Colombia: Music & Cultural Immersion with Hopkins High School
ITINERARY: March 10-16, 2027
DAY 1: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10 | WELCOME TO CARTAGENA
Meet at Cartagena International Airport
Upon arrival at Cartagena’s airport, students will be warmly welcomed by the Project Por Amor team and transferred to the Cartagena Plaza Hotel along the Caribbean coast.
Arrival in Cartagena
Transfer to Cartagena Plaza Hotel and check in
During the drive, our travel staff will introduce themselves and give you some important information about Colombia. Cartagena Plaza Hotel is located on the seafront just 10 minutes from Cartagena’s historic center. Students will share comfortable, renovated superior and premium rooms with views of the Caribbean Sea and the modern city. This family-friendly hotel offers a welcoming setting to relax and recharge, featuring a daily breakfast buffet, two on-site restaurants, an outdoor pool, and convenient access to Bocagrande Beach.
Cartagena Plaza Hotel
7:00 pm ~ Welcome dinner at local restaurant
Welcome dinner
DAY 2: THURSDAY, MARCH 11 | MUSIC, LANGUAGE & CARIBBEAN RHYTHM
8:00 am ~ Breakfast at our hotel
Each morning, students will enjoy a full breakfast buffet at the hotel featuring a variety of hot and cold options, including fresh tropical fruits, breads and pastries, eggs, juices, coffee, and local Colombian specialties.
Colombian breakfast
9:00 am ~ Interactive Colombian music experience
Students will participate in a three-hour interactive music experience led by our renowned guide and Grammy-nominated musician Gregorio Uribe. Through guided listening, discussion, and live musical interaction, we’ll explore the historical roots, rhythmic structures, and social context of Colombian music while deepening their understanding of its role in cultural expression and community life.
Gregorio Uribe & traditional Colombian instruments
2:00 pm ~ Spanish class #1
After lunch, students will take part in a one-hour Spanish class focused on building basic communication skills and learning cultural expressions relevant to daily life and musical exchange.
Scenes of Cartagena
12:30 pm ~ Lunch at a local restaurant
Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, offering students an introduction to Caribbean flavors and regional Colombian cuisine.
Traditional Colombian Cuisine
3:30 pm ~ Paddle boarding & beach recreation
In the afternoon, students will enjoy a one-hour stand-up paddleboarding activity, followed by free time at the beach to relax and unwind. This time allows students to explore the natural beauty of Cartagena’s Caribbean coastline, enjoy the ocean environment, and recharge before the evening’s cultural activities.
Paddleboarding and beach recreation in Cartagena
6:00 pm ~ Dinner at local restaurant
In the evening, students will gather for a dinner featuring traditional Colombian dishes. Shared meals provide an opportunity to experience local flavors while coming together as a group to reflect on the day’s activities.
Cartagena Restaurant
8:00 pm ~ Champeta dance class
In the evening, after dinner, students will dive into the lively world of Champeta with an interactive dance class. They will learn about the Afro-Caribbean origins of this energetic musical genre and explore how rhythm, movement, and storytelling come together to create a vibrant cultural expression. Through guided instruction and hands-on practice, students will not only develop dance skills but also gain a deeper appreciation for the role of music and dance in fostering community, celebration, and cultural identity in Cartagena.
Champeta dance class
DAY 3: FRIDAY, MARCH 12 | COMMUNITY EXCHANGE IN LA BOQUILLA
8:15 am ~ Breakfast at our hotel
Each morning, students will enjoy a full breakfast buffet at the hotel featuring a variety of hot and cold options, including fresh tropical fruits, breads and pastries, eggs, juices, coffee, and local Colombian specialties.
Colombian breakfast
9:00 am ~ Spanish class #2
Later in the morning, students will take part in a one-hour Spanish class to continue building confidence in basic communication skills and learning cultural expressions relevant to daily life and musical exchange.
Scenes of Cartagena
10:00 am ~ Travel to La Boquilla
Students will travel to La Boquilla, an Afro-descendant fishing community on the outskirts of Cartagena, for a day of cultural and musical exchange with the local organization Batambora. This immersive visit offers students a unique opportunity to engage with the community and learn about its rich traditions and way of life.
La Boquilla fishing village
11:00 am ~ Soccer game & beach recreation
During the visit, students will enjoy a traditional lunch with community members before participating in a friendly soccer match and spending time at the beach. These shared meals and activities provide a relaxed and engaging setting to connect with local youth, fostering teamwork, cultural exchange, and mutual understanding.
Soccer & beach recreation
2:00 pm ~ Traditional rhythm and dance workshop
Students will take part in a hands-on dance and rhythm workshop led by community members. Through guided instruction and collaborative participation, they will explore traditional Afro-Colombian musical expressions and gain insight into how music, sports, and collective creativity strengthen cultural identity and community bonds.
Dance & rhythm workshop
6:00 pm ~ Dinner at local restaurant
In the evening, students will gather for a dinner featuring traditional Colombian dishes. Shared meals provide an opportunity to experience local flavors while coming together as a group to reflect on the day’s activities.
8:00 pm ~ Evening public concert
In the evening, students will attend a public concert, experiencing live local music in an authentic community setting. This event offers a firsthand look at how performance brings people together, celebrating cultural traditions, and showcasing the vibrant musical life of Cartagena’s communities. After the concert, we’ll return to the hotel.
