The air feels shallow as you are grasping another puff of air, but you are relived and a high sense of fulfillment runs through your body. Just in sight you can see the summit. Your lungs inhale the light blue of the mountains, but your pores extrude happiness and satisfaction. That’s climbing like an Escarabajo. An intimate experience with the mountains. We take it from the name given to the Colombian cyclist in Europe during the 80’s and take it one step further.

We created an itinerary that goes deep into why Colombia is the best cycling destination. It’s not only the ride between two very vibrant cities Bogotá and Medellín, and a very well know climb, like Alto de Letras, touted as one of the longest in the world, but also exploring the rural side of Colombia, what really make us, the locals, love this country with its ups and downs.

This tour will change your approach to the mountains: it’s a physical challenge, but it’s also a state of mind, a state of the soul. Over 7 stages we will find a way to give a part of those mountains to you, so you can take some of them home, but, at the same time, a part of you will belong to them always.

Along the way, you will be greeted by views that extend to the infinity. The scale of the mountains, the views, the sheer beauty is hard of put into words. By the end we can guarantee you will have had the time of your life. We added another layer of flavor to the cycling experience by picking the places we stay. Small sometimes hard to come across places that only will enrich the tour.

Join us!

Hotels and accommodationEquipment

We will stay in enchanting places along the way. We aim for the kind of place that will leave a fond memory.  The range is wide. Sometimes it’s an old coffee hacien da turned into esquisite hotel or a boutique hotel su rrounded by the forrest. Exceptionally, we will stay in  a more modest place, spotlessly clean, that serves us  well to have a better taste of small town. 

Whatever it is the place we are staying, there’s a rea son, and we are always trying to bring something uni que to your. tour.  

Equipment:

We always encourage our guests to bring their bicycle in good condition. We strongly suggest you take it to  a mechanic before our trip so it can run smoothly the  whole time. We can provide you with a rental bike, if  you wish. Our weapon of choice for road cycling is the  amazing Argon 18 Krypton,. We suggest you bring your helmet and gloves and all  your riding gear. If you are renting a bike we will pro vide you with a helmet, but you will have to bring your  shoes and if you want to ride with clipless shoes plea se also bring your pedals of choice. If you would like  to use your bicycle computer during the rides, please bring your personal computer mount.

Support vehicle:

Our support vehicles are an integral part of the logistics. They will take care of bringing food and drinks so  we can ride as light as we can. It will also be the perfect  place in case you are tired to get some rest, and decide  whether or not you would like to carry on for the day.  At least one of the vehicles will have a top notch bike  carrier to take all the bikes safely.

Luggage:

We encourage you to travel with just one piece of luggage plus a day bag. Your day bag will go in the main  cabin, easily accessible, while your luggage will be be  difficult to access during the ride.  

Weather:

Colombia doesn’t have seasons, so great cycling weather can be expected most of the time. Given that we will be riding in the mountains, the weather can be quite  variable. It’s important to be prepared as rain can show  up unexpectedly. The range of temperatures we will be  riding can be between 9oC to 30oC. 

570 kms
14.000 mts
3.600 mts

What's your ideal cycling destination? Colombia ticks all the boxes. Raise your eyes from the handlebar and see a wide open view, mountains beyond mountains wherever you place your eyes to. The closest ones feel daunting, intimidating with their size. The ones further in the distance let your mind wander about what’s it like over there. Your senses feel slightly overwhelmed. You want to suck in all, but you feel that if you stop watching for just a second something great will be missed.

The weather is just perfect, sun is shining and it feels nicely warm. The road ahead is challenging, the tarmac is smooth, you enjoy every pedal stroke of this climb, as the descent is guaranteed to be really fun. A stereo is blasting a vibrant, happy tune, with a rhythm you have never heard before. Feels perfectly fit for your ride.

Along the climb, you meet the locals. They smile at you. They make you feel welcomed. They try to make themselves understood: what they mean is that they are happy you are visiting their country. You both smile.

At the planned stop, you are greeted with freshly squeezed natural fruit juice. The lady who serves gives you a big kind smile too. Her white teeth give a nice contrast to her sun bathe skin. The smell of the nearby mountain feels fresh. Your heart is filled with joy. You are happy.

That's what's like riding in Colombia

We like to nurture. Cater to every part of your sen ses, off and and on the bike. We will start with the most  visible part of our team: the guides. Being on a high  ratio of guides per customer, you will find on them a  trusted wingman to tackle the climbs, or have an insi ghtful conversation that eases the pain, or just make  the whole cycling experience deeper. They know the  ropes of their job but they are much more than that, we  search for people with the widest backgrounds, life pa ths, that can not only take you safely from A to B, but  at the same time take something extremely personal  along with you. Cherish it.

On the road our support crew is always happy to serve you. Ready to fill your water bottle, hand you over  a banana, or an energy bar, or just serving you coffee, they will do it with a smile on their face. That’s the the  proverbial Colombian friendliness, and it’s what in all of our experience people takes away. Two vehicles along  the road will be in place to make things easier for you.

