Art? Or strong, accomplished women? 

I have been trying to decide what made the biggest impression on me during my nine-day trip to Colombia in June. 

Art was all around us, in many forms. From the curvaceous Botero statues in downtown Medellín to the flower farm in the highlands above the city to the vibrant murals on the approach to the farmer’s market in Cartagena. 

NextTribe takes small groups of women ages 45+ on fun, immersive trips across the country and around the world. We’re going back to Colombia in 2026. Learn more here.

But amazing women were there too, starting with our two guides. Victoria is a NextTriber who now lives in New York City but was born and raised in Colombia. She shared her personal history (including the narco-terrorist days in Bogotá) and the larger history she specialized in as part of a Latin American History degree in college. Lee was our on-the-ground fireball who introduced us to her Medelíin. She also introduced us to some neighbors of hers—and to her own Colombia story, which was different from Victoria’s but equally compelling. 

As I write this, I realize that I don’t have to choose between one or the other. Both left a mark on me and made my trip to Colombia so powerful and memorable. 

Getting to Colombia…Finally

I was supposed to visit Colombia in 2018. As a “digital nomad.” I joined a remote work/travel group that would spend a month each of Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Colombia. The first three months went well, but by now the organization running the excursion was showing signs of collapse. I, wisely but reluctantly, decided to skip the last month in Colombia. When I heard that NextTribe was offering a trip there, I saw it as a way to “close the circle” and check it off the list of missed opportunities.

What many people might not know is that the country has since experienced a renaissance.

After Brazil, Colombia is the second most biodiverse country on the planet with wide-ranging geography. We were to visit two cities in Colombia’s diverse landscape. Medellín is situated in a bowl in the Aburrá Valley of the Andes mountains. Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Caribbean Sea.  I was excited!  But, when I mentioned this trip to friends and family, many were concerned for my safety.

True, Colombia has had more than its share of troubles. Narco-terrorism, with its use of violence and intimidation was most prominent during the 1980s and early 1990s. That was when the Medellín Cartel, infamously led by Pablo Escobar, engaged in a violent campaign against the government.  

What many people might not know is that the country has since experienced a renaissance. A revitalization resulting from social projects and government programs that encourage economic growth, promote tourism, build community, and improve the lives of all Colombians.

Botero, Nacho and More

Our first outing was focused on art. We started at the Botero plaza in the center of the city where Fernando Botero’s cheerful and voluptuous outdoor sculptures almost beg people to photograph and touch them. Our guides explained Botero’s historical and social importance.  Self-anointed “the most Colombian of Columbian artists”, he often used his art to express political criticism. His Wounded Bird and Bird of Peace are a prime example

Then, to further indulge our senses, we toured the Museo Antioquia, with lots of Botero paintings, and the very ornate Palacio Nacional, with a shopping mall in the lower atrium and art galleries on the floors above.

We followed that by entering the cleanest Metro station I’ve ever seen, riding a train and then a cable car to Parque Arví to visit a flower farm in Santa Elena. Cable cars are part of the municipal metro system. What an interesting commute that would be.

Fernando Botero’s cheerful and voluptuous outdoor sculptures almost beg people to photograph and touch them.

Señor Nacho, the 5^th-generation proprietor of Casa de las Flores, talked to us about the competitive annual Feria de las Flores and its Desfile de Silleteros (Silleteros Parade), which is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. He said that it is something like the Rose Bowl parade but, instead of floats, people carry the floral displays on their backs…and then he demonstrated it for us.

When we visited the farm was starting to ramp up for the 2025 festival, hoping to again win a prize. Always smiling and ready to pose for photos, Nacho was so entertaining: he could be a Broadway star!

We also toured a neighborhhood with an urban art project called Constelaciones. It’s open-air gallery spread across an entire community. Murals decorate more than 500 houses, and many of the paintings feature the residents themselves or their hobbies and businesses. Started in 2003, it aimed (and has succeeded) to use art as a tool for urban transformation and promoting social consciousness and cultural expression. And it brings a sense of pride to the community.

The Women of Medellín

There is a socioeconomic stratification system in Colombia (known as estratos), which categorizes districts or comunas into six levels based on housing conditions and the surrounding environment. This system determines how much residents pay for essential public utility services but can also be stigmatizing. “Where do you live?” can be a loaded question.

We were invited to participate in a jewelry-making workshop to create our own beaded bracelets. (Full disclosure: we needed a lot of help.

We learned this as we took a bus from our beautiful hotel located in affluent El Poblado (level 5-6) up the mountain to visit a women’s social project located in Manrique (level 0-2). Typically, the more impoverished communities are situated further north, away from the city and many of its services, and this was no exception. Mi Barrio, Mi Sueño is a non-profit, grass-roots organization that empowers women and children overcoming violence, discrimination, economic struggles, and educational barriers.

