Destination Colombia: Discover the Road Less Traveled
Written: Apr 26 '09 (Updated Apr 29 '09)
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Pros: Beautiful country, few tourist crowds, affordable
Cons: Some regions have security problems
The Bottom Line: There's amazing travel potential in Colombia. Pristine natural resources, unexplored back country, friendly people unjaded by hordes of tourists. Amazing potential...
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| mrkstvns's Full Review: Colombia |
Colombia is arguably the worst kept secret in South American travel. For years, travelers have avoided it because of constant violence and unrest --- but in recent years, things have changed radically for the better. The country has become safer than ever before and travelers are finding out what they've long suspected: Colombia is simply spectacular!
Best of all, it's still regarded as "off the beaten path" and very much for the adventurous souls only, which means that it's prime real estate for bargain hunters and people who like beating the crowds. This review describes a few of Colombia's highlights and gives you some ideas for getting the most out of a trip there.
Places and Things That Make Colombia Special...
Colombia is an amazing country with an abundance of natural treasures. Ecologically, it's got a fantastically diverse ecosystem that ranges from snow-capped Andean peaks to jungle wetlands. It's a great place for the green-blooded naturalist traveler as much as it is for the hot-blooded adventure traveler. There are beach resort areas just made for relaxation and white water rivers just made for adrenaline rushing excitement. How you slice and dice a Colombia trip is totally up to you and your interests.
A few of my top suggestions for ways to approach Colombia would be:
* Be a city person and enjoy the Urban Sophistication of the Andean Highland Cities
* Beach bum It! Enjoy the Surf, Sun and Sand of the Caribbean Coast and Isles
* Get off the beaten path and explore some Small Towns That Preserve Colombia's Colonial Past
* Head back-country and explore the Marvels of the Natural World
* Get into Colombian art, music, literature or history by exploring the Gems of a Vibrant Culture
Urban Sophistication in the Andean Highland Cities...
Many of Colombia's large cities are at least a mile high, nestling comfortably in the valleys of the northern Andes mountains. These cities enjoy a surprisingly cool climate for being just a few hundred miles north of the equator, and that kind of climate is very inviting to foreign visitors (it also means you don't have to worry about tropical diseases like malaria or dengue, like you do in the lowlands, because the mosquitos that carry those illnesses can't live at such high elevations).
Besides the obvious attraction of culture, nightlife, great climate, and the healthier environment, you also get to enjoy some fabulous mountain scenery. Plus, most of the cities are located within easy driving distance of fascinating weekend or day-trip destinations. Plenty to do, plenty to see!
Colombia's three major highland cities are Bogota, Medellin, and Cali. They each have their charms.
Bogota is the nation's capital, and as such, it's where you'll find the monuments and historical museums that contribute to Colombia's national identity. It's also the country's largest city, and its cultural hub. There's dozens of museums in Bogota, some delightful city plazas and parks, and historic neighborhoods that ooze colonial style and heritage. It's the country's transportation hub as well, with the busiest international airport and easy connections to every other part of the country. Spend a week just catching the best of the city's museums, or spend several weeks and take a Spanish course in any of the many affordable language programs.
Medellin just might be the most livable of the major Colombian cities. It calls itself "the city of eternal spring", and indeed, the average temperatures, summer, winter, spring, or fall, are all just about the same. There's limited historic appeal to Medellin, but the nightlife and cultural sides of the city are excellent and the people are so welcoming and friendly that most visitors have to be dragged kicking and screaming back onto the plane back home. (Maybe a slight exaggeration, but the city IS nice.)
Cali is a bit warmer than either Bogota or Medellin, and perhaps the few degrees of extra heat in the afternoons is what gets the locals' blood boiling for hot salsa in the city's myriad nightclubs (especially in and around Juanchito). You can learn some salsa steps just about anywhere in Colombia, but Cali is the city that claims the music and the dance as its own. Generally, there's fewer significant historical or cultural sites to see in Cali than in Bogota or Medellin, but they're famous for their annual Feria de Cali in December, and at any time of the year, there's ample things to see and do to occupy a few pleasant days and nights.
Sun and Sand of the Caribbean Coast and Isles...
