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Home > The great treasure of Tayrona in Colombia

                     The great treasure of Tayrona in Colombia                      

Before the trip, the children will receive a letter from the curator of the Gold Museum of Bogota. He is calling out to collect all the pre-Columbian tribes´ treasures of Colombia to bring them to the museum so that everyone can admire them. Too old, he cannot endure a long journey to find the great treasure of Tayrona, owned by a tribe still existing nowadays: the Kogui Indians, descendants of the Tayrona civilization. The Kogui are ready to give one of the key pieces of their civilization to the museum, on the sole condition that the persons will have to find all the clues to reach them. The curator had chosen the children to help him out find the treasure. They will receive a first totem by mail, accompanied by air tickets to Colombia. They will have to look for this mysterious curator in Bogota and show him the totem as a sign of recognition. The secret operation can then begin…

Map

Itinerary

  • Day 1: Bogota
  • Day 2: Bogota
  • Day 3: Bogota - Armenia - Salento - Armenia - Salento - Pereira
  • Day 4: Pereira - Quimbaya - Armenia - Pereira
  • Day 5: Pereira - Salento - Cocora Valley - Salento - Pereira
  • Day 6: Pereira - Bogota - Cartagena de Indias
  • Day 7: Cartagena de Indias
  • Day 8: Cartagena de Indias - Rosario Archipelago
  • Day 9: Rosario Archipelago
  • Day 10: Rosario Archipelago - Cartagena de Indias - Santa Marta - Tayrona National Park
  • Day 11: Tayrona National Park
  • Day 12: Tayrona National Park - Don Diego River - Tayronaka - Tayrona National Park
  • Day 13: Tayrona National Park - Santa Marta - Tayrona National Park - Santa Marta - Bogota

TRAVEL BOOK

Day 1: Bogota

Arrival at Bogota El Dorado International airport.
Transfer to your hotel in Zona Norte district.
Free time to enjoy at your own Colombia´s capital city where modern districts and historic center, urban architecture and green parks stand alongside.
Overnight at Four Seasons Casa Medina Hotel in Deluxe room.
Included : english speaking guide, transfer arrival, room & breakfast

Day 2: Bogota

Visit of the Gold museum, which displays one of the most dazzling collection in South America. It brings together around 34.000 pieces of goldsmith work, considered as the world´s largest pre-Colombian collection of its kind. Those artifacts come from different civilizations : Quimbayas, Taironas, Muiscas or Tolimas.
The museum curator will welcome the children to the Gold museum and explain them everything about pre-Columbian civilizations. He will inform them about the importance of their trip to Colombia and their exact mission. He will explain them they will be in contact with the tribes of Zenu and Quimbaya civilizations, where they will have to find 1 totem in each one, which will bring them to the great totem Tayrona, another tribe from Tayrona civilization.
Then, suddenly, he will disappear after giving them a clue about “the raft man”, the main artefact of the museum. The children will have to find the Muisca raft, where there will be a parchment waiting for them. By opening it, they will discover that they have to find the real raft... in the coffee area. At the end of the day, the plane tickets for the coffee area will await them as if by a miracle at the reception of their hotel.

Overnight at Four Seasons Casa Medina Hotel in Deluxe room.
Included : entrance fees, excursion (private), english speaking guide, room & breakfast

Day 3: Bogota - Armenia - Salento - Armenia - Salento - Pereira

Transfer to Bogota airport for your domestic flight.
Domestic flight to Armenia.
Welcome to the « Coffee Triangle », including the departments of Caldas, Risaralda and Quindío, which together make up the heart of the Zona Cafetera, also called the Eje Cafetero. This area is famous for growing and producing the majority of the Colombian coffee, considered by some as the best coffee in the world.
Transfer to your hotel in Salento Village.


Half day dedicated to visit a coffee plantation. Inside a typical “finca”, you will learn everything about coffee. The production is as complex and sophisticated as wine. On site you will have the opportunity to walk among the coffee trees and to be introduced to the process of harvesting and roasting, before enjoying the drink produced on site.
During the coffee visit, the children will discover in a coffee bag an old letter that they will have to decipher. There is a code indicating that they must go as quickly as possible to the Quimbaya gold museum, located in Armenia. Once in the museum, a clue will await them: a time and place they will have to go the next day to embark onto the famous raft...
Transfer between Salento and Pereira city.
Note: about 1 hour drive
Dive into the colorful world of the exotic fruits! Trust the advice of the expert and treat yourself to a guided fruit tasting. You will be surprised and amazed by the diversity of colors, tastes and textures!

