Highlights

• Bogotá, the capital city in the Andes Mountains
• Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
• Cartagena, a historical colonial city by the Caribbean sea
• Medillín, a large city in the mountainous region
• Coffee Axis, mid-western region for coffee
• Try some of the boutique coffee roasters in the cities
• Cocora Valley
• Tatacoa desert landscape with its red rocks
• Amazon rain forest near Leticia
• Cali for salsa dancing and nightlife
• Providencia Island and and San Andrés Islands for beaches
• Guatapé and climbing El Peñol rock formation
• San Agustín Archaeological Park

Before you go

• US and UK citizens do not need a visa to stay for up to 90 days as a tourist. However, at immigration be prepared to show your flight and hotel confirmations if asked
• Many places accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards. The exceptions are small restaurants, taxis and some small businesses. It’s always good to have some cash
• Cash machines are often busy and/or out of money so plan ahead
• There is a tipping culture and for restaurants, usually 10% service charge or propinas is added
• Do not wear jewellery or be flashy
• Public bathrooms may not have paper so carry some tissues with you. There may also be a small cash fee
• Catholicism is the majority religion
• Independence Day is 20th July
• Most people I met including my tour guide did not speak English so a translation app is useful for Spanish

Transport

• El Dorado International Airport is the largest airport, located to the west of Bogotá. It’s not very far but the traffic can be heavy, so allow an hour for a taxi to get there
• On arrival, my hotel sent a taxi to pick me up for 70,000 COP. That seemed to be the going rate, and I felt more comfortable being met by someone with my name on a sign. There are also official taxis from the airport and guys with signs trying to get business
• Internal flights are common and Colombia has many other airports around the country
• Long distance buses travel around the country if you have more time. Train travel is under-developed so not really an option to get around
• I used Get Your Guide to find local guide drivers. The guides were very nice but one of the “English-speaking” guides could not speak any English

Accommodation

• During my two stays in Bogotá, I stayed at the Best Western Parque 93, which was in a nice area with many restaurants and cafes. It was safe to walk around and peaceful. There were many hotels in the area, and a Colombian friend had recommended to stay there for the neighbourhood
• In Cartagena, I stayed at Hotel Santa Catalina right in the centre of the Old Town. It was a great location and easy to get around to all of the sights. Breakfast was great and it was fun to try some local foods, especially the breads
• As usual I recommend checking reviews on Google Reviews or using AirBnB

Currency

The Colombian peso (COP) is the currency of Colombia. As of January 2025, one British pound is about 5,481 pesos. Interestingly, the currency sign is $ just like the US dollar

I recommend to check the currency conversion just before you leave as this fluctuates

Food

The food in Colombia was varied and delicious! I wish I had time to try more of the local specialties. Below, I will write about the types of food, and then make specific suggestions in the city posts.

Snacks

First, and my favourite, were the Arepas, a fried corn flatbread filled with cheese, meat and/or eggs. In Cartagena, the specialty is Arepa de huevo with egg. People will queue to get them from the well-known street stalls.

The tamales were interesting, as they looked different to the Mexican version I am familiar with. These were larger and wrapped in green leaves. However, the corn meal is similar and the filling can be chicken, meat, fish, potatoes or eggs.

Cheese was very popular in the food including hot cocoa with cheese and a type of cheese bread called almojábana.

Achira toast biscuits are crunchy snacks that are easy to snack on by the nandful. It’s hard to describe the taste but they are made with achira flour, and can be found in supermarkets. In addition, there are many varieties of plantain and cassava chips, which can be sweet or savoury.

Bollo bread is a traditional bun that can be made with corn, yuca, or potatoes.

Finally, the main dessert I saw was dulce de lèche, a sweet caramel. There were cakes and other sweets, including nut or coconut candy, but that was the one I saw the most. In addition, there were many delicious and fresh tropical fruits. And a guava paste that reminded me of a cross between jam and gummy candy.

Main Meal

While I was in Bogotá, I was happy to find the Ajiaco soup which I had heard so much about. It is made with chicken and three types of potatoes, and then topped with many things including avocado, corn, capers and cream. It’s very filling and was great on a cold, rainy day.

Sancocho soup is another specialty made with meat, plantain, potato, cassava and other vegetables.

Seafood and fish were the main dishes by the Caribbean sea. I was happy to seafood soup and grilled fish and seafood. And on the side the coconut rice was a local specialty along with either savoury or sweet plantains.

Finally, there were a lot of meat dishes at most restaurants. When I first arrived, I had both chicharrón (deep fried pork belly) and chorizo at a local restaurant.