Colombia has a long coastline, with hundreds of miles along the southern edge of the Caribbean sea and hundreds more miles along the Pacific coast. There are a handful of small islands just off the northern coast (within easy boating day-trip distance from coastal cities), as well as the larger Caribbean islands of San Andres and Providencia, north of Panama. Though the Caribbean coast has long been popular with foreign tourists (especially the historic port city of Cartagena), the Pacific coast remains largely isolated and undeveloped, with the exception of a few smaller ports. Historically, the Pacific coast has been a rougher, more remote area, and even today, parts of it are risky for the foreigner as they remain some of Colombia's few regions where FARC rebels and paramilitary bandits continue to assert their power. (So stick to the Caribbean coast...)
The best places in Colombia to enjoy a seaside retreat are:
* Cartagena
* San Andres
Cartagena is the most popular coastal city in Colombia, and even when most of the country was experiencing record violence a decade or two ago, Cartagena remained largely isolated from the worst of it and foreign tourists never abandoned it like they did the rest of Colombia. Cartagena remains one of the safest corners of Colombia and it is an area that is especially welcoming to foreigners. It's also a beautiful city in its own right with a fascinating and colorful past, full of tales of Spanish conquistadors, marauding pirates, revolutionaries, and coastal traders to and from every corner of the globe. There's also miles of beaches, along with water sports and dive shops --- not to mention plenty of clubs where the music doesn't stop until the sun comes back up.
San Andres and Providencia are twin Caribbean islands located roughly 3 degrees due north of Panama. Though part of Colombia, these islands have an odd creole flavor that's more of a cross between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. The native population is largely of African stock and they speak a creole type of English, liberally laced with Spanish. Providencia is the smaller, less populated island while San Andres Town on the big island is where everything other than beach loafing happens.
These aren't the only places to enjoy some seaside relaxation --- there are plenty of others. There are beaches within easy daytrip reach of Barranquilla, and while the seaside city of Santa Marta might not be very tourist focused, there are small towns like Taganga, just 15 minutes away by taxi, that will give you the seclusion and water sports you crave (not to mention fresh fish cooked on the beach right before your eyes as you suck down a few icy cold Club Colombia beers).
Small Towns That Preserve a Nation's Colonial Past...
Some of the big cities, like Bogota or Cartagena, are good places to see colonial architecture. They have historic neighborhoods that preserve the flavor of Spanish colonialism. Other cities, like Medellin, have preserved very little of their past. Throughout Colombia there are numerous small towns where modernism has been kept at bay and where the flavor and character of long-past centuries can still be experienced.
Some of the more interesting small colonial towns include:
* Santa Elena
* Santa Fe de Antioquia
* Villa de Leyva
* Raquira and Villa de Candelaria
Santa Elena and Santa Fe de Antioquia are each about 45 minutes by car from downtown Medellin (though in different directions). They're small towns that were largely bypassed as "progress" focused its sights squarely on Medellin --- leaving the countryside to stagnate in its old-fashioned ways. Both towns are good day trips or weekend getaways from Medellin, which of course, means that tourists who want quieter, more tranquil visits would do well to visit Monday through Friday.
Similarly, the towns of Villa de Leyva and Raquira are getaway spots for people living in Bogota and are also quieter during the week. The towns were settled in the 16th century and have plenty of old-fashioned adobe construction, cobblestone streets, and colonial flavor. (There's also a paleontology museum in Villa de Leyva that can be fun for folks who dig dinosaur fossils). If that's still not enough colonialism for you, consider heading to Barichara as well.
Marvels of the Natural World...
Colombia has some spectacular scenery. Unfortunately, much of the back country is still largely avoided for security reasons, though some of Colombia's 34 national parks are becoming increasingly safe and are drawing eco-travelers and local Colombians alike.
Near Bogota, the Parque Nacional Chicaque is safe to visit and is a good place to experience a rugged rain forest. It's a bit tougher to explore than the rain forests of Costa Rica, where you find lots of cleared trails and zip line canopy tours (it's only a matter of time, I'm sure, before you start seeing these spring up in Colombia too).
