The Best Places to Visit in Colombia
Colombia is arguably the best country in South America for backpackers, and it is not a particularly close contest. There is so much to offer from crazy cities to the atmosphere of the jungle. It also is affordable, and the people are some of the warmest you will encounter anywhere on the continent. The reputation that kept travelers away for years is largely a thing of the past, and nowadays you’ll find so many young backpackers partying and having a great time in this amazing country.
Capital: Bogota
Currency: Colombian Peso
Language: Spanish
When to visit: December to March
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1) Santa Marta & Tayrona
Santa Marta is the vibrant gateway city to the stunning Tayrona National Park, and home to over 550,000 people. Tayrona is one of the most visited and most spectacular national parks in Colombia, being an absolutely beautiful stretch of Caribbean coastline right next to Colombian Jungle meaning you can explore it all in one go.
Things to do:
Starting in the city of Santa Marta, you have to check out the refurbished historic city center, all around Parque de los Novios and the Cathedral of Santa Marta. The main beach area is the neighborhood of El Rodadero just south of the city center, and this is where you can find most of the beach clubs, etc. The hostels in both Tayrona and Santa Marta are the best in Colombia, so spend a lot of time in your hostel participating in the activities and socializing. Once you get further out into Tayrona, you get to see some of the most stunning bays such as Cabo San Juan, and the best way to get there is hiking through the jungle and along the coast from El Zaino main entrance, AKA the El Zaino a Cabo San Juan Trail. The thing is, Cabo San Juan is very crowded, so to get off the beaten path check out beaches like Playa Arrecifes and La Piscina.
How to get there:
Simón Bolívar International Airport (SMR) offers domestic flight options from Bogota and Medellin daily.
You can also easily bus from Barranquilla and Cartagena.
2) Medellín
Medellin is Colombia’s second largest city, but it is definitely way more appealing for travelers over Bogota, hostel wise and energy wise. It has a history of being the most dangerous city on earth during the Pablo Escobar times, but nowadays it’s an innovate and creative place to visit.
Things to do:
El Poblado is where most visitors base themselves and it is the obvious place to start getting oriented. It is the most developed and tourist-friendly neighborhood in the city. Use the metro to get around here, as the city is large. The metro extends up the hills via cable car, so take it up to Santo Domingo Savio in Comuna 13, where you can find yourself some of the best views over the city. Communa 13 is a very very cool area, somewhat representative of the Favelas in Brazil. Back in the city center, the Parque de las Luces and the Plaza Botero are worth a visit for the collection of Fernando Botero sculptures that fill the plaza. Also here is The Museo de Antioquia. Some other cool areas are Laureles and El Poblado. If backpacking, I really recommend picking a good hostel here as the nightlife is amazing.
How to get there:
José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) with loads of international flights.
You can also take long distance buses from Bogota or Cali.
3) Guatape
Not very far east of Medellin is the incredibly unique small town of Guatape, one of the coolest places in the entire country. It’s crazy to me that this place is just outside the city of Medellin, but you have to visit because the reservoir the town is built on contains some of the greatest views in Colombia.
Things to do:
Aside from the amazing reservoir, El Peñón de Guatapé is the reason most people come. It’s basically a massive monolith sitting in the middle of the town which you can climb up via the 740 stairs taking you to the top. The view you get from the top is so so good, this is the main thing to do here and it is so worth coming just to get this sight. Of course, you can spend a couple hours in and around the town too, trying the food and drink, seeing the very aesthetic colorful streets and buildings, and just feeling the character of it all. If you want, lots of companies do offer options to get out on the reservoir via boat.
How to get there:
There are buses from Medellin every day taking about 2 hours.
4) Cartagena
Back up on the Caribbean coast near Santa Marta is the very very popular town of Cartagenas, known for it’s beauty amongst the colonial walls. It’s actually a pretty big city with around 1.1 million residents, and I recommend coming here before or after you got Santa Marta. Although it’s touristy it is still a must visit.
