Authentic travel experiences in Colombia: Hands-on instead of just observing

As part of his tourism training at SENA – the Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje, a Colombian state institution specialized in practical and technical education – our intern Abel has dedicated himself to exploring in depth the topic of hands-on experiences in tourism.

In this process, he analyzed how travelers can not only see Colombia, but also actively experience and understand it, through direct participation in local processes, traditions, and ways of life:

Tourism as a historical activity has demonstrated the human need to explore and discover new places around the globe, the need to learn about new cultures, perhaps new life opportunities; thus, human beings, equipped with their basic senses, left their comfort zones to observe new natural and cultural settings, to smell new atmospheres, to listen even to the sound of the wind, to taste the flavors of distant latitudes. Nevertheless, it seems that all this movement was incomplete, as the very evolution of the mind, of the brain, demanded more; more meaning, more significance in every visit, in every journey.

Beyond sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch lies the mind of the visitor, of the “tourist,” expressing an innate need: the need to learn and to truly internalize – with an “h” as in the Spanish aprehender – to make a part of the culture they explore their own, learning through direct practice. Consequently, many communities around the world decided to open the doors of their everyday “laboratories”: kitchens, workshops, gardens, farms, etc., so that visitors from all over the world could have the opportunity to live experiences full of meaning and significance.

These types of experiences are globally known as Hands-On experiences, a term from the English language that could literally be translated in Colombian Spanish as “manos a la obra.” In Colombia, an artisanal country, these kinds of laboratories or hands-on experiences are beginning to gain momentum. Below we will look at some of these established experiences in our country.

Hands-On in the Department of Cauca

In the wonderful department of Cauca, in its capital Popayán, a family of women – specifically four generations – has dedicated itself to preserving an Andean recipe based on yellow potatoes and peanuts called “Pipián.”

This base is used as the filling for what is known as empanada de pipián and tamal de pipián, dishes that form the cornerstone of Cauca’s gastronomy. Doña Alicia, the great-grandmother, her daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters opened their kitchen laboratory a couple of years ago so that visitors from all over the world can not only learn about the processes but also actively take part in them. Without a doubt, it is a beautiful experience, full of tradition, identity, cultural exchange, and lots of flavor.

Hands-On in the Department of Huila

In the south of the department of Huila, in the magical municipality of San Agustín, in the rural area of El Purutal, Yilema decided to start a life project centered around growing her own food. Aware of the importance of healthy nutrition, she chose to implement organic and environmentally friendly practices in the cultivation and transformation of food.

Tierra Activa, her farm, has become a space whose main objective is to promote a pedagogy of sustainability through her own life story. Through tours and practical workshops, visitors can harvest some of the fruits of this fertile and abundant land – fruits that are not widely known in most Colombian households, but of immense nutritional value.

In the impressive department of Huila, one of the country’s main coffee-producing regions, the municipality of Pitalito is home to the National School of Coffee Quality. There, young people from southern Colombia have the opportunity to learn about all the processes of the coffee value chain, from cultivation to cup evaluation. At this site, an experience has also been designed in which visitors learn by doing about the processes of selection, roasting, grinding, and tasting coffee.

Hands-On in the Department of Quindío

In the south of the department of Quindío, in the municipality of Córdoba, at the Hacienda Casa Rivera del Cacao, a Colombian-French chocolate project has developed a proposal dedicated to excellence. From the beginning, it has focused on a key objective: to produce, through the tree-to-bar model (from the tree to the chocolate bar), one of the best chocolate bars in the world using Colombian cacao from the Quindío region.

Their idea is to produce fine organic aromatic cacao through their own cultivation, allowing full traceability of the fruit, from the selection of the variety to the completion of fermentation and drying processes. In this way, they aim to achieve the highest possible quality in the raw material and subsequently in the final product. The preparation of chocolate fondue directly from the tree is an unforgettable experience for visitors.

Hands-On in the Department of Antioquia

Just 20 km from the city of Medellín, in the beautiful district of Santa Elena, one of the main producers of Colombia’s stunning flowers, local communities have opened the doors of their workshops so that visitors can participate and learn the valuable art of creating silletas. These have been part of Antioquia’s cultural heritage since 1957, the year the first Flower Festival was held.

This floral art is not only cultural heritage but also a tribute to the connection between farmers and their environment. Through personalized visits, visitors can explore the process of creating their own silleta and understand the meaning behind this colorful tradition.

At Chaska Tours, we aim precisely to make these kinds of close and practical experiences possible: encounters that go beyond simple travel and allow for an authentic understanding of the life, culture, and traditions of Colombia.

The examples presented here are only a small sample of everything the country has to offer. Depending on each traveler’s interests, many more of these special hands-on experiences can be individually integrated into an itinerary.

We would be delighted to accompany you in planning your journey to Colombia, so that you not only see it, but truly experience it.

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