What's Included
Our trips and rentals include reliable easy to ride motorcycles, all riding gear, beautiful hotels, and off-the-beaten-path locations for an authentic experience Colombian experience.
✓ Adventure Motorcycle
✓ Knobby Tires
✓ Protective gear including helmet, jacket, gloves, knee protection, rain gear
✓ Accommodations in hotels
✓ All airport and hotel transfers
✓ All fuel and road tolls
✓ Basic emergency medical insurance
✓ 24 hour customer support for any needs or emergencies during the trip
✓ High-quality 50 liter dry bags
✓ Locking 50 liter top box
✓ Luggage storage at our office
✓ Cell Phone holder
✓ Wireless / USB Charger
✓ Tire repair kit including electric air pump and tire tubes
Not Included in Guided Trips:
❌ Lunch and Dinner
❌ Alcoholic Beverages
Alex Spanos
My wife and I recently returned from a trip to Colombia. This was our first time traveling to South America, and after learning about Colombia Motorcycle Adventures through a podcast (Adventure Rider Radio), I thought that the 7 - Day Perfect Loop Coffee Region Tour sounded like a great way to introduce ourselves to motorcycle travel in Colombia. In every way, Jeff and his staff met or exceeded our expectations. Jeff was gracious, accommodating, easy to work with, and helpful. Our guides, Carlos and Natalia, were wonderful. The route was beautiful, often challenging (road and traffic conditions, weather, etc...) but never boring. Our bike, a Honda XRE 300, was in perfect condition. We rode two-up on this little bike, and although it would have been nice to have a bit more power at times, it was perfectly adequate and very easy to ride. All in all, our experience was stellar. If you are considering a trip to Colombia and want to include motorcycles in your adventure - contact Jeff today. You will not be disappointed.
11 DAY / EXTREME OFF-ROAD
MOTORCYCLE BOOTCAMP
DESCRIPTION
Off-Road Motorcycle Bootcamp refers to an intense, adventurous, and skill-enhancing trip specially designed for adventure motorcycle enthusiasts. Taking place over several days, the bootcamp involves riding adventure prepped motorcycles outfitted with knobby tires and navigating diverse terrains and remote regions with opportunities for immersion in local culture, exploration of natural beauty, and tackling physical challenges. The program is as much a test of endurance and physical prowess as it is an opportunity to experience breathtaking landscapes and local history.
Throughout the bootcamp, participants will have a strong support system. There will be experienced guides and mechanics who are skilled at off-road riding and familiar with the routes. They will provide essential advice, support, and safety briefings to make sure participants are adequately prepared for each day's ride. In addition, they will be on hand to manage any unexpected events or emergencies, ensuring all riders' safety and well-being.
Our motorcycle bootcamp is designed to progressively increase the difficulty of the terrains navigated, ensuring riders are never out of their depth. Participants will gradually start tackling more challenging terrains such as serpentine trails, rocky paths, and river crossings. These new challenges, while daunting, are calculated to push the riders just outside their comfort zone without overwhelming them.
Participants experience varying landscapes, from the bustling city of Medellin to the rugged terrain of the Eastern Andes, remote jungle villages, and serene cloud forests. Traverse treacherous terrains, climb steep hills, cross rivers, and navigate rocky paths, all while driving fully prepped adventure motorcycles.
Along the way, they also have the chance to mine for emeralds at the world renowned emerald mines in Muzo, a three-tiered waterfall in Florian, and the eco-friendly lodgings in Norcasia. Additionally, they get to partake in various activities such as river tubing, motorcycle ferrying, and exploration of local cuisine and cultures.
This bootcamp is an immersive and thrilling off-road motorcycle adventure, designed to test and enhance participants' motorcycle skills and endurance, all while exposing them to the rich cultural and natural beauty of Colombia
HIGHLIGHTS
Airport Pickup and Hotel Transfers: Enjoy the convenience of an airport pickup and hotel transfer as the perfect start to your adventure-filled trip.
Extreme Off-Road Riding: Tackle river crossings, navigate through rocky trails, and ascend steep jungle hills
Emerald Mining Region: Meet actual emerald miners and buy emeralds from directly in the field.
River Crossings: Experience thrilling river crossings via suspended cables, barges and riding the motorcycles across rivers.
Caves and Waterfalls: Visit the stunning three tiered "Windows of Tisquizoque" waterfall and exploring its enormous cave.
Jungle Ecolodge: Spend one night camping with a local family.
Camping: Spend one night camping with a local family.
IS COLOMBIA SAFE?
The answer is a resounding YES. Colombia is exactly the opposite of what Netflix Narcos series portrays. People have to realize that Pablo Escobar was killed three decades ago. We've led hundreds of tours around the country and have never had any problems with security.
