Photo: Ricardo Gomez Angel / Unsplash
← The whole route
Leg 4 · Cartagena landfall & Medellín

Colombia

South America begins. The van clears customs in Cartagena, then climbs into the Andes through Medellín and the coffee country.

What to see

5 stops we’re not missing

  1. 01

    Cartagena

    A walled Caribbean colonial city of balconies, plazas, and ramparts — where the van lands by ship.

  2. 02

    Medellín

    The reinvented "City of Eternal Spring," with metrocables climbing the valley and a famous arts scene.

  3. 03

    Cocora Valley & Salento

    Towering wax palms (the world’s tallest palm) above the green coffee region.

  4. 04

    Tatacoa Desert

    Red-and-grey eroded badlands with some of Colombia’s darkest, clearest night skies.

  5. 05

    Caño Cristales

    The "river of five colors," which blooms red, yellow, green, and blue for a few months each year.

! What to watch for

  • Mountain roads choked with trucks, plus landslides
  • A few rural and border zones are best avoided — check advisories
  • Petty crime in cities

⛽ Diesel & DEF

Improving — ULSD in cities, lower quality in rural areas. DEF in cities and truck stops.

🛂 Borders & permits

The van arrives by ship: customs clearance in Cartagena (with your agent), then SOAT insurance for the road.

Sources & further reading

Safety notes link to the live official travel advisory — always check it before you go.