Welcome to the essential guide to travelling and living in Colombia. This guide features in-depth guides to a huge number of destinations, details of how to get there, where to stay and things to see and do. The 'Overview' section provides general information about the country and the 'Before you travel' section offers practical advice on preparing your trip and a range of useful tips.
 |
The Central Colombia section includes the country's majestic capital city Bogota with all its history, culture and entertainment, and the charming colonial town of Villa de Leyva which is simply unmissable. To the south of Bogota is the huge Los Llanos (the plains) and to the east the city of Ibague, and Melgar, a warm 'weekend retreat' for Bogotanos. |
The Northwest Colombia section contains guides to the mountain city of Medellin (the city of eternal spring) home to the famous Flower Festival every August, and to a number of towns in Medellin's department of Antioquia. Also included is the department of Choco with coverage of Quibdo (the department's capital) and the Pacific coast towns of Bahia Solano and Nuqui. |
 |
 |
The Cali & the South section includes a detailed guide to Cali, the passionate capital of salsa. Also featured is the colonial city of Popayan, known as 'The White City', popular backpacker destination San Agustin (home to statues from an ancient pre-Colombian civilisation and breathtaking scenery), aswell as Neiva & the Tatacoa desert, Ipiales, Buga, Buenaventura, Juanchaco & Ladrilleros. |
The Coffee Region is a lush, green region of the country. This guide covers the city of Manizales, the nearby mountain park of Nevado del Ruiz with its snow-capped peaks, the cities of Pereira and Armenia, and the town of Salento including the highly recommended Valle de Cocora home to 'las palmas de cera' (the wax palms), the world's tallest palm trees. |
 |
 |
Eastern Colombia includes the 'park city' of Bucaramanga, and the stunning colonial towns of Giron, Barichara and Guane. San Gil lays claim to being the adventure sports capital of Colombia while Parque Nacional del Chicamocha boasts the country's longest cable car route over a dramatic canyon. To the east is the beautiful scenery surrounding Berlin, the thriving student and cultural town of Pamplona and the city of Cucuta near the Venezuelan border. |
| The Caribbean Coast is high on the agenda of many visitors to Colombia and rightly so. Cartagena features arguably the finest colonial sector in Latin America. Santa Marta and the nearby beaches of Parque Tayrona are also a huge draw. Also included in this section are detailed guides to Barranquilla, Riohacha, Maicao, the remote Cabo de la Vela (fast becoming a new backpacker favourite) and Valledupar. |  |