Staying in the new Casa Pestagua, a Relais & Chateaux-listed 17th-century mansion in the historic walled city of Cartagena, you’ll have plenty of time to explore this romantic Caribbean city. Wander the cobblestone streets, lined with brightly painted townhouses and balconies overflowing with flowers, horse-drawn carts and Palenquera women in traditional dresses.

Next you’ll set out on an overland 4×4 adventure to Mompox, a town lost in time. Nestled on the banks of the Rio Magdalena, this 500-year old colonial town recalls a bygone era. Its languid pace of life and sense of complete isolation have captured the imagination of many an author, including Nobel Prize-winning Gabriel García Marquez who wrote of Mompox: ‘Sometimes we dream about it, but it doesn’t exist.’

Explore historic buildings and beautiful churches in shades of white and ochre. Discover the town’s literary past and spend a balmy evening gliding up the Rio Magdelena by boat. You’ll also learn to make handicrafts at a workshop taught by local artisans.