Colombia

What to see

Bogotá

The capital combines Colombian traditions, Spanish colonial heritage and North American influence to create a heady mix. Vibrant, style-conscious and home to a burgeoning arts scene, there are a number of significant monuments such as the Capitol Municipal Palace, the mighty neoclassical cathedral on the Plaza Bolivar and an impressive gold museum to visit too.

Cartagena

An extraordinary walled fortress city dating from the early 1500s. Feted over time and represented in countless stories and paintings you’ll need several days to explore its romantic, cobbled streets properly.

Top experiences / sites of particular interest

Caribbean Coast

There are more than 1600km of coast to explore, although the focus for many people is Santa Marta, one of the first Spanish cities to be established, which benefits from glorious white beaches and the close proximity of the Tayrona National Park, home to deep bays, coral reefs and sandy beaches.

Amazon Basin

Almost a third of the country is swathed in forest. Dense and often impenetrable, it is difficult to navigate but rewarding to try. Leticia is the most common gateway, with a reasonable infrastructure and good access to Amacayu National Park.

San Augustin

A fascinating archaeological park dotted with statues and relics as well as giant stone statues.

Ciudad Perdida

Ancient ruins of the once-mighty Tayrona capital, reached via a superlative six day trek.

Coffee plantations

Close to the cities of Cali and Medellin are verdant, mountainous slopes covered in coffee, which you can sample whilst staying in an old colonial style hacienda.

When to go

Colombia is warm and tropical on the coast and in the northern part of the country, but has a rainy season that runs from May-November. The uplands are cooler and the mountains are colder still. The capital, Bogotá, enjoys cool days and crisp nights. To ensure the best weather head over from January to March.

There are any number of festivals and fiestas in this party-loving country. In January head to Pasto for the Carnaval de Blancos y Negros or Riosucio for the biennial Carnaval del Diablo. March sees the Festival Interncaional de Musica del Caribe staged in Cartagena whilst August sees Medellin celebrate the Feria de las Flores.

Getting there / around

Bogotá international airport (BOG), known as El Dorado, is 12km from the city. There are also international airports at Barranquilla (BAQ), Cali (CLO) and Cartagena (CTG). A network of internal flights helps people hop from city to city.

There is almost no rail network to speak of and passenger services are few and far between.

The road network on the other hand is much better, assuming conditions are dry. Buses are slow and crowded but very cheap and generally get you to where you were headed.

Car hire is possible but not recommended, especially in major cities.

Potential itineraries

Colombia isn’t all that easy to get round and you’ll need more time than you think to see all the highlights dotted around the country. A comprehensive tour will take up to eight weeks, but allow you to complete a circuit, heading north from Bogotá to the colonial cities of Villa de Leyva and Barichara, stopping for adventure activities in San Gil. Push on to Cartagena, the jewel of the Caribbean, and Santa Marta even further north. If you’ve got time, head to the islands of Providencia and San Andrés from here too. Turn south and head to Medellín before exploring the nature reserves around Manizales and pushing on to Cali. Finish at the architectural ruins at Tierradentro and San Agustín before returning to Bogotá or jumoing over the border to Ecuador.

In four weeks though you can travel the Caribbean coast from Venezuela to Panama via Santa Marta, Barranquilla, Cartagena and a host of classic beaches backed by rainforest and mountains.

To really get away from it all take two to three weeks to explore the Pacific coast. Up until recently off limits due to the violence and fighting here, this area can only be explored by boat and plane, making it expensive, but the rewards and discoveries in the national parks and reserves here are worth it.

Guides

There are destination guidebooks for Colombia available from Footprint, the South American leaders, Lonely Planet and Bradt, whilst Michelin also has a Green Guide to Colombia.

For bird spotting pick up the pocket-sized Birds of Colombia or the more substantial Field Guide to the Birds of Colombia, both available from the Natural History Book Shop.

Maps

The best country coverage comes from Reise Know-How, whose map of Colombia covers the entire country at 1:1,400,000 scale. ITMB also have a map of Colombia, whilst Nelles have a less detailed map of Colombia and Ecuador available.

There are street plans for Barranquilla, Bogota, Cali, Cartagena and Medellin available from Cartur.

Read More

In Cocaine Train, Stephen Smith sets out to trace the life of his enigmatic grandfather, a railway pioneer who lived in the country and had a son by a Colombian mistress. Although not an in-depth look at the country, and the title is not representative of the content, the family history is interesting and the book sheds some light on the darkness engulfing the country. The Fruit Palace by Charles Nicholl is a highly engaging account of living in the country during the 1980s and mixing with the wrong crowd. Full of sound, smell and colour it is a slightly dated, vivid portrayal of the country at a particular point in its history.

Bogotá was World’s Books Capital in 2007 and the country has a history of producing great writers. First among these is Nobel Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez. For a flavour of the country and a chance to sample his work, check out the fantastical love story Love in the Time of Cholera, or other titles such as 100 years of Solitude, which introduced the world to magic realism, The General in his Labyrinth, which chronicles the tragic final months of Simón Bolívar’s life, or Of Love and Other Demons, a story of a young girl raised by her parent’s slaves against the backdrop of the Cartagena’s inquisition.

Sight & Sound

Afro-Caribbean beats dominate the region, but you’ll here Vallenato, Cumbia and Salsa throughout the country too. Listen out as well for the pop stylings of artists such as Carlos Vives and Shakira.

Language

Spanish.

Pick up Lonely Planet’s Latin American Spanish Phrasebook or Berlitz's Latin American Spanish Phrase Book to help you get by.

Currency

Colombian peso, comprising 100 centavos.

Visas

Neither UK nor US residents require a visa before entering the country.

Health issues

Vaccinations are recommended for Hep A, Hep B, Rabies, Typhoid and Yellow Fever. Malaria is also prevalent.

Safety, FO travel advice

The country has a dubious reputation and a history of instability. Kidnappings and violence are widespread, with tourists coming into contact with both. Some areas of the country are subject to guerrilla warfare and drug production, making them no go areas for visitors.

Useful Telephone Numbers

Colombian country representatives

in the UK at

and in the US at

There are no tourist boards in either country.

For more information visit www.colombianembassy.co.uk, www.turismocolombia.com or www.parquesnacionales.gov.co.