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Editors
note: Paisatours.com does not offer any travel related services - we
are not a tour operator, nor a travel agency. This website is
Colombia's most popular independent online travel guide. Here we try to
offer honest, impartial advice for independent travellers to Colombia -
to book a trip, consider checking the page on recommended travel
agencies.
Many
who haven't travelled to Colombia mistakenly imagine the country as a
dangerous land of drugs, guerrillas and rainforests. However, those who
do travel to Colombia, discover something very different, and many
visitors find it to be their favourite vacation destination in all of
South America. Large parts of Colombia are perfectly safe for travel,
while in other areas caution must be taken.
Colombia
is one of the few countries in Latin America that genuinely has almost
everything travel wise - amazing beaches, rainforests tours and jungle
lodges, archaeological ruins and sites, colonial towns oozing charm,
buzzing nightlife and trendy hotels in cosmopolitan modern cities,
wildlife viewing tours and whale watching trips, scuba diving,
fantastic trekking, rafting and adventure tours and beautiful and
welcoming locals. One could easily spend up to two months travelling
around Colombia. For for those less on time, this online Colombia
travel guide should help choose where to visit on your vacation.
This
Colombia travel guide is separated into four distinct sections: browse
either by destinations (regionalized - on the left), or by activities, or see the Colombia travel videos,
or check out the frequently asked
questions section. Alternatively, see the sitemap for all the sections.
Colombia's
Caribbean Coast
Newly opened luxury boutique hotel Deep Blue on Providencia Island has
a spectacular location and offers visitors the chance to explore one of
the Caribbean's most idyllic and unspoilt islands in style, see www.hoteldeepblue.com.
The
top travel highlight is Cartegena,
quite possibly Latin America's most beautiful colonial city, a must see
on all vacations to Colombia and a great place to stay in a luxury boutique hotel.
There's nearby fantastic beaches
at both the Rosario Islands
and Park Tayrona
(the best beaches in South America?). The beach resort of Santa Marta is the base for
an amazing 6 day jungle trek to the amazing ruins of Ciudad Perdida. Travel
further East to discover the remote indigenous communities of La Guarija Peninsula, an arid
landscape of empty beaches and flamingoes. A short flight from
Cartegena and one encounters great beaches and scuba diving at the
beautiful Caribbean islands of San
Andres (more developed) and Providencia
(unspoilt and idyllic), alternatively one can travel West to the
beaches of the rarely visited San
Bernardo Islands and Capurgana.
Colombia's
inland travel highlights
Capital
city Bogota is a gateway
for travel elsewhere in Colombia, though it also has palaces, plazas,
museums, buzzing nightlife and fantastic hotels to appeal to visitors.
To the north lie Villa de
Leiva and Mompos,
two of Colombia's most tranquil and charming colonial cities.
Nearby San Gil is
Colombia's adventure
travel and watersports centre. A long bus journey North from
Bogota is the trekking mecca El
Cocuy National Park.
Travel
South to Medellin,
known as the city of the eternal spring due to it's fantastic climate.
Most visitors to Colombia who make their way to Medellin agree that
it's one of the prettiest modern cities in Latin America. Nearby
Medellin, tours into Antioquia's
countryside offer a spectacular backdrop to experience rural
life in Colombia. Nearby tourist attractions include El Penol, a huge rock (aka
Sugar Loaf in Rio) protuding from the lush green landscape and
surrounded by a lake with beautiful islands. Santa Fe de Antioquia
is small traditional Paisa town just outside of Medellin. A few hours
overland travel from Medellin, Rio
Claro is a beautiful place to relax and take nature tours. In
addition, Colombia's beautiful coffee
country is just a few hours away and is gateway to some
fantastic scenery and trekking
in Los Nevados Park.
Travel
still further South to discover Cali's
buzzing salsa scene,
the colonial town of Popayan,
and the mysterious archaeological
sites of San Agustin
and Tierradentro.
Alternatively, catch a flight deep into the Amazon rainforest and stay
in a jungle lodge hotel near Leticia.
To
the East of Bogota lies a region slowly opening up to tourism. In the
spawling savannahs of Los Llanos,
travellers can experience the folkloric lifestyle of the Llaneros
cowboys whilst visiting or staying on a cattle ranch. Closeby is the
spectacularly multi-coloured Caño
Cristales, which many describe as the worlds most beautiful
river.
Colombia's
Pacific Coast
There's
more stunning rainforest backed empty beaches and surfing in Choco department on Colombia's
Pacific Coast, one of South America's wettest and most biodiverse
places. Throughout the Pacific coast, whale watching tours can be taken
between July and October, the old prison island of Gorgona Island being a
unique place to see such whales. There's also lovely beaches and
wildlife tours offered at the laid back beach vacation resorts of Nuqui and Bahia Solano.
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