Things to do:
All the way on the west end is the Walled City (Ciudad Amuradalla), essentially the old town of Cartagena where all the colonial history is. It is quite literally one of the most beautiful areas in the continent in terms of architecture, so make sure you wander for a good bit of time checking out things like Catedral de Santa Catalina de Alejandría and the fortified walls around the area. The walls are also wide enough to walk the length of and get higher views. South of this area is the neighborhood of Getsemaní, and is the Afro-Colombian part of the city meaning it explodes with color as soon as you walk in, and it has that musical energy you’d expect. This whole area is the main part for tourists and the good part is that they’re right next to eachother. Once you’re done in this area, walk up the hill to the San Felipe de Barajas Fort, a very cool Spanish colonial fortress, with a complex tunnel system underneath. You could walk round this city forever, but my final recommendation is to take a boat trip off the coast to the Rosario Islands for at least a day.
How to get there:
Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG) has an abundance of flights from both American continents.
You can also take a bus from Santa Marta or Barranquilla easily.
5) Bogota
Now we can talk about the capital of Colombia, Bogota, home to a whopping 11 million people sitting at an altitude of more than 2600 meters. In all honestly, it is no where near as special as the other places on this list, but it’s still Colombia’s capital and worth a visit especially if you need a place to stop in between two points. It’s a big sprawling metropolis with some cool neighborhoods for sure.
Things to do:
La Candelaria is the historic heart of Bogotá and the place to start. It is a dense and fascinating neighborhood of colonial and republican architecture, with Plaza de Bolívar, Museo del Oro, the Casa de Nariño, the Catedral Primada de Colombia, and the Palacio de Justicia all within walking distance. Bogota does have a lot of really great buildings to be fair to it. The Pasaje Rivas market is also in this area and worth walking through. One of the best experiences you’ll find in the city (and the country) is to take the cable car up to Monserrate, which is 3,152 meters at the peak. You will get one of the most insane views of any urban area anywhere up here, it is my top recommendation for Bogota no contest. The Santuario de Monserrate religious complex is also at the summit, and a beautiful piece of architecture. If you want more to do, also check out the neighborhoods of Usaquén and La Macarena.
How to get there:
El Dorado International Airport (BOG) is one of the busiest airports in South America so there is lots of entry options all around.
You can also take a long bus from Medellin or Cali.
6) Coffee Axis
Colombia is one of the world’s largest producers of coffee, so I have to include what is known as ‘The Coffee Axis,” or “Eje Cafetero,” a whole region of volcanoes, hills, and valleys covered in coffee plantations. It’s a massive cultural landscape with some great base towns featuring old architecture too.
Things to do:
The main town to spend most your time in is gonna be Salento, a compact place with a lot of nice colorful buildings. Take an excursion from here to The Cocora Valley, a truly incredible experience. You’ll see palm trees over 60 meters tall here, and you can spend around 5 hours walking through here on most tours. It’s really better described in pictures, with the scale of the region being crazy. Coffee Farm tours are also pretty common here, and a good way to understand more of the process. Finca El Ocaso near Salento and Hacienda Venecia near Manizales are two of the best experiences in this category. From Salento, I think you should take transport up to Jardin which is yet another vibrant and stunning town, plus it is a bit bigger too.
How to get there:
Matecaña International Airport (PEI) is the closest airport to Salento and you can fly here from Bogota or Medellin.
Buses from Medellin and Bogota also run to other cities in the Coffee Axis like Armenia or Pereira.
7) Barichara
Again, not too far from Medellin is the old town of Barichara, another colonial town but this time with a bit of a different vibe. Instead of the vibrant colorful houses everywhere, Barichara is where you see cobbled streets and a rustic stone look which comes straight from the style of cities in Andalusia.
Things to do:
Since it is one of the coolest towns in the country, spend a lot of time just walking the hilly streets and checking every little alley and corner because every building here is genuinely so cool if you don’t see architectural styles like this very often. It is a pretty small town though, so you’ll find yourself in the main square of Prague Principal De Barichara, which is complimented by the amazing Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepcion. Further north is the Santa Barbara Chapel and Bioparque Móncora which has decent views of the landscape. The best viewpoint is called ‘Mirador Salto del Mico’ on Google Maps, so plug it in and head over there for sure. Barichara is definitely worth the visit from Medellin.
How to get there:
Buses are always running from Medellin.
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