South America Archives - The Nomadic Mango

Flying Over Medellin: A Paragliding Adventure

Post author:thenomadicmango
Post published:May 18, 2020

We booked a paragliding experience through “Paragliding Medellin” and the Colombian paragliding pioneer “Ruben Fly”. That morning we woke up and made our way to the San Javier Station. We rode the Metro Cable Car up to La Aurora and our driver met us at the station about 15 minutes later. We got into his car (not the marked van as advertised on their website), but then had to wait for another couple who was supposed to be there when we were. After waiting another 20 minutes or so, we were finally given the go ahead to make our…

5 Street Foods You Must Try in Santa Marta, Colombia

Post author:thenomadicmango
Post published:May 18, 2020

Frappe Caribeno: a delicious fruit smoothie for less than $1. You can catch the locals pushing a Frappe cart down the streets or in the middle of the town plaza. There are a variety of flavors to try including: strawberry, cantaloupe, etc. We had at least four tiny cups at a day to beat the Santa Marta heat. Tamales: on the corner of Calle 5 and 12 streets you will find the tamale guy and a line of locals. For $1, you can purchase a delicious, banana-leaf-wrapped tamale. The chicken tamale has a whole piece of chicken baked…

Minca, Colombia: Taking a day trip to Minca to explore waterfalls

Post author:thenomadicmango
Post published:May 17, 2020

Minca is a small, quiet town in Northern Colombia, and an easy day trip from Santa Marta. There is a ton to do in Minca, including coffee and cacao farms, waterfalls, and plenty of restaurants and cafes overlooking a stream. We headed to the bus stop to catch the local van that heads down to Minca each morning. For $14,000 pesos total (about $2USD each), we took a 45 minute ride over to Minca. The van drops you off right next to the eager locals just waiting to take you on a motorcycle adventure. You can walk to the…

Three Days in Santa Marta, Colombia: The Gateway to Adventure

Post author:thenomadicmango
Post published:May 16, 2020

Day One: Day Trip to Taganga Taganga, Colombia is only about a 20 minute taxi ride from Santa Marta. It’s a tiny fishing village with two beaches and lots of shopping. When we got there, we wandered the main street, exploring the area. It looked like during the high season it would be a happening place. There were discos with speakers blasting music, stalls for street vendors, and tons of boats. However, it was a bit dead when we were there. Scattered about were groups of locals, and it looked like it would be a good weekend scene for…