Traveling during Holy Week: 6 cheap places in Colombia

It is a tourist town in Antioquia, it is 2 hours from Medellín, it is well known for being close to the Gran Piedra del Peñol. The plan is to get to the town on the first day, there are a wide variety of paisa restaurants for lunch, then in the afternoon you can go to the pier to take a boat ride and at night I recommend you walk through the center of Guatapé so you can get to know the architecture and the picturesqueness of the town, which is what characterizes it.

The next day they should go to La Piedra del Peñol, a mistake that visitors sometimes make is that they only go to the stone and stop visiting the town, at Easter, many people are visiting the stone, so I recommend you go as early as possible. You don't need a physical condition to get on it and use motorcycle taxis to get around since it's hard to find a quick parking spot.

When I went, I stayed at Casa Encuentro Hostel Boutique, it is 15 minutes from the center of town, it is an ideal hostel to relax since it is very natural and its location allows you to have a beautiful view of the lake, which I love the most It was a pleasure that they let me stay with my dogs, which is a plus because very few hostels there are pet friendly.

The beaches of Rodadero are to the south of Santa Marta, it is not only the most beautiful beach in the city but also in the Caribbean for many. I recommend practicing nautical activities, having lunch on the beach, and spending the night there as there are groups that gather to sing. There are nearby towns that you should also visit in one day, such as Taganga, which is good to go at night if you are single or with your partner because the party is great and usually ends on the beach. Although if you go with your family during Holy Week, it is better to go during the day because the beach is very beautiful, and large and also has a view surrounded by mountains.

Hacienda Nápoles is a theme park in Antioquia, 4 hours from Medellín.  I have been told that it is very fun to go with the family, you can meet wild animals, there are pools with waterfalls and there are hotels within the park. It is very important to book in advance because it is a park with a lot of tourist demand, mainly during Easter.

It is located 15 minutes from Salento, it is a complementary plan when you visit the town. When you go, I recommend you arrive around 8 in the morning, have breakfast in the town and then go to the valley, since touring it can take about 4 hours in total, going down you can return to Salento or you can also spend the night in hostels country houses at the entrance to Valle del Cocora. There are cabins or you can also camp. I recommend taking a good blanket because the cold at night is quite strong.

Something very typical and exquisite is trout, as there are many trout farms in the valley that supply the restaurants of Salento. When I went, it wasn't during Holy Week but there were still plenty of tourists, so I stayed one-night camping at the Las Palmas de Cocora hotel.

It is located 45 minutes from Neiva. They have recommended it to me as an extreme plan, they have told me that the heat is strong but it should not be an impediment to visiting it. A nearby town is Villavieja, where you can get guides at a good price; Among the plans to do there, they told me that you can walk through the desert, go by bicycle, horseback or even by car, you can enjoy natural pools to cool off and finally, they highly recommended camping at night to be able to see the infinity of stars.

It is one of the places that you should travel to during Holy Week, for this date, although it is high season, it is a destination chosen by quinceañeras and school excursions. It is an island whose main attraction is the sea since being surrounded by coral makes it take on different colors and at the same time protects the island.

The first place to visit is the San Andrés Aquarium, go around the island, jump off the diving board, and spend a day at Johnny Cay but do it all independently without hiring tours, because that  they will be able to know everything calmly. At night there are many discos to visit and restaurants in hotels open to the public. When I went I stayed at the Hotel El Dorado, it is in front of the sea but there are cheaper hotels a few blocks from the sea. They recommended I go to Providencia, to get to the island you can do it using a catamaran or a plane that leaves San Andrés, but you must reserve your space at least two months in advance.

I hope these destinations will be useful for you when you plan your next vacation for this special date, although you can also do it in other seasons of the year, I only recommend that you book in advance and lastly, travel more.