The 12,000km2 of land and 3000km2 of protected marine ecosystem which make up the Tayrona national park are home to some of Colombia’s most unique and beautiful natural scenery. Jungle, mountains, and huge volcanic boulders are bordered by pristine white sand beaches and bathed by warm, blue Caribbean seas. As well as its natural heritage…

Cowboy culture, abundant wildlife and technicolour Orinoco sunsets Colombia’s llanos orientales, or eastern plains, are a vast area of tropical grasslands lying to the east of the Andes mountains and to the north of the Amazon rainforest. Comprising wetlands, savannah and gallery forests the llanos (pronounced ya-nos) span a cross border region between Colombia and…

Deep in the Colombian interior lies a land of rugged tropical valleys, winding mule tracks leading to waterfalls in the cloud forest and steep hillsides covered in vibrant green coffee plantations. A favoured retreat for well-heeled Colombians escaping the city, the coffee region remains a relative secret to international travellers, which is all the more…

Known as Colombia’s jewel of the Caribbean, Cartagena is one of South America’s most beautiful cities. A wonderfully picturesque, walled-in fishing port of pastel-painted buildings, fine cathedrals, impressive fortresses and colonial architecture allow you to steep yourself in the history of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Set on warm, blue Caribbean seas, Cartagena enjoys year…

Bogotá, one of the highest capital cities in the world, is a vibrant and lively city surrounded by the majestic Andes. The historic colonial centre has genuine charm and a uniquely Colombian character. As well as a cultural centre with many fantastic museums and galleries, it also boasts the country’s best nightlife and restaurants. To…

Deep within the country’s seductive interior, perched on a ridge overlooking the Suarez river canyon, lies Barichara, Colombia’s prettiest town. This is a place where time seems to stand still. Andalusian style townhouses with golden sandstone walls and bougainvillea-decked whitewashed façades line the cobbled streets and shady plazas where the day-to-day life of the town…

A glitterati beach town with hippy heritage One of the most famous specks of coastline in beautiful Bahia, the stylish beach town of Trancoso embodies delightfully contradictory qualities. It is both posey and insouciant, a celebrity mecca, home to some of Brazil’s finest luxury hotels but that still sustains the warm, languid vibe of the…

Energy, opulence, culture and commotion – Make like a Paulistano in Brazil’s teeming megalopolis There’s a line in Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities that could have been written for Sao Paulo: “You take delight not in a city’s seven or seventy wonders, but in the answer it gives to a question of yours.” There are a…

Street life, samba, sundowners and spectacular views Cariocas, as Rio’s residents are known, love street life. Like embellishments on a carnival costume, there are many separate facets to life on Rio’s streets that make the whole, indescribably fabulous and seductive. Whether its shimmying to samba at the world’s biggest and most famous carnival, biking along…

Paraty is a small 17th century colonial port on a stunning stretch of jungle-clad coastline equidistant between Rio and Sao Paulo. It was a booming port in its heyday enjoying the very definition of a sugar rush, as Brazil’s main port for sugar export under Portuguese colonial rule. However the arrival of other, more accessible…