Overnight at Sazagua Hotel in Standard room.
Included : transfer departure, domestic flight, private transport, english speaking guide, entrance fees, room & breakfast

Day 4: Pereira - Quimbaya - Armenia - Pereira

You will go to the Vieja river where you will board a bamboo raft for a family adventure in the heart of nature! This 12-km trip will make you discover the local fauna and flora in an unusual way!
A totem will be hidden on the raft. It is accompanied by a Kogui proverb written in Spanish: "Primero estaba el mar. Todo estaba oscuro. No había sol ni luna, ni gente, ni animales, ni plantas. Sólo el mar estaba en todas partes. El mar era la Madre. Ella era agua y agua". The clue about the sea should allow them to guess their next step: the Caribbean Sea.

Overnight at Sazagua Hotel in Standard room.
Included : private transport, english speaking guide, lunch (no drinks), local guide, room & breakfast

Day 5: Pereira - Salento - Cocora Valley - Pereira



Delve deep into this Colombia´s beautiful area.
This day will be dedicated to the discovery of the scenic landscapes and small villages:
- Jeep Willys ride in the countryside
- Hiking tour past the soaring wax-palm trees in lush Cocora Valley
- Lunch break
- Visit of Salento: panoramic tour, discovery of the local architecture, the houses made of bamboo and the colourful handicraft shops.

Overnight at Sazagua Hotel in Standard room.
Included : private transport, english speaking guide, lunch (no drinks), entrance fees, excursion (private), room & breakfast

Day 6: Pereira - Bogota - Cartagena de Indias

Transfer to Pereira airport for your domestic flight.
Domestic flight to Bogota.
Domestic flight to Cartagena.
Arrival at Cartagena de Indias, the undisputed queen of the Caribbean coast, a fairy-tale city of romance, legends and superbly preserved beauty lying within an impressive 13km of centuries-old colonial stone walls. Cartagena's old town is a Unesco World Heritage site – a maze of cobbled alleys, balconies covered in bougainvillea, and massive churches that cast their shadows across plazas.
Transfer to your hotel in the historic center. Free time to enjoy the end of the day.
In the morning, you will go for a guided walking tour through the Walled City, including the visit of the most beautiful areas such as San Diego, Plaza Santo Domingo, Getsemani and other landmarks with very rich history.
During the Cartagena city tour, the guide will be surprised to discover that the children are the “chosen ones”. They will rush to the Museum of the Inquisition where the guide will explain them the history of the Inquisition by the Spanish people during the conquest of gold. Finally, he will tell them he heard about a clue hidden in the highest fort of the city...
Overnight at Casa Pestagua in Superior room.
Included : private transport, domestic flight, transfer arrival, entrance fees, excursion (private), english speaking guide, room & breakfast

Day 7: Cartagena de Indias

Half day dedicated to the visit of the main historic and cultural sites of Cartagena:
- The Convent of the Popa: perched on a hill that embraces the whole bay, this monastery houses a beautiful patio, a colonial museum and a chapel dedicated to the Virgen de la Candelaria.
- Panoramic View from the Castle of San Felipe Barajas: at the doors of the colonial city, it is one of the greatest strongholds ever built by the Spanish Army. The view of the city is impressive.
- Direction Fuerte San Sebastian del Pastelillo now listed Historical and Cultural Humanity Heritage by UNESCO. This is the first fort built in Cartagena, in 1741. It was there that took place the famous attack of British Pirate Sir Francis Drake. The fort was restored in the 1970s and is home to the famous restaurant Club de Pesca.
Note 1: the entrance to the San Felipe castle is not included .
Note 2: possibility to do this excursion in the morning in order to lunch at Club de Pesca: contact us .
On awakening, the hotel´s reception will ring the children's room: a horse-drawn carriage is waiting for them to take them to a secret place. The carriage will lead them till the huge San Felipe Fort… But the children will not know where they have to go… Step by step some people will help them : a saleswoman will tell them a direction... then a walker... and they will finally discover a hidden parchment : another totem is waiting for them at the Zenu Gold Museum, where there will go to look for it.
In the evening, a letter from the museum curator awaits them at the hotel: He is very proud of children´s journey. He will send them two days to the beach to rest before continuing the adventure. Meanwhile, they will have to think and guess where the next step will take them: an ancient civilization still existing nowadays, whose people live on the Caribbean coast. They are dressed in traditional costumes for centuries, and men possess a weird object: a “poporo”...

