Barranquilla for the Weekend

We took our first road trip a couple of hours north-east and hit the city of Barranquilla for the weekend! Driving up the coast was not what I expected, at times, it almost felt like California.   The road was well maintained with much of it being coastal; we passed through a few toll booths and several small fishing towns on the way.

I wouldn’t describe driving in Colombia as relaxing, you really much remain a vigilant driver the entire time. You have to watch for people and animals (pigs, cows) in the roadways, buses and vehicles not obeying any kind of road laws and occasionally, you will come across some towns people protesting something by laying large trees across the road. This only happened to us once, but we ended up taking an hour detour to get home. If you wait it out, it can be hours. So needless to say, it’s an adventure.

Once we arrived in Barranquilla, we had some household business to attend to (i.e. Pricesmart) so after some much needed shopping, we found some sweet treats and the pool to unleash some of that pent up road trip energy! During the Christmas season, most everyone heads to Cartagena, so we felt like we had the city to ourselves! With no real agenda, we were able to give the kids a fun filled weekend of activities. Most of these are not available to us in Cartagena, so it felt extra fun for them.

Family Friendly Activities

Zoologica Barranquilla

By far the highlight of our trip was the Zoologica Barranquilla, especially after being nervous that I would be totally disappointed. I am sorry for the photo dump that is about to happen, but I pulled out the Nikon after too many months in the Household goods shipment and I forgot how much I loved using it!  Also, the signs around the zoo were enough to crack you up!

The zoo was clean and well-kept, however, I do feel they have some animals that don’t belong in this urban setting. One of them was a single African Elephant with not nearly enough room to roam and no heard to hang with.  On the other side, we were able to see some animals that we hadn’t ever seen before, including an Anteater and Jaguarundi, both natives to South America.

This is a fine line for me to walk and I don’t always feel good about what I see in zoos, but I’m hoping that educating my kids about animals and captivity is worth it. The loved going to the zoo and I think it made them feel very “normal,” as it’s something we would do in the States.

DIVER-CITY

We heard about this place from friends, but it was a great success for our kids. DIVERCITY in Barranquilla is a fun filled afternoon of role playing for kids. You get to pick jobs, earn money and spend it on fun activities. Everything from Farmers to Pop Stars, Firemen and News Reporters, it is located in the mall and is the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Last stop was perhaps the best food I’ve had in Colombia, and that includes the best latte as well (we have to test them all, of course). Not only did it taste amazing, but it was beautiful as well, win-win! Thank you, Restaurante y Reposteria Nancy Cabrera! Don’t forget this stop on your journey, while it is slightly hidden in a strip mall, you will see the crowds and know it’s worth the wait!

While Barranquilla is not your typical tourist town, it did offer us a slice of normal life, fun activities, large malls, a slightly cooler climate and some fun memories. It was nice to see more of Colombia and I am sure that will be back.

To read more about our adventures up the coast of Colombia past Barranquilla and into the mountainous region of Santa Marta, check out this post:

• Santa Marta, Colombia – A Long Weekend at Cayena Beach Villa