Few are the trips that really make us find ourselves. Those in which getting on a plane and landing in an unknown destination becomes, from the first step we take, an unexpected adventure, one in which every experience we live transforms us: every contact with nature, every new friend we make along the way, every moment we save in a photo and every new flavor we taste. Colombia, a country where 6 different regions invite us to a dance of cultures, flavors, music and history, is undoubtedly the ideal destination to have one of those trips. And before we invite you to imagine it, we want you to live it in Finding Encanto, a web series in which you’ll travel hand in hand with 6 travelers, and experience with them their 6 quests throughout Colombia as they discover what the true charm of our country really is.
The journey begins
A plane ticket, a personal quest and an adventure waiting to be lived. That is the premise of a journey that will change the lives of 6 travelers who travel to Colombia with one question in mind: “what, in fact, is ‘encanto‘?” They’ll find the answer by exploring the musical tradition of the Greater Colombian Caribbean, the ancestral flavors of the Colombian Pacific, the incredible nature of the Colombian Amazon-Orinoco, the art-filled streets of the Western Colombian Andes, the infinite paths to explore the Eastern Colombian Andes, and the mysticism that embraces the Colombian Massif.
These are 6 stories in which you’ll discover there are many destinations to visit in Colombia that are far from common, as you travel through them hand in hand with a photographer, a chef, a muralist, a DJ, a sportswoman and a writer who, as you’ll realize as they guide you on their adventure, are as incredible as the destinations you’ll discover episode after episode.
Andy Austin: nature through the lens
American photographer Andy Austin during his visit to the Colombian Amazon-Orinoco for Finding Encanto.
From the pages of magazines like National Geographic to the mind-blowing Colombian Amazon-Orinoco, Andy’s journey becomes a quest for the pic of a lifetime. This North American nature and adventure photographer held nothing back as he delved deeper and deeper into our biodiversity and culture. With or without rain, on horseback, by Jeep and with his boots on, Andy saw exotic animals with his own eyes, from the capybara, which by the way is his “spirit animal”, to several species of birds and the elusive anteater. But, in addition to the natural wealth of our country, he also had the opportunity to experience llanero culture, meet true Colombian cowboys, a cowgirl who taught him what it means to live in el llano, and then, with capachos (the traditional maracas of the region) in hand, he lost his fear of dancing and ventured to feel the rhythm of llanero music.
Adry del Rocío: color and culture
Mexican muralist Adry del Rocío painting on ceramic at Carmen de Viboral, Western Colombian Andes on Finding Encanto.
The murals of this Mexican artist bear testimony to her talent and her heritage, from the walls in her colorful and native Mexico, to walls and streets that she’s filled with color and history in Europe, North America, and Latin America. This time, Adry seeks to leave a testimony of her first trip to Colombia in one of the most emblematic landmarks of the Western Colombian Andes: Medellín’s famous Comuna 13, a neighborhood and a community that, through each pigment, reflects a history of social and cultural transformation through art. For Adry, the trip was a journey through tradition and modernity, coffee plantations, and the aroma of fresh brews, which allowed her to learn about the process, from bean to cup, of our flagship beverage. But, in addition to tasting coffee, she discovered Santa Fe de Antioquia, one of the most beautiful colonial towns of the region, and strolled streets full of history, to later venture into one of the oldest traditions of Carmen de Viboral by creating her own pottery and ceramic handcrafts. She then returned to Medellín and met the person who would inspire the mural that now adorns la Comuna 13.
Selassie Atadika: ancestral flavors
Ghanaian chef Selassie Atadika exploring Buenaventura in the Colombian Pacific on Finding Encanto.
A world-famous award-winning chef from Ghana travels to the Colombian Pacific to create a full menu with 5 different dishes. But along the way, and with each ingredient, she discovers the close connection that exists between Africa and Colombia: how the herbs that grow in her garden also grow in ours, and how each bite makes up a strand of the invisible thread that unites us. Selassie’s journey begins in Cali, at the La Alameda gallery, one of the most popular markets in the city, where the taste of sancocho opens the door to the flavors of the Pacific. From that first taste, her mission to build a unique recipe takes her to San Cipriano, to fish in the Pacific Ocean in the port of Buenaventura, to taste the traditional viche to the rhythm of marimbas, and finally to build a masterpiece that honors the connection between our country and her native Ghana.