Anthony Bourdain summed it up perfectly:
"If you want to find bad people in Colombia, you can surely find them, as you could in New York or Los Angeles. But nowhere have my crew and I been treated better or with more kindness and generosity. I'd bring my family on vacation there in a heartbeat. And hope to soon. As I said before: Colombians are proud. Let them show you what they are proud of."
FEATURED IN
ITINERARY
Day 1 / Arrival in Medellin
Recommended Hotel:
Inntu Hotel Laureles
Restaurant:
Hanger M45
Courtesy airport pickup: Upon arrival at the José María Córdova International Airport, a driver will be waiting for you at the arrivals area holding a sign with your name and wearing a fluorescent shirt for easy identification. They will then take you directly to the Inntu Hotel in the Laureles neighborhood.
First Night Hotel Stay: The Inntu Hotel is located in the trendy Laureles neighborhood of Medellin, a vibrant area known for its tree-lined streets, outdoor cafes, and eclectic mix of restaurants and bars. The hotel itself is a contemporary, eco-friendly property that offers guests a comfortable and stylish stay, with amenities such as a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the city, a fitness center, and a restaurant serving organic cuisine. The neighborhood is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, offering a lively and authentic Medellin experience with plenty of opportunities for exploring, shopping, and dining. Its central location also makes it an ideal base for visitors to explore other areas of the city, with easy access to major attractions.
Day 2 / Medellin to Cimitarra
Leave Medellin we wind our way through the mountains outside of the city. The road is paved the entire way and features gentle sweeping curves that are easy to handle. This is an easy way to begin the trip and get used to driving in Colombia. Once we drop into the tropical Magdalena valley the terrain becomes flat for the next few hours. Towering in the distance we begin to close in on a totally new mountain range, the rugged Eastern Andes.
Day 3 / Cimitarra to Remote Village
Recommended Hotel:
Camping
Recommended Restaurants:
Local Family Kitchen
Today begins an audacious and arduous motorcycle ride to a remote jungle village.
Nestled in the rugged terrain of Santander, getting there requires traversing a labyrinth of serpentine trails that wind through Colombia's heartland, an odyssey that marries stunning beauty with a brutal test of skill and endurance.
As we veer off the main roads the trail reveals itself as a narrow, rocky path snaking its way through steep hills and dense foliage. The 'single track' descriptor is almost misleading; at times, the path is basically a horse trail and at some points barely wider than a bike's wheel.
We will also make a river crossing today by putting the bikes on a homemade cable car suspended above a river and pulling them across with ropes.
We also might have to attach ropes to the bikes and pull them through mud depending on conditions.
Riding conditions can change rapidly, with challenges escalating as one ascends. You could find yourself navigating jagged rocks, large almost impassable mud patches after sudden rainfall, and even small river crossings that test your bike handling skills to their limit.
Riders should be mindful of their pace and physical condition. The adventure becomes as much a battle against oneself as it is against the terrain.
The landscape itself, though, is a feast for the senses. Riders traverse diverse ecosystems: thick jungles, coffee plantations, and serene cloud forests. Here, the sounds of exotic birds echo in the canopy overhead, while cascading waterfalls provide a soothing soundtrack to the rigorous journey.
In essence, the ride today is a single track adventure much more than just a motorcycle ride. It's a profound exploration of one's physical and mental fortitude against the backdrop of Colombia's breathtaking natural beauty. It's a voyage that, once completed, leaves one enriched and humbled by the raw power and grandeur of Mother Nature. This challenging journey, ultimately, is a potent reminder that the best rewards often lie at the end of the most difficult paths.
Day 4 / Remote Village to Florian
Recommended Hotel:
Thysqua Ecolodge
Get ready for some rugged riding. We’ll repeatedly climb and descend through jagged mountains and valleys caused by a series of folded tectonic fault lines. Guaranteed that you’ve never seen anything like this. Panoramic views are around every corner, and cold mist rolling through the landscape adds a “Lord of the Rings” dimension to the ride. Although the topography is rough, the roads are in surprisingly good shape consisting of well maintained hard-packed gravel.
We’ll finish our journey on a road that snakes through a narrow canyon. Surrounded by steep rock walls on both sides we follow a winding river for miles before reaching our final destination, the town of Florian. The entire ride takes around five hours although stopping for photographs, coffee and food will turn it into an all-day ride.
Florian is home to the Windows of Tisquizoque, a remote and rarely visited three-tiered waterfall that plummets from a mountain cave with fantastic views over the countryside. We spend the day exploring the enormous cave located almost 1000ft above the valley floor. Here we will stand at the edge of the dropoff and take pictures of nearby towns and surrounding mountains.
