First of all, remember that it's not Columbia, like in the U.S. It's Col-O-mbia . COLOMBIA! :D
If you are still planning your itinerary in Colombia, you might want to consider taking a look at my subjective insights on what I consider are the best places to visit in my country...
My top five:
1. TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK - near Santa Marta, on the Atlantic coast:
I can't believe I waited so long to go there! I was there in 2011 and it IS heaven on earth to me, compared to the rest of the beaches in Colombia I'd been to. Just bring a very small bag with you , and a camping tent if you prefer (or just rent one, or a hammock there), since there's a three-hour walk that you could take up to the first beach (OR you might ride a horse to get in and out). You can get a full display of beaches that differ from one another (or so they say... I haven't seen them all) from that one where you can't swim but stay near the entrance, to the clean, beutiful nudist beaches. I recommend the Tayrona over any other place in Colombia because it's the only one where I have felt it's THE place to escape from it all. Hot weather, of course.
2.CARTAGENA:
It's one of the cutest and most romantic cities we have, full of history and lots of places to visit by walking. But it's rather expensive to fly there sometimes, and keep in mind that especially to people who look like foreigners, salespeople will always try to overcharge you wherever you go. By always I mean every two to five minutes, until you discover that the only thing you can do to avoid them is not establishing eye contact whatsoever. People there are REALLY outgoing and laidback. Great night life if you contact the right CSers. If not, just enjoy walking down its beautiful streets, taking photos, eating nice food at nice-looking restaurants. The beaches are not as clean or white as in other cities, but you can take a little boat to see less touristic ones like gorgeous 'Barú'. Hot weather.
Big Bonus: the cold version of Cartagena is Villa de Leyva, in Boyacá, bout 4 hours from Bogotá if you take into account the hour it takes to actually get out of Bogotá. Reeeeeeeally romantic town, and perfect for walking and practicing sports around the town during the day (hiking, horse-back riding, speleology, rappeling...) as well as for 'romancing' or drinking at the central plaza at night. That's by far my favorite place in Colombia. Hotels are usually owned by families, so you can feel as if CSing sometimes, or you can camp near the main cathedral. Warm weather during the day, and a bit chilly at night.
3. BOGOTA: The capital:
A must-see. Maaaaaany free places, cultural activities, museums, libraries and parks to go to. Commuting is a pain in the neck (especially during rush hours if you use the "Transmilenio", the massive transportation system), so be patient and enjoy the ride somehow. People are sometimes hostile, just as it could happen in any capital city, but never to foreigners. This is partly due to the fact that everyone comes from a different region of Colombia, there's little sense of belonging, but almost every traveler enjoys Bogotá for one reason or another. There are maaany things to do and see here! . Kind of cold weather. We don't have seasons per se here, so keep in mind that we don't have central heating almost anywhere in Colombia, so you might get a little bit chilly sometimes.
4. The Coffee Region : THE COCORA VALLEY
The coffee triangle is made up of three cities: Manizales, Armenia, and Pereira. Surrounding this triangle you can find lots of places which offer an incredible scenery, apart from the experience that is visiting farms where the best coffee in the world is grown. However, there is this one magical place near Salento, which holds one of Colombia's biggest treasures: the Wax Palm Trees, the tallest palm trees in the world! the view is majestic! if you go early in the morning, you can take a 3-hour hike to see all from above. If not, you can just walk inside this natural park and feel how tiny we humans are compared to the vastness of nature. Lie down and look at the sky, rest a bit, read for a while, or better: hug a palm tree, as old as nay of your human ancestors!
5. MEDELLIN and CALI:
Medellín is as we call it, an "intermediate city" here. Famous for incrediby friendly people (and for generally attractive women and men if that matters), nice food and good quality clothes. Distinctive architecture in comparison to many other cities in Colombia and very nice museums. Typical food can be really heavy, but you have to try "bandeja paisa". Warm weather (the perfect weather, in my opinion).
