Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [119]
Several bus companies serve Bogotá and Medellín throughout the day. Among them, Expreso Brasilia ( 663 2119; www.expresobrasilia.com) heads to Bogotá five times daily (COP$100,000, 18 hours, at 7:30am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm and 7:30pm) and Medellín six times (COP$85,000, 13 hours, at 7am, 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:30pm, 7:30pm and 9:30pm). Unitransco ( 663 2067) serves Barranquilla (COP$12,000, 2½ hours) with continuing services to Santa Marta (COP$23,000, four hours, at 6:30am, 7:30am, 8:30pm and 10:30am), Mompox once daily (7:30am, COP$35,000, six hours), and Tolú once daily at 6:30am (COP$23,000, three hours). There are additional buses to Barranquilla throughout the day, where you can switch to a bus to Santa Marta if they don’t continue on. For Montería, Expreso Brasilia leaves hourly from 6:30am to 3:30pm (COP$35,000, 4½ hours).
If you can’t get a seat on the daily bus to Mompox and want to go the alternative route via Mangangue, Torcoroma ( 663 2119) leaves at 6am and 10am (COP$35,000, three hours) and Expreso Brasilia goes at 6:30am, 7:30am and 10:30am (COP$28,000). For Riohacha on La Guajira Peninsula. Rapido Ochoa ( 663 2119) leaves at 9:30pm daily (COP$30,000, eight hours).
Expreso Brasilia and Expreso Amerlujo ( 663 2119) operate buses to Caracas, Venezuela (COP$200,000, 20 hours) via Maracaibo (COP$115,000, 12 hours). Unitransco is a bit cheaper than the other two, but you have to change buses on the border in Paraguachón. Each company has one departure daily. All buses go via Barranquilla, Santa Marta and Maicao. While the service is fast and comfortable, it’s not that cheap. You’ll save quite a bit if you do the trip to Caracas in stages by local transport, with a change in Maicao and Maracaibo.
On overland trips to Panama, Unitransco/Expreso Brasilia head to Montería (COP$35,000, 4½ hours) where you can switch for buses to Turbo (from COP$25,000, five hours). It’s worth noting that if you do not leave Cartagena before 11am, you risk missing the last bus for Turbo and will have to sleep in Montería.
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FUERTE DE SAN FERNANDO & BATERíA DE SAN JOSÉ
On the southern tip of the Isla de Tierrabomba, at the entrance to the Bahía de Cartagena through the Bocachica strait, is Fuerte de San Fernando. On the opposite side of the strait is another fort, Batería de San José, and together they once guarded access to the bay. A heavy chain was strung between them to prevent surprise attacks in the 1700s.
Originally, there were two gateways to Cartagena Bay, Bocachica and Bocagrande. Bocagrande was partially blocked by a sandbank and two ships that sank there. An undersea wall was constructed after Vernon’s attack in order to strengthen the natural barrage and to make the channel impassable to ships. It is still impassable today and all ships and boats have to go through Bocachica.
The fort of San Fernando was built between 1753 and 1760 and was designed to withstand any siege. It had its own docks, barracks, sanitary services, kitchen, infirmary, storerooms for provisions and arms, two wells, a chapel and even a jail, much of which can still be seen today.
The fortress can be reached only by water. Water taxis departing from Muelle Turistíco de la Bodeguita in Cartagena do the journey for COP$5000. Admission to the fort is COP$7000. If you require a guide, plan on an additional COP$10,000.
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ISLAS DEL ROSARIO
This archipelago, about 35km southwest of Cartagena, consists of 27 small coral islands, including some tiny islets only big enough for a single house. The archipelago is surrounded by coral reefs, where the color of the sea ranges from turquoise to purple. The whole area has been decreed a national park, the Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo.
Sadly, warm water