Colombia's Coffee Region is dotted with small pueblos where life has changed little over the past century. Towns like Salento, Pijao, and Filandia still retain the same colonial air of yesteryear, when coffee farmers brought their product to market along old country roads. This list includes the best towns to visit, plus vibrant cities and also backcountry areas where you can experience Colombia's stunning landscapes.
The mountains and valleys outside Medellín, in the department of Antioquia, offer a variety of excellent attractions and great day trips. These include the well-preserved colonial town of Santa Fé de Antioquia to the west, fragrant flower farms to the east, and the lush Coffee Triangle of Juan Valdez fame to the south. The following top 5 sites and activities make great add-ons to your city exploration.
Colombia’s cosmopolitan capital is jam-packed with fun, educational, and richly rewarding things to see and do for the whole family. Plus, this nation boasts a warm culture in which children come first. Here’s are some favorite activities and venues that families with kids of all ages will love.
Superb natural and historic destinations surround Bogotá, enough to keep visitors busy for several days. For travelers keen on the outdoors, high altitude air, hikes of varying difficulty and some culture beyond Bogotá, here are a few ideas for day trips around the Colombian capital.
Repelling down waterfalls, rafting turbulent rivers, paragliding over cities and navigating steep trails on a mountain bike are just a few of the epic adventures you can have in Colombia. Throw in diving, trekking, kiteboarding and bungee jumping and you have a full plate of adrenaline-fueled options. This article describes the best ways to get your heart pumping in Colombia.
With its colorful street life, intriguing colonial history, and tons of museums, Cartagena is fun for the whole family. The cobbled streets of the Walled City echo with the memories of conquistadores, as well as the calls of palenqueras (Afro-Caribbean women selling fruits). Here are some ideas that will guarantee a happy family holiday in Cartagena.
Medellín is a fabulous place for families with kids—from bicycling in the surrounding mountains to a tremendous zoo and botanical garden, the options are endless. And family travel is easy and safe: Colombians adore children and hotels are generally family-friendly, making it easy to plan a trip and check these fun activities off your list.
Medellin is not only the city of eternal spring, but also the city of eternal adventure. Despite a short but refreshing rainy season, great weather can be found year-round. The following top 5 adventures are readily accessible from Medellin, and take in some of the most beautiful rivers, mighty cordilleras, and best day adventures in Colombia.
Colombia is a land for dreamers, and those dreaming of outdoor excursions will not be disappointed. If high-endurance, multi-day trekking isn't your thing, don't worry—there are shorter options in every corner of the nation. No matter the environment in which you find yourself, rest assured that lush scenery and stellar viewpoints abound.
Bogotá is a pulsating South American metropolis where well-preserved colonial-era neighborhoods mix with 21st-century glass and steel. While its impressive museums and architecture rank high on the list of things to see, the best experiences will be your own exploration of historic neighborhoods on bike or foot. Let this guide direct you toward the best Bogotá has to offer.
The Amazon rainforest is the world’s green lung, a beautiful but actually quite fragile region where strange and exotic birds and animals share their forest home with hunter-gatherer jungle tribes, and where you can leave the motorized, industrialized world behind and disappear off into the jungle, or just take a boat ride up the world’s mightiest river, check out the wildlife and meet the indigenous people. Way off the beaten track, this is our guide to this remote and exotic region.
Coffee tasting tours and visits to coffee farms rank high in any visit to this region. But Colombia's Coffee Region also offers a number of exciting activities for outdoor enthusiasts, including hiking, horse riding, and mountain biking. When it's time to slow down you can relax in thermal baths. This list highlights the best things to do in the caffeine capital of Colombia.
Cartagena’s cobblestone streets, colorful buildings, and bougainvillea-covered balconies are simply magic. But there is much to Cartagena than just its romantic Old City. This list offers a number of great options, from exploring old forts, to eating great seafood and lazing on white sand beaches.
Steamy Cali is where salsa clubs boom long after midnight and welcoming locals can be found dancing in parks — this is the salsa capital of the world. Beyond salsa, the city has historic neighborhoods, excellent hiking, delectable street food and more. This guide shows off 9 of the best things to do in Cali.
