Day 1 (January 5): Full day of travel from Rochester to Medellín
Overnight on the plane.
Day 2 (January 6): Arrival in Medellín in the afternoon
- Meet our local guides from Kagumu Adventures!
- Check in to accommodation at a hotel in the vibrant area of Laureles
- Students introduced to the goals of the program and to Medellín
- Enjoy a typical dinner in Medellín followed by an exhibition and tasting session of Colombia's wild array of exotic fruits.
Overnight stay in our hotel at Laureles.
Day 3 (January 7): Explore Colombia's turbulent past
- Start the day off by visiting Cafe Urbania to learn about the entire coffee-making process and explore how they developed to become a B Corporation by supporting families affected by the refugee crisis and helping preserve native forests around Colombia.
- Walking tour and visit to the Memory Museum. Students will learn about the turbulent ancient and modern history of the city and how it has reinvented itself to the pioneering forefront of global innovation and sustainability.
- Enjoy a traditional lunch emblematic of the region of Antioquia.
- Head up Medellín's cable car, learning first-hand about the positive and negative impacts of a mass transit system that has earned the city international acclaim and awards for innovation.
- Enjoy a home-cooked dinner in the center of Medellín
Overnight stay in our hotel at Laureles.
Day 4 (January 8): Mural workshops and salsa class
- Nowhere embodies Medellín's remarkable transformation quite like Comuna 3. This area now displays stunning graffiti telling stories of sadness, violence, and hope for the future.
- Enjoy a traditional Colombian lunch in Comuna 3.
- Time to get creative as we join together with local artists from a pioneering community project to create our own pieces of art that reflect our feelings and changes in perception of the area of Comuna 3.
- Now it's time to take the dance floor for a salsa class with our local partner foundation.
- Dine in the city's finest B Corporation. A restaurant that only employs female heads of households and serves up delicious food while supporting families who have converted from producing illicit crops to cacao farming.
Overnight stay in our hotel in Laureles.
Day 5 (January 9): Organic farming and cooking challenge
- Visit an organic farm in the town of El Carmen. Prepare to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty as we help Don Carlos on his farm and learn how to make cream cheese from scratch.
- Enjoy lunch at the farm's family run vegetarian restaurant
- Explore the beautiful town of El Carmen, famous for its beautifully crafted ceramic products.
- Engage in a sustainable cooking challenge in the afternoon and cook our own homemade meal with the products from Don Carlos's shop.
Overnight stay in our hotel in Laureles.
Day 6 (January 10): Urban Gardening and Composting
- Join other young people to work on a local service project in the city. Under the guidance of the garden's founder, you will help plant, clean the area and make signs for this urban garden that has been created to foster pride in the community as well as produce delicious fruit and vegetables.
- Enjoy a typical Antioquia lunch close to the garden
- In order to reduce food waste, it is essential that we learn how to compost. Learn from the organization about indispensable techniques to create your own compost back home or at school.
- Enjoy some structured free time before an evening meal in Poblado
Overnight stay in our hotel in Laureles.
Day 7 (January 11): Guatapé cultural immersion challenge
- After breakfast, we will begin our journey to the beautiful town of Guatapé!
- Enjoy a typical Antioquia lunch in Guatapé
- Climb what is an otherworldly rock, eventually reaching the top which offers stunning views of the surrounding lake.
- In Guatapé, one of Colombia's most colorful towns, students will test their teamwork skills with a specially-designed challenge that will enable them to interact with locals, bringing them closer to local traditions.
- Continue our journey to Río Claro Natural Reserve where we will enjoy dinner upon arrival.
Overnight in Río Claro Natural Reserve at the eco hotel.
Day 8 (January 12): Rafting underneath marble caves & jungle walk
- Discover how this stunning natural reserve, shrouded in jungle and teeming with wildlife, was discovered by a local man while he followed a jaguar. On this jungle adventure, you will discover a whole new world of flora and fauna and walk along the crystal-clear river from which the area gets its famous name!
- Enjoy a typical Colombian lunch at Río Claro
- After lunch, you will raft down a beautiful 5 mile stretch of crystal clear river, passing under barely-believable marble caves and getting time to bathe in the clear waters.
- Participate in an engaging workshop to explore the importance of preserving natural reserves like this and look at threats to their existence.
