If you like to travel and know different cities, cultures and people around the world, we have a suggestion of a destination for you to plan your next trip: Colombia. This South American country is full of surprises, destinations to explore, warm and friendly people and cities that are a must-visit: from its capital Bogotá to the beautiful Medellín, to the european vibes of Cartagena to the amazing beaches in San Andrés, Colombia has places that will please every kind of traveler.
Who is traveling to Colombia must be prepared for an experience that they will wish to never leave. But before preparing for it, it is necessary to prepare for your trip. That’s why, in this article, you are going to learn everything you need to know before traveling to Colombia. Keep reading!
All the basic information about Colombia
Colombia is a South American country, known by its tropical forests, the Andes Mountains and several coffee plantations — which gives the country a great coffee that must be experienced when you’re there.
Their currency is the Colombian peso and their official language is the Castilian language — so, if you know how to speak a little bit of Spanish, you will get along really well there. The capital of the country is Bogotá and its president is Gustavo Petro.
A curiosity: among the celebrities that were born in Colombia are the singers Shakira, Carlos Vives and Maluma and the television super star Sofia Vergara.
Plan the places you want to know and their tourist attractions before going
Usually, we just visit the capital of the country and some well known cities. But Colombia has a lot of great attractions around their territory, so it is a good idea to research the different places you want to go.
Between the favorite attractions of the tourists are:
- Caño Cristales, also known as “the river of five colors”, in the Serranía de la Macarena National Park;
- The architecture and the flower festival in Medellín;
- The city of Cali, who is known as the salsa capital of the world;
- Cartagena, a city located at the Caribbean coast of Colombia and known for its colorful architecture;
- Andrés Carne de Res, a truly unique bar and restaurant known for its exotic decorations and great food, which is located just outside of Bogotá in Chia;
- The Salt Cathedral, in Zipaquirá, constructed in 1816 by the miners working within the salt mine as an area to pray and that now is a 3,000 seat construction, even having an 3D cinema inside it;
- The Ciudad Perdida, located close to Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park and constructed 650 years before Machu Picchu.
The weather in Colombia
Colombia has unpredictable weather. So, even if you travel in a station without rain or cold temperatures, you can face it. Colombia has two distinct seasons, the dry one, that happens December through February and July through August, and the rainy one, that happens in the other months.
Even so, tourists usually say that the best months to visit Colombia are December to March, because the Andes are drier. Be prepared for different types of weather, though.
Colombia has an amazing traditional culinary
One of the best things about Colombia is their gastronomy, that will please people with the most different taste in food. From the cheesy bread made of corn flour called Arepa, to their national dish, the Bandeja Paisa, that is made of steak, ground beef, chicharrones, rice, beans, an egg, avocado, an arepa, and plantains — yeah, all of that in just one plate.
Colombia is also the home of empanadas, which are classified as street food, can be made of the most different fillings and it is a must try food when you are walking in the streets of the cities.
Keep watchful
Colombia’s cities are not dangerous at all but, just like every other city in the world, there is the risk of robbery. So, keep watchful of your belongings, such as your smartphone, wallet and other valuable things. But there’s no need to let it disturb your trip: take the care that you take in your country, and everything will be ok!