Overnight at Casa Pestagua in Superior room.
Included : entrance fees, private transport, excursion (private), english speaking guide, room & breakfast

Day 8: Cartagena de Indias - Rosario Archipelago

Transfer between your hotel and the port of Cartagena.
Continuation by boat to the Rosario archipelago. Installation in the hotel on one of the twenty islands of the National Park.
End of the day free to enjoy the island...
Note 1: about 1 hour navigation (departure 9 AM).
Note 2: on arrival at the port of Cartagena, you will need to pay the port charges (15 500 COP to date).
Overnight at San Pedro de Majagua Hotel in Superior room.
Included : private transport, boat ticket, room & breakfast

Day 9: Rosario Archipelago

Swimming, relaxing ...
Everything is an invitation to escape: lined stretches of white sands, swimming in the crystal clear waters, exploring the mangrove, exploration of the seabed….
Overnight at San Pedro de Majagua Hotel in Superior room.
Included : room & breakfast

Day 10: Rosario Archipelago - Cartagena de Indias - Port de Carthagène - Cartagena de Indias - Santa Marta - Tayrona National Park

Swimming, relaxing ...
Everything is an invitation to escape: lined stretches of white sands, swimming in the crystal clear waters, exploring the mangrove, exploration of the seabed….
In the afternoon, boat transfer back to Cartagena de Indias and transfer to the hotel.
Note: About 1 hour navigation (back in the afternoon, at approx 4 PM).
Transfer between the port and your hotel in Cartagena.
In the afternoon, you will make a sightseeing tour of the city (Bahia, historic center and its cathedral, San Francisco, Quinta San Pedro). Then, you will stop at the Hacienda San Pedro Alejandro which is a property dedicated to the famous South American liberator, Simon Bolivar. It is in this nice building that he spent his last days and diead on the 17th of December 1830. Some of his personal belongings are displayed as well as a collection of portraits and sculptures created by famous artists (Alejandro Obregon, Edgar Negret). A lovely botanical garden holds hummingbirds, iguana and parrots.
The children discovered that the clue was about the kogui Indians, descendants of the Tayrona civilization. During the Santa Marta city tour, the guide will tell them there is a sacred statue by the sea, which represents an Tayrona Indian.
On the statue, a map will indicate them the way to the “lost city”. The tayronas are ready to give their treasure to the children but it is necessary to reach this city, a hard walk awaits the children the following day...

Arrival at Santa Marta airport.
Transfer to your hotel inside Tayrona National park. End of the day free to enjoy, between jungle and sea, the beautiful park: walking in the rainforest, swimming in the crystalline waters of the Caribbean, relaxing on the pristine beaches…
Overnight at Ecohabs Lodge in a bungalow.
Included : private transport, entrance fees, excursion (private), english speaking guide, room & breakfast

Day 11: Tayrona National Park

Enjoy a full day hiking between the jungle and the Caribbean sea inside Tayrona National Park. You will have the time to hike but also to swim in a natural and crystal-clear swimming pool called La Piscina or close to Cabo de San Juan. We will make sure that you can have some leisure time to relax on the immaculate beaches of Arrecifes.
Note 1 : 2 to 3 hours walk in the day (easy to moderate level).
Note 2 : don´t forget hiking shoes, comfortable clothes and swimsuit.
Arrival at Pueblito, the lost city, after five hours of intense walk. The guide will explain the mysticism of the site and talk about the great hidden treasure. He has a message from the Tayrona Indians: they would have liked to meet the children and give them the treasure, but to make them worthy, they decided to add another test. The children must go to a second lost, almost unknown city. No road leads to this city, we must go down the Don Diego river. If they succeed, they will have the treasure, but the road is long...
At the hotel in the evening, the guide will come to offer them a last minute expedition, never done before… He will offer the children to help them descend the river thanks to large buoys. Will they accept?

