Prepare for your Trip to Colombia!
Colombia, a country that once incited fear and uncertainty in the eyes of foreigners, now incites excitement, adventure and passion. A country of unbelievable natural beauty, astounding diversity and immensely kind and good-hearted people, Colombia is one of the hottest backpacker destinations in the world. An immeasurable amount of people we’ve spoken to, read about and heard from, who have traveled around South America, name Colombia as their favorite destination.
What This Guide Is/Isn't
This guide is designed to give you a great overview of the places you will most likely visit on your trip to Colombia. Planning a trip can be daunting, so we have broken down the country to the most likely places you will visit and have provided actionable information on how to make the most of your time in said places. To be honest, if you are looking for the finer details, an incredibly in depth description of Colombia and planning on traveling through Colombia for more than a month you might be better off with a Lonely Planet or Fodor's guide. What we have done with this guide is gutted out all the fat, making it easier to focus on the most common places to visit in Colombia and get the most out of them. Lets face it, most people will have two weeks at most to travel around Colombia leaving them with only a few place to visit. We cover the must visit places, breaking it down to give you great options to choose from in your travel preparations.
Where to go in Colombia!
Most visitors to Colombia start in the bustling metropolis of Bogotá, if not entering overland from Ecuador to the south, or Brazil/Peru to the southeast. After a whirlwind of culture, arts, food and dancing in the capital, you can make your way to the Caribbean coast, taking in the stunning colonial towns of Boyacá and Santander on the way. You may even decide to go white-water rafting, paragliding or mountain biking in San Gil, the adventure capital of Colombia. Once you reach the coast, however, the pace of life starts to slow down. Fill your days by relaxing in the white-sand beaches of Tayrona, explore the ruins of the ancient “Lost City” outside Santa Marta, snorkel your way around the tropical islands of San Andrés and Providencia, sip on a fresh coconut in Capurganá & Sapzurro, on the border of Panama, or head the other direction and visit the otherworldly deserts of the Guajira Peninsula, in the northernmost tip of the South American continent.
Next, make your way towards the heartland of Colombia, in the lush and vivacious Coffee Zone. Explore the small pueblos, visit a local coffee farm and relax by an open fire in the cooler climes of this zones altitude. Finish off your stay in the Coffee Zone with a trip to ‘The City Of Eternal Spring” and “Worlds Most Innovative City”, Medellín, known for it’s ideal weather, beautiful women and lively nightlife.
Don’t get all partied out in Medellín though, because the party capital of the country and world capital of salsa is next. Cali, the sweaty, sultry city of the south gives travelers a chance to put on their dancing shoes, to the iconic beats of salsa around the city’s many famous ‘salsatecas’. Outside the city, enjoy an array of interesting sites, from stargazing in the mini-desert of Tatacoa, windsurfing on Lago Calima, to exploring the ancient archaeological ruins of San Agustin and Tierradentro.
If you’re missing the ocean, take a detour to the Pacific Coast where surfing, snorkeling and deep sea diving are on the menu around the many coastal villages. Not to mention the incredible spectacle that occurs during the months of July to November, when thousands of humpback whales come to give birth to their calves off the Colombian Coast of the Pacific Ocean.
If all of that is not enough adventure for you, you can always head back to Bogotá for a direct flight to the ‘Lung of the Earth; The Amazon Rainforest!