Just east of Santa Marta is the popular Parque Nacional Tayrona with its seemingly endless miles of natural Caribbean coastline. This is a big park, and as you head inland, the elevation starts climbing into the Andean foothills and you get dense tropical rain forests. There's campsites available in the park, and an archaeological exhibit tells the tale of the Tayrona people who populated this region.
Aside from the national parks, two areas that stand out are the Amazon Basin and the Zona Cafetera.
The Amazon Basin is a dense jungle region laced with rivers and streams feeding into the Amazon. It's possible to get into this region with a light plane to Leticia. Amazon tourism is nowhere near as popular in Colombia as it is in neighboring Brazil, Ecuador, or Peru...which could work to your favor if you're the type who can deal effectively with locals and is comfortable "rolling your own".
La Zona Cafetera is the world-famous region of cool misty mountains where some of the world's most flavorful coffee is grown. We've all seen the commercials of Juan Valdez hand-picking his country's second-most famous export crop, and La Zona Cafetera is where Juan Valdez (and his mule) live and work. Fly into Manizales and explore from there...
Gems of a Vibrant Culture...
A great way to travel to any foreign country is to take a class in some aspect of the culture (language, history, cooking, dance) and soak it up. You could also do a bit of research and focus on some theme....like the life of a famous writer or artist, or perhaps tracing the path of the Spanish conquistadors, or the road to rebellion by following the route of Simon Bolivar --- The Great Liberator of South America.
Spanish language schools are an obvious way to get cultural insight, plus most larger cities have several schools offering total immersion courses that let you study during the day and practice in the afternoon and evening with cultural activities. It might be fun to stay with a family in a small town, though there will certainly be more choice of programs in cities like Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena.
If you have a literary mindset, look into the life and writings of Gabriel Garcia Marquez --- he's the most famous writer in Colombia, and while I might not want to experience "Love in the Time of Cholera", I could dig on learning more about the man and his work. Same goes for Fernando Botero --- Colombia's most famous modern artist. Botero is famous for his plus-size subjects and you'll find excellent collections of his work in both Bogota and his hometown, Medellin.
Dance classes or music lessons could be another fun way to really get inside the Colombia travel experience. Of course, rock is popular everywhere in Colombia and the country's most famous rock stars include Shakira and Juanes. If you're into dancing, pick up some salsa lessons: Cali is home to Colombia's hottest salsa scene, though there's salsa studios in the other cities as well. If you really want to get into some Colombian flavor, try some of the Andino folk music styles, or maybe even see if vallenato suits your ears. Either way, you'll definitely know you're not in Kansas anymore...(Gracias a Dios.)
Logistics of Getting Around in Colombia...
Getting around in Colombia is fairly straightforward. Use airlines for anything over a couple hundred miles (both for safety as well as cost effectiveness) and use buses to get between neighboring cities in well-controlled parts of the country. Within cities and their environs, taxis are usually the most convenient way to get around and generally safer and easier for foreign travelers than trying to negotiate city bus systems. The exception is Bogota, which has a very good centralized bus system. In Medellin, consider using the Metro system --- it's extremely modern, safe, and affordable, plus it connects with a system of cable cars --- called MetroCable --- the only such mass transit system I've ever seen.
For air travel, there are many options and flights between Colombian cities are usually quite affordable. The largest airline in Colombia, and the best for international flights, is Avianca. The government runs an airline called Satena that can get you into cities and regions not adequately covered by commercial flights. Regional carriers, such as ADA can be very good options if you're in a region they serve. Low-fare carriers, such as EasyFly, are becoming increasingly popular for budget leisure travelers, just as they are in the rest of the world.
Bottom Line...
There's a lot of reasons to visit Colombia. Spectacular scenery, vibrant culture, sophisticated cities, and pristine wilderness. It's virgin territory for the intrepid adventure traveler or the consummate bargain hound. Experience it now....before the secret gets out!
Buen viaje!
Closely Related Reviews...
* Bogota, Colombia
* Medellin, Colombia
* Santa Fe de Antioquia, Colombia
* Paragliding in Colombia
* Drinking Beer in Colombia
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Singles
Best Time to Travel Here: Anytime
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