COLOMBIA

Colombia at a glance

This fascinating land with its intriguing history has kept the world under its spell for a long time due to the political situation. Times have changed however and Colombia has now put itself firmly on the map as a tourist destination. Safety has returned to its streets, hope and trust have been restored in its people and the country is now referred to as the undiscovered gem of South America!

Colombia really offers something for all travel tastes with its interesting mix of history, culture, beauty and adventure. Tropical and idyllic coastlines with white sand and palms, lush colorful jungle, deserts with special rock formations, dramatic snow-peaked mountains and rainforests; the Colombian landscapes are stunning and have it all. For those that are more interested in culture, Colombia is home to over 87 different indigenous groups and hosts a myriad of beautiful and romantic colonial cities that seem to have stopped in time.

Colombians are friendly, very hospitable and genuinely proud of the fact that more and more foreigners are coming to visit their country now. Colombia offers a striking diversity of people and indigenous cultures, but all of them have something in common: they will be more than happy to show you around!

What not to miss in

COLOMBIA

Bogota

Built on a huge mountain platform, surrounded by beautiful green mountains, Colombia’s capital is home to a beautiful historical center. With people coming from all corners of the country, Bogota is as diverse as the entire country.

Cartagena

A romantic fairytale city, declared UNESCO World Heritage, Cartagena is surrounded by an impressive 13-kilometer long colonial stone wall. The inner city is made up of gorgeous cobbled alleys in which you will find elegant balconies packed with colorful flowers, massive churches and eye-catching terraces.

Coffee Triangle

The Coffee Triangle is Colombia´s largest coffee producing region. It is located in the middle of the country and characterized by its unique and colorful scenery, picturesque architecture and prosperous coffee farms (fincas).

Medellin

Also known as the city of eternal spring and once home to the infamous Pablo Escobar, Medellin is now Colombia’s most modern and innovative city.

Santa Marta

Santa Marta is the oldest city in Colombia, fringed by beautiful beaches and the stunning mountains of the Sierra Nevada. Santa Marta is the perfect base from which to explore the surrounding area.

Tayrona

National Park is located on Colombia’s northern Atlantic coast and covers 15.000 hectares, both underwater and on land. It includes bays, unspoilt beaches, coral reefs, lush vegetation and mountains to explore.

Villa de Leyva

Villa de Leyva was declared a national monument in 1954 and it seems like it has stopped in time since then with its the white houses and cobblestone streets. You may have seen it watching one of the Zorro movies, which were filmed in this photogenic town!

San Agustin

The wide valleys of San Agustin were once inhabited by two Pre-Columbian cultures, who used the hard rock found in the region to make huge life-sized statues representing anthropomorphic figures as well as sacred animals.

What you need

TO KNOW

colombia-safety
“The only risk is wanting to stay”, the slogan with which Colombia was put back on the world’s tourism map, embraces a turbulent past with a new hope and optimism about the future. Colombia is filled to the brim with outstandingly beautiful and culturally vibrant places to visit, and its incredibly friendly people are keen to throw off the shackles of Colombia’s tainted past and show the world that the future is bright, safe and full of opportunity. Of course visitors to the country should not be naïve and remain alert, as everywhere else. Keep your eyes open and realize that not everybody is as lucky as you are and if you get too comfortable someone may be tempted to relieve you from that camera or backpack. As in many other countries, there are still some risks and areas that you should avoid.

colombia-whentogo
Colombia has very constant and tropical, temperatures throughout the whole year because of its location near the Equator. However, depending on the city and the region you are visiting, temperatures range between 15 and 35 °C (59 °F – 95 °F). The country can be visited year round, but climates depend on the different geographical zones: tropical rainforests, savannas, deserts, steppes and mountains. You can experience completely different climates by just traveling a few hours. Averagely speaking however, Colombia knows two seasons: dry and wet. The wet season, although varying per zone, is from April to November.

colombia-family
As soon as we realized Colombia was ready to receive visitors again, in 2010, we went there as a family and returned several times since. Other then our first careful (adult only) stints in the early nineties, we have come to love Colombia as a family destination; safety is on top of the government’s agenda and all of the people we’ve met were friendly, helpful and caring to us and our 2 young kids. It probably helps that many Colombians have re-discovered their country and are traveling all over with their children as well. Most tourist attractions, restaurants and accommodations are geared up to receiving families, car rentals usually have booster seats available, and we have felt welcome everywhere we have gone so far.

colombia-gettingaround
Colombia is a large and mountainous country, which makes land travel a beautiful, but sometimes strenuous way to get to know her. Luckily for those with less time or need for road tripping, both Avianca and Lan have scheduled flights between all major cities. Next to this the public transportation network is well developed in the Coffee Region, fly-drives are a good option in several areas and airport shuttles and transfers are well-organized throughout the country. All in all, whether you like taking the wheel yourself or prefer to be chauffeured from place to place (or a mix of both!), Colombia is ready to be discovered by you…

Meet Our

TEAM LEADER

Zoraida studied Marketing and Merchandising in Colombia’s capital city of Bogota at the Politecnico Grancolombiano University. With over 15 years experience working in tourism, Zoraida is passionate about promoting Colombia’s stunning destinations, culture and history. When Global Encounter expanded its travel services to include Colombia, Zoraida joined the team and began working her way up to become the Colombia team leader where she has been able to thrive and share her passion for travel to Colombia.

GET IN TOUCH

Hi, my name is and I would like to receive more information or schedule a meeting. I am a . Please contact me at .