Wedged into a narrow valley framed by Andean mountains, Colombia’s second-largest city boasts a setting to delight the senses. From a cable car ride into edgy Barrio Santo Domingo to a sensational night of salsa, there’s an astounding array of fantastic things to see and experience. Here are the best things not to be missed.
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona (Tayrona National Park) is one of about 58 national parks in Colombia, and this protected area is known for having some of the most virgin coastal landscapes in the entire country. Indeed, it's home to one of the most iconic "postcard" destinations in Colombia: the...
La Guajira is almost a world apart from the green and tropical Colombia most travelers know. The arid desert landscapes in this region are foreboding yet beautiful, with the sun-scorched earth and steep red dunes tapering off into the azure waters of the Caribbean. The most epic landscapes here...
A few hours south of Bogotá lies the Serranía de la Macarena mountain range, which is also home to a national park founded in 1971. It's an area of great bio-diversity, as it's a convergence point for three different regions of Colombia: the Amazon, Andes, and the Orinoco River lands. This...
Salento is a gem of a Spanish-colonial town and a popular tourist destination in Colombia's coffee region. However, the town isn't the only highlight; just beyond Salento's borders lies an expanse of unspoiled country known as the Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley). Green for days and boasting...
Cartagena de Indias is not only a beautiful Caribbean coastal destination, but it's also one of the most well-preserved Spanish Colonial cities in South America. Back when the Spaniards were in charge, they utilized a network of offshore islands to help protect their shipments of gold. Beyond...
The only thing better than a chocolate tour is one that involves preparing that chocolate from scratch, directly from cacao beans. This is what's in store at the "Bean to Bar" workshop in the ChocoMuseo (Chocolate Museum) located in Parque Bolívar, Cartagena. Over two hours, participants learn...
A mere 50 minutes north of Bogotá lies the town of Zipaquirá, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. While certainly a charming colonial town, Zipaquirá is a must-visit Colombian destination for one single landmark: the Salt Cathedral, located just outside of town. This is indeed a...
The village of Barichara, located in Colombia's northern-central department of Santander, might just be the most well-preserved colonial town in the entire country. Moreover, this gem is surrounded by beautiful Andes mountains abounding with waterfalls, rivers, and canyons perfect for exploring....
Cartagena, abounding as it is with cobbled streets lined by colonial homes with bougainvilia-draped balconies, is a city that begs to be explored on foot. And a guided walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage walled city (Old Town) is the perfect way to do this. It's a brisk 2.5-hour tour that...
The town of Guatapé is one of the crown jewels of central Colombia's Antioquia region. There are a few reasons for this, not the least of which is El Peñol, a 7,000-foot (2,135-meter) granite rock that rises out of the ground like a giant silver bullet. A private eight-hour tour of the town...
The drawback to Colombia is that the country is so beautiful that many perfectly lovely areas often get overlooked. The nation's Boyacá Department is one such place. This highland region near to Bogotá has a rich history (it's the site of a turning point in the war for independence), and it's...
The rich culture of Colombia is found in many places, from its people to its music to its unrivaled natural beauty. And of course it's found in the food. This cooking lesson allows visitors to discover one of the most delicious regional dishes of Colombia: ajiaco. The class is held at a...
It's fitting that Salento, one of the most beautiful colonial towns in Colombia, is surrounded by the Valle de Cocora (Cocora Valley), which happens to be one of the most beautiful valleys in Colombia. This fertile region, denoted by rolling green hills, abounds with various coffee estates that...
The city of Medellín, located in central Colombia's Antioquia region, is a true global success story. Once plagued by cartel violence, over the past 20 years it has turned itself around to become a model of safety, boasting a mass-transit system second to none. This six-hour tour begins in...
A 20-minute flight north from the island of San Andres lies Providencia. This small, tear-drop-shaped island is the heartland of Afro-Caribbean Raizal culture in Colombia. Beaches are few compared to San Andrés; however, there are several sites of interest, most of which are accessible by hiking....
Bogotá is one of Latin America's most interesting and historic capital cities. At one time it was the seat of government for the new South American republic after independence from Spain. Believe it or not, many historic landmarks from those independence years still stand in Bogotá even now. A...
