"Magical Realism is a literary style incorporating fantastic or mythical elements into otherwise realistic fiction. Colombia is where it began. And anyone who has spent time there knows why. It is a place where the bizarre shakes hands with the inexplicable on a daily basis" - Steve Murphy

Colombia is a country which has it all; ocean, mountains, jungles and deserts. The diversity of the land is truly breathtaking. How rare it is to find such a breadth of landscapes and ecosystems in the one country. From the amazon jungle of the south, to the Caribbean coast of the north and the countless colourful colonial towns and bustling cities dotted in between. It is a country with a harrowing history, yet the warmest of locals. There has never been a better time to visit this incredible place.

We spent 10 weeks exploring Colombia, our journey started in Medellin, known as the city of eternal spring. From here we went north, firstly to the beautiful island of Providencia with its crystal blue water and laid-back Caribbean atmosphere. Then we made our way along Colombia's Caribbean coast, whose name more than lived up to its expectations. The sun here was incredibly hot, and the water wonderfully blue. We visited Santa Marta, Parque Tayrona and Cartagena, before seeking some shade in the jungle town of Minca. Then it was time to make our way back down the country, stopping in San Gil, Villa de Leyva, Guatape, Jardin and Bogota. We fell in love with Colombia's capital city. The final part of our trip was spent in the coffee region, exploring the towns of Salento and Filandia where we drank far too much coffee and ate way too much cake, but enjoyed every mouthful.

Before we knew it, our time in Colombia had come to an end but we had created memories which will last a lifetime.