Ollie Twist: the musical connection
British DJ Oliver Williams capturing the sounds of the Greater Colombian Caribbean for Finding Encanto.
Music is a fundamental part of our lives, it’s a way of telling stories beyond language and connecting with others, a way of enjoying life all the more. This is something that renowned British DJ Olliver Williams, better known as ‘The Busy Twist’, feels down to his bones. For him, this trip to the Greater Colombian Caribbean will be the opportunity to connect the Caribbean tradition with every beat of his music, the opportunity to discover those ancestral sounds of our region, the songs that are history, the dances that explode in color and the unmistakable sound of the ‘alegres’, a typical type of drum. This was a journey that began with the melody of the ‘gaita’ (a traditional Colombian flute), perhaps the most iconic sound of the cumbias, and with a dance of colorful dresses that move and light up the place to the beat of the drums. These rhythms led Ollie to explore another of the region’s ancestral instruments: the voice of its people. With these melodies, with the voice of the ancestors and the countless sounds captured by our traveler in the jungle, on the beach and in the streets, ‘The Busy Twist’ set to work to create a song that would unite everything heard, everything learned, the spirit of all the characters met during his trip and that, in the end, would make the crowd dance during an incredible party by the sea.
María Solis: discovering new paths
American sportswoman María Solís hiking through moors of the Eastern Colombian Andes on Finding Encanto.
Running, rafting, biking, climbing, hiking… these are not only sports, but also a way to connect with ourselves on another level. Maria Solis, a North American athlete and founder of ‘Latinos Run’, travels to the Eastern Colombian Andes to discover what those new paths that can be traveled on two wheels, at high altitudes, and along rivers are. For many years, Maria has seen sport not only as a vehicle to explore herself, but also to explore the world. So, on her journey, her mission was to open up those paths for others to follow, whether on foot across the region’s moors, on horseback through the grasslands, by bike through the many highlands and mountains that make up the landscape, or even by raft down the rivers and rapids that bathe it. This was a journey of body and mind, in which the incredible landscapes were the scenery, the people and guides of Maria were the warmth that cannot be missed, and the adrenaline was the final touch to an unforgettable adventure.
Gabriel Martínez: mysticism in writing
Spanish writer Gabriel ‘Gabi’ Martínez in the search for the elusive jaguar in the Colombian Massif on Finding Encanto.
In the Colombian Massif, there’s a belief across indigenous communities that has passed down generations: the spirit of the jaguar lives in its people and roars strong through the magic and traditions of their ancestors. Gabi Martínez, a Spanish writer, travels to this region to embark on a mystical journey in search of the jaguar. This writer’s mission took him from the World’s End Waterfalls to a journey into the past, between the rivers, the jungle and the monoliths of San Agustín, where he traveled the ancestral paths to see for himself how the indigenous cultures of the region lived, how they connected with nature and with their inner jaguar, until he was able to see in the eyes of the feline the undeniable mysticism that the Colombian Massif embodies.
6 regions with unforgettable landscapes, ancestral traditions and an immeasurable natural and cultural richness, 6 fascinating stories that’ll make you vibrate with emotion, 6 characters that’ll take you by the hand to experience unique journeys, 6 chapters in which you’ll also feel the warmth of the people who welcome you no matter where you come from, that there’s no destination like Colombia, that there’s nothing like its charm, that it always awaits with great adventures in store.
If you want to take a look at the pic Andy had been looking for all his life, admire Adry’s mural that adorns Comuna 13, taste the recipe created by Selassie, walk the routes discovered by Maria, listen to the song created by Ollie, and find out if Gabi met the jaguar, you can’t miss any of the exciting episodes of Finding Encanto here:
