a trip?

Visit the rider group

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Bike Option	Single Rider Price (Total for 1 rider, 1 bike)	Rider & Passenger (Total for 2 riders, 1 bike)	Two Bikes, Shared Room (Total for 2 riders, 2 bikes)
Own Bike	£7695	£11190	£12190
BMW R1250GS	£10695	£14190	£18190
Ducati Multistrada V2	£10695	£14190	£18190
Ducati DesertX	£10695	£14190	£18190
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Andes and Caribbean Grand Tour

Colombia

Andes and Caribbean Grand Tour

Colombia

Tour highlights

Tour Map / Itinerary

Full Itinerary

Full Pricing

Common questions about this trip

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