Off the bike, a good night of sleep is the first step to  a stellar performance on the bicycle. So we have cherry  picked the perfect route to work with the best hotels,  and give you some of the most memorable experien ces to rest too. Sleep surrounded by the quiet beauty  of a coffee plantation. Wake up to the noise of innu merable birds, see the mountains gently cover by soft  clouds, that slowly wake up. That’s what we have plan ned for you. Those are places we will be staying, that’s  the people who will make this a memorable experience. 

Bogotá is the capital city of Colombia. It’s a hub for a

multiplicity and it’s bustling with activity. Bogotá’s charm boils down to its energetic feel, that spreads into multiple changing personalities. This city can be whatever you want out of it, from a cycling destination mecca, to bustling business hub. Form forward-thinking architecture to the well preserved and colonial neighborhoods, it has it all. The common thread however is the vitality, feeling that something else could happened just around the corner. Our team will pick you up at the airport and transfer to the hotel. There we will deal with getting your bicycle ready for tomorrow and let an easy afternoon slip by. At night we will feast ourselves in one of the various Avant-grade restaurants of the city.

Time for the real fun to begin. We will take an early departure to enjoy our stunning destination of the day. After breakfast, the first kilometers will be marked by the heavy presence of other cyclist. The savanna that surrounds Bogotá is an important agricultural area, it has a calm beauty, the air will feel crisp, and it’s important to take it easy as you are adjusting to the altitude. The reward is our destination hotel, nested in a coffee plantation to spend the afternoon admiring the view.

Bogotá-Cachipay
85 kms - 1200 mts - 2800 mts

What’s perhaps more surprising weather-wise in Colombia is how in very few kilometers the environment changes so much. Thanks to its position near the Equa-

tor, the changes in the landscape or temperature aren’t affected by the time of the year, but rather by the altitude at which you are. That and specific factors to each area, humidity, winds etc. After the novelty and the excitement of the first day, all these details start to become evident. Today’s stage will see us rise again in two big climbs to the highest parts of the Cordillera, 3100 mts above sea level, but also, we will drop fast twice to the lower altitudes, the lowest being 200 mts above sea level. Along the way, either climbing or descending, pay attention to all these subtle and not so subtle un the landscapes.

Cachipay - Mariquita
120 kms - 2300 mts - 2900 mts

Alto de Letras is a climb that will test your limits, but it is also a journey of self-discovery. It is a reminder that we are capable of great things, both physically and mentally. It is a climb unlike any other - a test of strength, endurance, and mental fortitude that will leave you both humbled and exhilarated. The road is constantly changing; hot and humid heavy air at the bottom, subtlely transform into thin crisp air. Along the way, sweeping views of the distant mountains will make this effort more rewarding. At the top of Alto de Letras, you will feel a sense of accomplishment like no other. You will have conquered one of the toughest climbs in the world, and you will have the memories and stories to last a lifetime

Mariquita - Manizales
105 kms - 3800 mts - 3700 mts

Manizales is the entrance port for region known as the coffee hub. From this point on, we will get a front row seat to enjoy the breathtaking views this region has to offer for the next few days. Following our monstrous previous stage, the day couldn’t start any better with a long and fun descent among coffee plantations, and small towns that base their economies largely on the beans. The colorful choices of the houses and people’s bubbly personalities match perfectly the lovely weather,

the vibrant and exuberant local nature. After taking a break at the bottom of the descent, the road will point upwards. The climb has a panoramic view of the Cauca

River, the valley and the nearby mountains. It’s regarded by many customers as the most beautiful climb of the trip, topped with our destination town, quintessential to the towns in the coffee hub: always on the move, always buzzing with activity but strongly anchored to the tradition as if time hadn’t pass.

Manizales - Anserma
75 kms - 1500 mts - 2600 mts

The day is definitely different to al the previous days, with two contrasting landscapes and one big descent that connects them. The morning is marked by riding at the edge of the mountains, so big views left and right can leave you speachless. After we plummet to the valley everything the scenery changes completely. The road roads along next to the river, that runs fast and wild. The banks of the Cauca are steep, year round sun bathed, and the vegetation has found a way to thrive in these conditions. No big mountains in sight, but a welcomed change. La Pintada lives up to its name –“The Painted one.” with mountains like sleeping giants overwatching the river and colorful sunsets.

Anserma - La Pintada
112 kms - 800 mts - 2000 mts

To reach Medellín we have to channelize our inner colonizer: be bold and fearless. Steep slopes, hot and humid weather and a technical descent are all part of a stage that, almost without trying, is a vivid recollection of the vicissitudes the first colonizers had to endure to subjugate. We couldn’t think of a better way for this tour to say farewell to the the impressive countryside of Colombia, its mountains, the colorful towns, wild geography.

The list could go on. Just this very special “last” stage.

La Pintada Medellín
63 kms - 1800 mts - 1800 mts

Medellín is not only a vibrant town. It can also be described as a cycling mecca. Surrounded by mountains, it offers several challenges right after you step outside.

If you feel like you want last push we have a beautiful circular route that will give you a panoramic view of the city while you conquer one of these great climbs. We will have light lunch upon returning and meet back for our farewell dinner.

55 kms - 1500 mts - 1700 mts

After breakfast, with heavy heart, is now the time to part ways, hoping than soon we will meet again. The team will take you back to the international airport of Medellín. If you have something else in mind, we will be happy to help you with the arrangements.