Colombia travel guide

Overview

Colombia is three times the size of Spain and it’s the only South American country washed by two oceans (Atlantic and Pacific). The Andes mountain range has three of its main chains here; then there’s the Amazonia, jungles, snowy crests and glaciers, volcanoes, paradisiacal beaches, barren lands and deserts… in a single land containing more than half of the moors of the world and therefore an invaluable hydrological wealth and also, that goes without saying, a great biodiversity of amphibians, reptiles, mammals…

Furthermore, it still preserves twelve great pre-Columbian cultures and 85 ethnic groups, which make up for a huge cultural, ethnic and idiomatic richness, with 67 spoken languages.

Why then should we keep talking only about violence and drug trafficking and nothing else? In the last couple of years, this jewel of a country has gained a lot in highway safety, making access possible to most of its areas.

As Colombians say, the biggest risk… is longing for a longer stay!

Highlights

It’s hard to summarize the numerous attractions of a country like Colombia, with 50 National Parks already catalogued.

Most high on the list, no doubt about it, would be its people: black, white, mestizo, mulattoes, Indians… All Colombians have a very special personality: outgoing, funny, caring…

At Bogotá you shouldn’t miss La Candelaria quarter, nor the magnificent Museo del Oro which gives a good idea Colombia’s wealth.

Down South, you could visit the archeological pre-Columbian remains of Tierradentro and San Agustín, both of them World Heritage Sites. The “Coffee Axis” (Armenia, Manizales, Pereira, Chinchiná…) it’s an unending orchard of coffee and banana plantations amidst the Andean landscape, with lots of picturesque towns and kind villagers who go beyond polite.

The Amazonía can be visited from Leticia and Amacayacu Park.

The Pacific coast hides lost paradises of black and emberá population, amongst secluded beaches, surrounded by wild seas and thick jungles and visited by the whales in the month of July.

If you wish to go trekking, you’ll find great opportunities at the nevados, the Cocuy mountain range and the Supertrek at Ciudad Perdida, the second biggest archeological site in all of South America after Machu-Pichu; you coul have a real adventure amidst the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, populated by Indian tribes such as the Kogis, the Arsarians and the Arhuacan.

Getting to the Caribbean area is like being in another country, with a past marked by African slavery and Spanish colonialism. The weather is hot and sensuous, and the sun shines over countless desirable towns. From forgotten Sapzurro and Capurganá to touristy Cartagena de Indias.

Two more recommendations: Tayrona National Park and the Guajira peninsula, populated by the Wayu Indians. If rafting is your sport of choice, don’t miss the Chicamoya canyon; you will find peace and quiet at the Antioquia region; esoterics at Villa de Leyva; geological marvels at the Tatacoa Desert; islander Caribbean at San Andrés or Providencia…