The founder Andrea Gonzalez Duarte Van Der Leeuw, considered a young social impact hero, mesmerized us with her personal story. She was born in Colombia, then adopted by a Dutch couple. She has returned to Colombia, determined to make a difference. The women of Mi Barrio, Mi Sueno make lovely jewelry to sell, which supports their project, and Andrea invited us to participate in a jewelry-making workshop to create our own beaded bracelets. (Full disclosure: we needed a lot of help.) Afterward, we saw a quick boxing demo–women and girls learn to defend themselves–and were served a delicious lunch (they cooked for us!) before touring the neighborhood where this group of amazing women provides education, food, and support for local families in need.

And More Women!

Two other Medellín women we met were deep into sustainable farming. Medellín is known as the “City of Eternal Spring” because it has a year-round mild climate that is great for agriculture. We got to experience this abundance when we visited a family-run coffee farm in Envigado, just outside of Medellin.  Observatorio Agroecologico El Cafetal is Rainforest Alliance Certified, meaning it meets the organization’s environmental, social, and economic standards.

This was not a stereotypical farm with organized rows of plants, but rather a place where the coffee trees grow (seemingly wild) in a jungle of companion plants, birds, bees, and wildlife. The proprietors, Leticia and her husband Alejandro, gave us a tour, explained their ethos as more holistic than just organic, described their production process, showed us their nursery, and let us sample their fine coffee…which, of course, we all bought to take home with us.

We wandered around marveling at the gardens, sheep, flowers, mosaics, art and then sat down for a delightful home-cooked lunch

From there, it was a quick drive to Mandalaire, their neighbor’s farm-to-table restaurant. Owned and operated by Doña Marta, a farmer and an artist, this was another example of eco-friendly agriculture in harmony with the earth. We wandered around marveling at everything (sheep, flowers, mosaics, art)  and then sat down for a delightful home-cooked lunch with ingredients fresh from her organic garden.

The Art of Living in Cartagena

If art is meant to attract the eye and expand the mind, then we should consider the entire historic district of Cartagena a grand work of art. The Spanish Colonial architecture combined with the Caribbean colors create a gorgeous setting for the driving beat of the music coming from cafes and clubs. A buzz of excitement winds up and down every street. And the sunsets over the ocean cast a pink glow over every cupola and on stone walls built centuries ago. 

One of the most beautiful scenes of the whole trip was the wedding parade we came across in the city center.

One of the most beautiful scenes of the whole trip was the wedding we came across in the city center. Accompanied by Latin drummers, women in white dresses danced through the streets. We watched from one of the original city walls as they twirled their skirts in unison, ahead of the bride and groom and wedding party. We were all enchanted. 

We saw more “garden-variety” art at the Bazurto farmer’s market. Though parts of the market were rough, the displays of gleaming fruit and vegetables looked ready for their close up by a still life artist. 

Caribbean cuisine is an important part of Cartagena culture, and our group got a lively lesson the culinary arts. Led by Chef Gloria and her son Juan, we learned how to make coconut rice, fried plantains, and freshly squeezed lula juice. Gloria and Juan grilled the sea bass that was also served as part of our lunch. I guess they (wisely) didn’t trust us around fire.

The Women of Cartagena

The women who are most identified with Cartagena are from the nearby village of Palenque de San Basilio. They wear banded red, yellow and blue dresses and carry fruit on their heads. Think Carmen Miranda. But the women I most enjoyed getting to know—women most tourists never get to meet—lived in an area called La Boquilla. 

When we visitied a women-led association in that area, called Damartes (which stands for Ladies and Mothers of Art), we met mothers and grandmothers who were supporting themselves and improving their lives through tourism and handicrafts. The organization was started in 2008 by seven women who took a craft class together. It’s since evolved into a thriving organization that produces jewelry, vases, containers, belts and accessories from coconuts shells discarded by neighborhood restaurants. After hearing their inspiring story, we sat down with them in an open-air shed on the beach to make our own crafts to take home.

The women I most enjoyed getting to know—women most tourists never get to meet—lived in an area called La Boquilla. 

The women in Damartes are proudly the first women in La Boquilla to generate their own income. I appreciated that at least some of our itinerary focused on social projects that showed how communities can work together to better their world. The organizations created and run by women, for women, truly warmed my feminist heart. 

But there were other women who made the trip special–the other NextTribe 13 travelers. We came together from all parts of the U.S. to experience some South American sizzle. We certainly did have fun–including a day spent on a beach on a small island in the Carribbean–but because we went beyond the usual tourist fare, meeting local women and witnessing their pride and talent, the bonds in our group went deeper, I believe. As on all  NextTribe trips, the sense of friendship that develops was strong, bordering on sisterhood.