Concert in La Boquilla
DAY 4: SATURDAY, MARCH 13 | GAITA TRADITIONS & STUDENT PERFORMANCE IN MONTES DE MARIA
Breakfast and check out of our hotel
Each morning, students will enjoy a full breakfast buffet at the hotel featuring a variety of hot and cold options, including fresh tropical fruits, breads and pastries, eggs, juices, coffee, and local Colombian specialties.
Colombian breakfast buffet
8:30 am ~ Travel to Montes de María
After breakfast, the group will travel to the Montes de María region, a culturally rich area of Colombia known for its musical heritage and vibrant communities.
Montes de María region
10:30 am ~ Community Museum Visit in San Jacinto
The first stop is San Jacinto, internationally recognized as the birthplace of Gaita music, one of Colombia’s most significant traditional musical expressions. Students will visit the Community Museum, learn about the construction and symbolism of gaita instruments, and engage with a local music school where intergenerational transmission of musical knowledge is central to community life. Proceed to Montes de María.
San Jacinto Community Museum
12:30 pm ~ Lunch and High School Band Exchange
In the afternoon, the group will travel to Carmen de Bolívar to meet a local high school youth band. Students will take part in a shared rehearsal and musical exchange, learning directly from young Colombian musicians and collaborating across cultures.
High School Band Exchange at Carmen de Bolívar
5:00 pm ~ Evening HHS Public Concert
In the evening, HHS students will participate in a public concert in Carmen de Bolívar, performing alongside local youth musicians. This joint concert highlights music as a bridge between cultures, generations, and lived experiences.
Public concert with HHS & local high school
7:30 pm ~ Dinner at Restaurant
In the evening, students will gather for a group dinner in Carmen de Bolívar featuring regional Colombian cuisine. This shared meal provides time to unwind after a full day of travel and musical exchange, reflect on the day’s experiences, and connect with local hosts and fellow students in a welcoming community setting.
Dinner at restaurant
Overnight in Carmen de Bolívar
Students will spend the night in Carmen de Bolívar, allowing time to rest and recharge after a full day of travel, cultural exchange, and performance.
DAY 5: SUNDAY, MARCH 14 | PALENQUE: MUSIC, IDENTITY & RESISTANCE
8:00 am ~ Breakfast and check out of hotel
Each morning, students will enjoy a full breakfast buffet at the hotel featuring a variety of hot and cold options, including fresh tropical fruits, breads and pastries, eggs, juices, coffee, and local Colombian specialties.
8:30 am ~ Travel to San Basilio de Palenque
After breakfast, students will travel to San Basilio de Palenque, the first free African town in the Americas and a UNESCO-recognized cultural heritage site known for its rich history, living traditions, and enduring cultural identity.
San Basilio de Palenque
11:00 am ~ Music and cultural exchange with Tambores Ri Tabalá and Kombilesa Mi
Students will meet Tambores Ri Tabalá, a local children’s music project, and learn how rhythm and oral tradition play a central role in preserving cultural heritage. The group will also meet members of Kombilesa Mi, an internationally recognized ensemble that blends hip-hop with traditional rhythms and the Palenquero language, offering insight into how tradition and contemporary expression intersect in Palenque.
Workshop with Kombilesa Mi ensemble
1:00 pm ~ Lunch & music in Palenque
Lunch will be served in Palenque, followed by a musical experience with Sexteto Tabalá, one of the community’s most iconic traditional groups.
Concert of Sexteto Tabalá
3:30 pm ~ Return to Cartagena
In the afternoon, the group will return to Cartagena, allowing time to relax after the day’s activities and prepare for the evening together.
5:30 pm ~ Dinner at restaurant
A late group dinner will provide space for reflection, discussion, and shared learning from the journey so far.
Dinner at restaurant
DAY 6: MONDAY, MARCH 15 | CARIBBEAN SEA & CLOSING CELEBRATION
Breakfast at our hotel
9:00 am ~ Cumbia music & dance workshop
Complete our educational program by learning the foundational rhythms and movements of cumbia, Colombia's most iconic musical genre that blends African drumming patterns, Indigenous flute melodies, and Spanish dance traditions. Under the guidance of professional Colombian musicians and dancers, students will explore cumbia's distinctive instrumentation (drums, gaita flutes, maracas, accordion). The dance instruction teaches cumbia's signature footwork and circular formations that originated in courtship dances of the Caribbean coast, while musicians explain how cumbia evolved from colonial-era cultural fusion in Cartagena to become the blueprint for countless Latin American musical styles.
Cumbia music and dance workshop
11:00 am ~ Caribbean beach and recreation day
Students will spend their final full day enjoying the Caribbean coast with a beach day that includes snorkeling and paddleboarding, along with free time to relax and explore the natural beauty of the beach. Lunch will be included as part of the day’s activities.
Beach day
6:00 pm ~ Closing Bonfire Celebration
In the evening students will gather for a closing bonfire dinner by the coast. This meaningful experience creates space for group reflection, shared stories, and appreciation of the journey, celebrating the friendships formed and the cultural understanding gained throughout the program in a relaxed and memorable setting.
Farewell bonfire dinner party
DAY 7: TUESDAY, MARCH 16 | ¡HASTA LUEGO, COLOMBIA!
Breakfast at our hotel
Each morning, students will enjoy a full breakfast buffet at the hotel featuring a variety of hot and cold options, including fresh tropical fruits, breads and pastries, eggs, juices, coffee, and local Colombian specialties.
Transfer to Rafael Núñez International Airport
We will bring you to the airport for departure to MSP. You will be assisted through check in.
¡Adios, Colómbia!