And Cali is the capital of salsa --and to many, the capital of plastic surgeries. I wouldn't particularly say that Cali has many icons to visit, but people are Very nice and friendly there. Cali's two hours from the pacific ocean, so it's easy to treat yourself to a nice beach retreat, or to San Cipriano. Expensive food sometimes, but it's so easy and fast to commute that being there is very pleasant! fantastic hot weather, especially after 5 p.m., when if gets windy, and people can have a drink at an outdoor restaurant and enjoy the view (did I mention the plastic surgeries?), and get ready to party!!! no, salsa in cali is nothing like salsa online that Europeans know, or the ballroom dancing salsa like as seen in U.S. Salsa in Cali is different. It's unique.
BONUS:
The overrated: personally I wouldn't go on my first trip to Colombia to cities that seem to offer comparatively 'less fun' to a traveler, like Popayán, Barranquilla -except if you go in February, when they have their famous carnival-, Pereira, or Pasto...but everyone has a different taste for places. I have been to all of them, and people have been so nice, that I wanted to stay longer, but again, it all depends on your taste. Now, if you want to see the most beautiful parks of Colombia, I recommend Manizales, especially I'd suggest visiting the "Yarumos" park, where hiking and rappel are some of the best I've tried! You'll end up all wet and muddy!
It's also worth mentioning that -as far as I remember- there are about 46 officially registered natural reservations in Colombia if you prefer keeping it more nature-oriented.
The underrated: Amazonas (the most southern point) or Guajira (the most northern point): both super exotic! to go there sometimes you have to get some vaccinations in advance, so check before you come here; you don't want to risk getting sick, right? Mosquitoes can be merciless in both places, but in both places you can see some of the most amazing sunrises and sunsets in Colombia, plus you get to eat exotic food and to sleep in a hammock if you like. Really hot and humid weather.
For further information on what to do in different cities in Colombia, check http://www.turiscolombia.com/ferias_festivales_fiestas_colombia.html
If you are still planning your itinerary in Colombia, you might want to consider taking a look at my subjective insights on what I consider are the best places to visit in my country...
My top five:
1. TAYRONA NATIONAL PARK - near Santa Marta, on the Atlantic coast:
I can't believe I waited so long to go there! I was there in 2011 and it IS heaven on earth to me, compared to the rest of the beaches in Colombia I'd been to. Just bring a very small bag with you , and a camping tent if you prefer (or just rent one, or a hammock there), since there's a three-hour walk that you could take up to the first beach (OR you might ride a horse to get in and out). You can get a full display of beaches that differ from one another (or so they say... I haven't seen them all) from that one where you can't swim but stay near the entrance, to the clean, beutiful nudist beaches. I recommend the Tayrona over any other place in Colombia because it's the only one where I have felt it's THE place to escape from it all. Hot weather, of course.
2.CARTAGENA:
It's one of the cutest and most romantic cities we have, full of history and lots of places to visit by walking. But it's rather expensive to fly there sometimes, and keep in mind that especially to people who look like foreigners, salespeople will always try to overcharge you wherever you go. By always I mean every two to five minutes, until you discover that the only thing you can do to avoid them is not establishing eye contact whatsoever. People there are REALLY outgoing and laidback. Great night life if you contact the right CSers. If not, just enjoy walking down its beautiful streets, taking photos, eating nice food at nice-looking restaurants. The beaches are not as clean or white as in other cities, but you can take a little boat to see less touristic ones like gorgeous 'Barú'. Hot weather.
Big Bonus: the cold version of Cartagena is Villa de Leyva, in Boyacá, bout 4 hours from Bogotá if you take into account the hour it takes to actually get out of Bogotá. Reeeeeeeally romantic town, and perfect for walking and practicing sports around the town during the day (hiking, horse-back riding, speleology, rappeling...) as well as for 'romancing' or drinking at the central plaza at night. That's by far my favorite place in Colombia. Hotels are usually owned by families, so you can feel as if CSing sometimes, or you can camp near the main cathedral. Warm weather during the day, and a bit chilly at night.