Day 5 / Florian to Muzo
Recommended Hotels:
Hotel El Cristal
Today we take the motorcycles to Muzo, Boyacá the world capital of emeralds. These emerald mines have been in operation since 1594 when the Spanish conquered the Chibchan Indians. Muzo is known not only for the number of emeralds it produces but also for their superb quality and color with the Muzo mine producing the world's highest quality gems known for their warm, grassy-green color, with hints of yellow.
Day 6 / Emerald Mine Visit
Today we visit the Emerald mining area. In the 1980s drug dealers fought the country's leading emerald mining families for rights to the emeralds. The mine owners fought back, turning Muzo into the most dangerous place in Colombia, and by the end of the decade, more than 6,000 people had been killed. Inevitably - as is often the case in Colombia - many of them were civilians caught up in the gun battles between rival paramilitary forces.
Now Muzo is a peaceful and beautiful place where we will be able to watch informal emerald miners known as guaqeros scour the river beds along the Itoco river in the Muzo valley in search of precious stones. This is a great opportunity for documentary photography as well as a chance to speak with emerald miners about life in the mining camps and surrounding areas.
Day 7 / Muzo to Puerto Boyaca
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Paraiso Plaza
The adventure isn't over yet. Get ready for off-road motorcycle riding as we leave from Muzo and drive through the heart of the Colombian Emerald mining zone passing through the remote villages of Coscuez and Otanche. The area is extremely remote but at the same time very beautiful and awe-inspiring. As we descend into the tropical Magdalena River valley we pass through dense jungle and rugged mountainous roads with tons of curves. The riding is challenging but the views and opportunities are unmatched.
Day 8 / Puerto Boyaca to Norcasia
Recommended Hotel:
Ecohotel Campo Alegre
Today we head towards the the town of Norcasia where we rest and recuperate from the provisos days rides.
The motorcycle ride from Puerto Boyaca to Norcasia offers a scenic and enjoyable journey through the picturesque landscapes of Colombia. As you travel you will experience the transition from the hot, dry and flat Magdalena River Valley while ascending back into the to the lush jungle mountains of Caldas.
We will stay in a remote ecolodge that is only accessible by boat. Once we arrive we will be able to see and hear dozens of bird species including parrots. It's also possible to hear howler monkeys in the mornings. There is also a butterfly species in the area that is as large as your hand. Its a true nature lovers paradise.
Even though the lodge is remote it still offers full restaurant services, and a beautiful pool overlooking the lake.
Day 8 / River Tubing
The pristine River Miel in Norcasia, Colombia offers a stunning, tranquil retreat for travelers seeking an authentic Colombian experience. This river, snaking its way through the lush green landscapes, provides an abundance of activities for nature enthusiasts, adventure seekers, and those yearning for peaceful solitude.
A popular water activity along the River Miel is river tubing. This leisurely pursuit offers a unique way to experience the river's beautiful scenery. Floating down the gentle sections of the river in a sturdy inner tube is both relaxing and exhilarating. It's an excellent option for families or groups with varying skill levels, as it requires no special skills or training. Local outfitters provide us all the necessary equipment, including tubes and safety gear, as well as guidance on the best launch and pick-up points. Don't forget to slather on the sunblock!
Day 10 / Norcasia to Doradal
Recommended Hotel:
Hotel Arboreo
This ride today takes us through a series of dusty roads that cut through Colombia's Magdalena Valley. The valley offers a stark contrast to the lush, cool surroundings of the River Miel. Here, the land is drier, the temperature warmer, and the vista, while different, is just as breathtaking. You'll be surrounded by vast fields, sparse vegetation, and the occasional livestock, offering an authentic glimpse into rural Colombian life.
The highlight of this return journey is the moment where your path meets a broad river that can't be crossed by the dirt road. But that's not an obstacle; it's another opportunity for an adventure! Here, you'll have the unique experience of loading your motorcycles onto a local barge. This river crossing provides a welcome respite from the heat of the dirt roads and a chance to experience another side of Colombia's transport methods.
While you and your motorcycles are ferried across the river, you'll have a chance to rest and enjoy the scenic views. The slow-moving barge provides a tranquil contrast to the speed and exhilaration of the motorcycle ride. It’s a moment to pause and reflect on your journey, feel the cool river breeze, and appreciate the unspoiled beauty of the surrounding area.
Day 11 / Doradal to Medellin
Recommended Hotel:
Diez Hotel Categoria
Sorry amigos, today we have to go back to Medellin. The trip is beautiful though and its a great way to end an awesome motorcycle adventure in Colombia.