- Enjoy a buffet dinner in the main restaurant at the eco hotel.
Overnight in Río Claro's eco hotel.
Day 9 (January 13): Zip lining and trip to the Caribbean coast.
- After breakfast, students feel what it is like to zip through the Andean forest canopy on a thrilling zip lining activity.
- Catch a short in-country flight up to Santa Marta on the Caribbean cost.
- Dine at a restaurant close to the airport where students will be able to buy locally-made food and treats.
- Once we have checked into the hotel, students will enjoy some free time to explore the bustling historical center of Santa Marta. Take in the street performances and live music while walking along the newly-built malecon (boardwalk).
- Enjoy your first meal in Santa Marta's historical center.
Overnight at a lovely hotel close to Parque de los Novios in Santa Marta.
Day 10 (January 14): Cultural immersion and indigenous bag weaving
- Explore the origins of Colombia's oldest city on this interactive walking tour with our local guide. You will explore the Spanish colonial architecture and discover the legacy of Liberator Simon Bolivar and the more modern impact of literary greats such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
- Enjoy a typical lunch from the Caribbean coast.
- Learn about the origins of the four native communities still living in La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and take part in a unique weaving workshop with our partners in the Arhuaco community. You will discover how the Wirakoku Foundation is working to preserve Arhuaco culture by teaching children and empowering 60 native women to showcase their culture through their sacred bag weaving.
- Dine in a restaurant serving organic produce from the area.
- Engage in a reflection session shared with the local native Arhuaco community.
Overnight in a hotel close to Parque de los Novios.
Day 11 (January 15): Protecting marine life & discovering dangers of micro plastics
- Learn the importance of protecting marine life and explore a beautiful Caribbean beach on foot. We join a local foundation working to clear Santa Marta's beaches of plastic waste and help protect marine animals.
- Enjoy a lunch with locally-sourced produce.
- Snorkel in a safe and secure cove to explore the underwater world of fish and coral.
- Learn from industry experts how to identify products with micro-plastics before we help clean up the beach from plastic materials that have flown down from as far as North America. Enjoy some free time on the beach afterwards and a final dip in the Caribbean Sea.
- Head back to the hotel in the late afternoon to rest before our evening meal.
Overnight in a hotel close to Parque de los Novios.
Day 12 (January 16): Santa Marta to Cartagena
- Take in the unique surroundings on this 5-hour private bus journey to Cartagena.
- Upon arrival in Cartagena, you will enjoy a typical lunch local to the region.
- Led by a local guide, explore Cartagena's UNESCO-listed old town, discovering its formation after the Spanish conquest and passing through its modern-day influences. You will also witness the impact of mass tourism and the consequences of gentrification in the street-art emblazoned area of Getsemani.
- Enjoy your evening meal in the vibrant area of Getsemani.
Overnight in a hotel within the walled city of Cartagena.
Day 13 (January 17): Social drumming workshop & mangrove conservation
- Dance to the Caribbean rhythms of cumbia and explore the origins of champeta by joining our partners in the Batambora school in the fishing village of La Boquilla. Here, locals are resisting the expansion of uncontrolled tourism by teaching local children and visitors about the Afro-Caribbean culture and even have a unique way of constructing their own drums!
- Enjoy a fish lunch next to the Caribbean Sea.
- Explore one of the most productive ecosystems on earth by journeying around mangroves in a canoe. You will discover the impact conserving mangroves have on fighting climate change and get a first-hand look at how regeneration and planting efforts are helping to preserve the mangroves here in La Boquilla.
- Tonight you will indulge in delicious ceviche served to your liking.
Overnight in a hotel within the walled city of Cartagena.
Day 14 (January 18): Explore Cartagena's history & sunset kayaking
- Enjoy a visit to San Felipe castle, said to have been one of the most impregnable fortresses in the Americas, with a local guide.
- Enjoy a menu of the day close to the fort.
- We end this journey with an incredible kayaking experience while watching the sun set over the Caribbean coastline.
- We close the program with a final dinner and a final group reflection.
Overnight in a hotel within the walled city of Cartagena.
Day 15 (January 19): Departure back to Rochester
- Spend the time we have before leaving for the airport to visit nearby shops to purchase hand-made souvenirs.
- Afternoon departure back to Rochester. Flight will arrive late the night of January 19 or early morning on January 20 depending on final flight route.