Basking in the golden sunshine while lounging on the beaches lining the Caribbean coastline. De-toxifying yourself with an early morning hike in the Amazon rainforests. Or exploring the archaeological ruins and remains of the colonial era cities. The equatorial climate of Colombia allows one to travel to the concrete jungle of the South-American country at any time of the year. From the emerald-green hilltops in the Zona Cafetera to the snowcapped peaks, and high-altitude lakes of the páramo and the Andes, Colombia is a treasure trove of vegetative grasslands and historical civilisations.
Fun fact: Visa, Pesos, flights and learning Spanish
British nationals can enter Colombia for up to 90 days as a visitor without a visa at the discretion of the Colombian Immigration Officer on arrival. There are plenty of non-stop and one-stop flights operating from London Heathrow to Colombian cities such as Bogota, Medellin, and Cartagena with roundtrip flight prices dipping to as low as £400. Whilst flight tickets may pinch your purses, the foreign exchange currency rates would salvage the situation with 1 GBP being equivalent to 4,421 Colombian Peso (The rates are bound to change). Over 99% of the population speak Spanish in the cities and English has an official status only in the San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina Islands. Therefore, it might be helpful if you carried a pocket-Spanish dictionary or installed a Spanish translation app on your phone especially required for hailing cabs and navigating cities.
Lose yourself in the Lost City, Cuidad Perdida
Second, to Machu Pichu, Cuidad Perdida is over 650 years older after being discovered in 1972 and has remained off-limits for much of the time since. Deep in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, it remains accessible only on foot and in six-day rugged hikes.
Whilst San Andres and Providencia are beautiful islands, along with Koralia beach, back on the mainland. The Carribean coastline can be a labyrinth for those who immerse themselves in outdoor adventurers and wish to dive, climb, raft, trek and soar. San Gil is the undisputed adventure capital. Sustainable tourism at its best can be found at the Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de la Macarena in Los Llanos.
Old Town Road in Cartagena and Santa Marta
Cobblestoned alleys, secrets stored in the historic walls of arched buildings and panoramic sunsets, Cartagena and Santa Marta are the ideal holiday getaway resorts. Cartagena's Old Town is a Unesco World Heritage Site – a maze of cobbled alleys, balconies covered in bougainvillea, and Spanish domed churches. Other top attractions include Palacio de la Inquisición, Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas and Convento & Iglesia de San Pedro Claver among others.
Bogota where the Urban meets the colonial
Bogotá is Colombia's vibrant capital, overcrowded being the third-densely populated city and cradled by the Andean peaks and steeped in history and colonial civilisations. La Candelaria, is perhaps, the city’s illustrious and most glamorous tourist hotspot. It also boasts of a potpourri of Spanish cuisine-serving restaurants, hotels, and bars, peppered amid 300-year-old houses, churches, and convents. From Plaza de Bolívar to Cerro de Monserrate, the city breeds multi-culturalism. Other top attractions include Museo del Oro, Andrés Carne de Res, and Museo Santa Clara.
Other tourist attractions include the Valley of the Statues lie to the south-west, hidden in the jungle and surrounding the town of San Agustín. Equally spectacular are the burial chambers in nearby Tierradentro, for which the village is famous.
Overall, Colombia is a Carribean paradise safe and uncommercialized territory that makes for an ideal tropical holiday destination!