3. BOGOTA: The capital:
A must-see. Maaaaaany free places, cultural activities, museums, libraries and parks to go to. Commuting is a pain in the neck (especially during rush hours if you use the "Transmilenio", the massive transportation system), so be patient and enjoy the ride somehow. People are sometimes hostile, just as it could happen in any capital city, but never to foreigners. This is partly due to the fact that everyone comes from a different region of Colombia, there's little sense of belonging, but almost every traveler enjoys Bogotá for one reason or another. There are maaany things to do and see here! . Kind of cold weather. We don't have seasons per se here, so keep in mind that we don't have central heating almost anywhere in Colombia, so you might get a little bit chilly sometimes.
4. The Coffee Region : THE COCORA VALLEY
The coffee triangle is made up of three cities: Manizales, Armenia, and Pereira. Surrounding this triangle you can find lots of places which offer an incredible scenery, apart from the experience that is visiting farms where the best coffee in the world is grown. However, there is this one magical place near Salento, which holds one of Colombia's biggest treasures: the Wax Palm Trees, the tallest palm trees in the world! the view is majestic! if you go early in the morning, you can take a 3-hour hike to see all from above. If not, you can just walk inside this natural park and feel how tiny we humans are compared to the vastness of nature. Lie down and look at the sky, rest a bit, read for a while, or better: hug a palm tree, as old as nay of your human ancestors!
5. MEDELLIN and CALI:
Medellín is as we call it, an "intermediate city" here. Famous for incrediby friendly people (and for generally attractive women and men if that matters), nice food and good quality clothes. Distinctive architecture in comparison to many other cities in Colombia and very nice museums. Typical food can be really heavy, but you have to try "bandeja paisa". Warm weather (the perfect weather, in my opinion).
And Cali is the capital of salsa --and to many, the capital of plastic surgeries. I wouldn't particularly say that Cali has many icons to visit, but people are Very nice and friendly there. Cali's two hours from the pacific ocean, so it's easy to treat yourself to a nice beach retreat, or to San Cipriano. Expensive food sometimes, but it's so easy and fast to commute that being there is very pleasant! fantastic hot weather, especially after 5 p.m., when if gets windy, and people can have a drink at an outdoor restaurant and enjoy the view (did I mention the plastic surgeries?), and get ready to party!!! no, salsa in cali is nothing like salsa online that Europeans know, or the ballroom dancing salsa like as seen in U.S. Salsa in Cali is different. It's unique.
BONUS:
The overrated: personally I wouldn't go on my first trip to Colombia to cities that seem to offer comparatively 'less fun' to a traveler, like Popayán, Barranquilla -except if you go in February, when they have their famous carnival-, Pereira, or Pasto...but everyone has a different taste for places. I have been to all of them, and people have been so nice, that I wanted to stay longer, but again, it all depends on your taste. Now, if you want to see the most beautiful parks of Colombia, I recommend Manizales, especially I'd suggest visiting the "Yarumos" park, where hiking and rappel are some of the best I've tried! You'll end up all wet and muddy!
It's also worth mentioning that -as far as I remember- there are about 46 officially registered natural reservations in Colombia if you prefer keeping it more nature-oriented.
The underrated: Amazonas (the most southern point) or Guajira (the most northern point): both super exotic! to go there sometimes you have to get some vaccinations in advance, so check before you come here; you don't want to risk getting sick, right? Mosquitoes can be merciless in both places, but in both places you can see some of the most amazing sunrises and sunsets in Colombia, plus you get to eat exotic food and to sleep in a hammock if you like. Really hot and humid weather.
For further information on what to do in different cities in Colombia, check http://www.turiscolombia.com/ferias_festivales_fiestas_colombia.html
Mucho buena info :) Really nice ! gracias for all the beautiful writing !
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