Overnight at Ecohabs Lodge in a bungalow.
Included : entrance fees, private transport, excursion (private), local guide, room & breakfast

Day 12: Tayrona National Park - Don Diego River - Tayronaka - Tayrona National Park

Today you´ll go down Don Diego river in a swimming ring! Along the way you will stop on the banks of the river to see the remains of Tayronaka, city of the Tayrona Indians. You will then continue the descent to the sea, watching howler monkeys and beautiful birds. The arrival of the ocean is spectacular!
Note: 1-2 hours down the river to the sea; 1-hour hiking.
Children must be attentive when descending the river, because the lost city is somewhere on the coast. A flag will draw their attention. They will get out of the buoy and take a path to discover the site of Tayronaka. There, in the middle, will throne a great treasure with a letter : The Kogui Indians, express their pride and ask the children to bring the treasure back to the Gold Museum as soon as possible. The children will call the museum curator will agree on an appointment at the airport between their domestic flight and their international flight.
Overnight at Ecohabs Lodge in a bungalow.
Included : entrance fees, private transport, lunch, excursion (private), local guide, room & breakfast

Day 13: Tayrona National Park - Santa Marta - Tayrona National Park - Santa Marta - Bogota

Transfer to Santa Marta airport for your domestic flight.

The children will meet the museum curator and give him the Tayrona treasure. In exchange, the curator will offer them a gift to compensate for the mystical value of the treasure. End of the treasure hunt.
Domestic flight to Bogota.

Arrival at Bogota El Dorado airport and connexion for your international flight.

Included : private transport, domestic flight

Casa Medina Four Seasons Hotel   Bogota

Level : 5*
Included : room & breakfast

Recognized as one of the finest hotels in Bogota, the Casa Medina, a jewel in the capital city, is now a Four Seasons signature. Perfectly situated for a business or leisure trip, this hotel is near the Zona G (G for Gourmet), where are the best restaurants of Bogota. With its stone columns and its beautiful brick facade, the hotel was declared “Monument of Cultural Interest” by the Colombian Ministry of Culture. Step through the doors and you will be surprised by the beauty of the building, where the Spanish colonial accents blend with the contemporary. The place is intimate and invites to comfort. The Spa is as the expectations of the prestigious Four Seasons brand.

Sazagua Hotel   Pereira

Level : 4*
Included : room & breakfast

The hotel is located in the heart of the coffee triangle, into the Colombian Central Andes. Sazagua name pays homage to the Quimbaya civilization that inhabited the region. With a pleasant climate and an exceptional natural environment Sazagua is a Boutique Hotel for demanding visitors. The spaces evoke old large houses recreating atmospheres of the old era of coffee with an architecture based on wooden structures, extensive patios, and clay tiles, bright colors etc ... The eclectic decor with furniture from different eras or origin, with a choice of art collection, produced a captivating comfortable atmosphere.

Casa Pestagua   Cartagena de Indias

Level : 5*
Included : room & breakfast

Known as "the most beautiful house in Cartagena" Casa Pestagua belonged in the seventeenth century to Count Pestagua, a rich and powerful aristocrat who gave his name to this small luxurious colonial-style palace. This Boutique Hotel offers 11 luxurious rooms, a totally personalized service in an oasis of peace and tranquility protected by its ancient walls. Each room features a refined decor and a very generous size.

San Pedro de Majagua Hotel   Rosario Archipelago

Level : 3*
Included : room & breakfast

The San Pedro de Majagua hotel is ideally located on the Rosario Islands 45 kilometers from the city of Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast. From there you can explore coral reefs with a thousand colors where the magic of crystal clear waters and its intimate beaches punctuate your day. A haven where you can enjoy sunbathing or an excursion to the island to explore the mangroves. The hotel has its own diving center.

Ecohabs Hotel   Tayrona National Park

Level : 4*
Included : room & breakfast, entrance fees

The Ecohabs are located on the beautiful beach of Canaveral inside Tayrona National Park. From your comfortable bungalows, you can enjoy the exclusivity of this little paradise. The bungalows are built with exotic wood and high ceilings covered with palm leaves, a design inspired by ancient Tayrona tribes. Each of the 14 bungalows offers magnificent views of the Caribbean Sea and the virgin forest of the park. Since the Hotel, you can explore the rest of the Tayrona National Park.

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