Colombia

Welcome to Colombia Cast all of your outdated ideas aside, like drug wars and gangsters, and you’ll find that Colombia is a spectacular country brimming with confidence and a cultural & a nature lovers paradise. In this land of contrasts, you’ll […]

Welcome to Colombia

Cast all of your outdated ideas aside, like drug wars and gangsters, and you’ll find that Colombia is a spectacular country brimming with confidence and a cultural & a nature lovers paradise. In this land of contrasts, you’ll encounter snow-capped Andean peaks, tropical Amazonian jungles, turquoise Caribbean coasts, and two sun-kissed deserts. You’ll also find a host of  amazing attractions at the places in between, from the bustling cities of Cartagena and Medellin to the quiet colonial villages of Salento and Mompox. Above all, the famous Colombian hospitality will undoubtedly find you coming back for more.

Cartagena

Cartagena is the crown jewel of Colombia’s Caribbean coast and one of the best-preserved colonial destinations in the Americas. Take a stroll through the historic walled city, and you may feel as if you’ve stepped back in time to a different era.  Maybe it’s the 13 kilometers of centuries-old walls, or the colorful colonial architecture, many of which are now beautifully restored restaurants and luxury hotels. Perhaps it’s the bougainvillea-covered balconies along the labyrinthine streets or the soaring Catholic churches that tower above every plaza. Whatever it is, visitors can’t help but fall for this Caribbean charmer.

Medellin

Bogotá might be the Colombian capital, but it’s the smaller and more manageable city of Medellin that tends to capture the hearts of visitors.  The city boasts cable cars linking the settlements in its hills to a modern metro system in the valley below, a greenbelt of lush “eco parks,” and striking libraries and community centers in some of the poorest neighborhoods.

Leticia

The capital of the vast Amazon Basin is the small frontier town of Leticia, which sits along the banks of the mighty Amazon River, right where Colombia bumps up against Brazil and Peru. Leticia makes a great base for eco-tourism, wildlife safaris, or hikes into the Amazon to learn about the indigenous tribes that call this area home. The only way to arrive here is by plane from Bogotá, and you can continue onward by boat either downriver to Manaus, Brazil, or upriver to Iquitos, Peru.

The Lost City

Colombia’s most spectacular hike through the country’s most majestical tropical scenery is undoubtedly the four-day, 44-kms. trek to Ciudad Perdida, a lost city hidden deep in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains that was only rediscovered in the 1970s. Built and occupied by Tayrona Indians between the 8th and 14th centuries, this ancient city is said to be one of the largest pre-Columbian settlements discovered in the Americas.

 

Cano Cristales  (The Most Beautiful River in the World)

Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de la Macarena houses some of Colombia’s most fascinating natural wonders. The network of remote streams and rivers of Cano Cristales explodes in to an astonishing sea of red for a few months between July & November, a phenomenon cause by the growth of kaleidoscopic plants that grow on its shallow bed.  Trekking between the waterfalls and natural swimming pools of the river is a fabulous experience.

Whale Watching In Colombia

Thousands of humpback whales begin to arrive during the months of May and June, spreading along the 1,300 kilometers of the Pacific coast during their stay in Colombia, until the end of November.  From June to November each year, the Colombian Pacific coast has a special feel. The beautiful morning twilights, the sunny days, the red and orange hues of the sunsets, its tropical jungle, and its turbulent or calm waters are complemented by the dancing and chanting of whales that come here every year to give birth to their young. Whale watching is common in this remote and heavenly place in Colombia, where these colossal mammals flaunt their jumps, loins, and tails, along with the playfulness of the newborn calves, eager to explore the warm and tropical waters of the region.

 

Providencia Island

This isolated island is the jewel of the UNESCO-protected Sea flower Biosphere Reserve, with some of the world’s greatest marine biodiversity just waiting to be explored. You’ll need to first stop on the more popular San Andrés Island and catch a short hopper plane or three-hour catamaran ride to reach Providencia.  Once there, you will find the largest collection of cottages and hotels in the small hamlet of Aguadulce on the stunning west coast of the island where you find yourself sunning on the most stunning beaches under the Colombian flag.

When to go and weather