Colombia

Colombia is one of the most rewarding countries to travel in South America and has completely reinvented itself over the last two decades. Once defined by the violence of the Pablo Escobar era, it has become one of the continent's most exciting destinations, though that recent history is still very much part of the experience.

The country is enormous and incredibly diverse, running from Caribbean beaches and colonial walled cities up into the Andes Mountains and down into the Amazon Jungle. Most trips string together a few very different regions: the mountain metropolis of Medellín, the colorful Caribbean coast around Cartagena and Santa Marta, and the coffee-covered hills in between. It's affordable, the people are famously warm and the nature is genuinely gorgeous.

• Getting around
• Flights — Colombia is a big country, so it's worth flying between distant regions to save a full day of travel. Avianca and LATAM cover the main routes along with budget carriers like Wingo and JetSmart. Build in buffer time, I experienced significant delays when flying Avianca and LATAM on almost every flight
• Ridesharing — Uber works well and is cheap in the big cities (Medellín, Cartagena), though it's in a legal grey area so you may be asked to sit up front. It's unreliable or unavailable in smaller towns like Santa Marta, especially at night so always have a backup plan
• Buses — long-distance buses connect all the major cities and are the budget option. I used BusBud to book online and there were all the major routes available
• For shorter hops you'll use local buses and colectivos (shared vans). In small towns, stops aren't always marked, so ask your accommodation or a local (Colombians were always very helpful!)
• Boats — if you're headed off to any of the Colombian Caribbean islands such as the San Bernardo Islands, you can typically take a speedboat from Cartagena's port. Boats can be booked in advance online depending on your destination. I'll provide more specific details in the San Bernardo section
• Money — Colombia uses the Colombian Peso (COP) and is very affordable outside of upscale restaurants. Local meals, transport and tours are all cheap. Cards are accepted in the cities, but carry cash for small towns, street vendors, markets and the islands
• Food — Colombian food is hearty, corn, cheese and meat heavy and cheap. A few staples to look for:
  • Arepas — grilled corn cakes stuffed with cheese, egg or shredded beef. The cheapest meal you can find on almost every street corner
  • Empanadas — Colombian Empanadas are fried rather than baked, which gives them a crispy, samosa-like shell
  • Bandeja Paisa — the enormous Antioquian platter including beans, rice, fried egg, plantain, chicharrón, sausage and an arepa
  • Mondongo — a yellow tripe soup served with rice, arepa and avocado that you mix together as you eat. Especially popular in Medellín
• Language — as with anywhere in Latin America, Spanish is the official language. English is very limited outside of tourist areas
• Safety — Colombia has come a very long way from its dangerous reputation. However, it is still important to be careful as the country has its own set of security issues and pickpocketing. The local Colombian saying is "no dar papaya", meaning don't give anyone the opportunity to take advantage of you.
• Do not wear jewelry, be very careful with your phone and stick to tourist areas since pickpockets target Western tourists. I was very cautious and had no issues personally, but many people in my hostels had their phones stolen
• How long to stay — Give yourself 3 to 4 weeks to comfortably cover Medellín, the Caribbean coast (Cartagena, the islands and Tayrona) and a stop in the coffee region. You could easily spend longer. Colombia combines well with Ecuador or a longer South America trip

Medellín is a city that completely exceeded my expectations. Nestled in a lush valley in the Andes, the city has transformed itself from one of the world's most dangerous cities in the 1990s into one of the best destinations in Colombia. Today, it's known for its vibrant nightlife, thriving café scene, and street art, while also offering a fascinating look into Colombia's recent history, from the legacy of Pablo Escobar to the remarkable transformation of the Comuna 13 neighborhood. Add on that the charming historic town of Guatapé is just a short day trip away.

I recommend spending 3–4 days in Medellín to experience the city completely. Most visitors stay in the El Poblado neighborhood, which is safe has the best selection of hotels, restaurants, and nightlife.

• Learn about the dark history of Pablo Escobar — Medellín is a city shaped forever by the reign of terror of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s. To this day, locals in Medellín avoid mentioning his name and he's sometimes referred to as "he who is not to be named." The best way to learn about this history is through a guided tour to have a local to explain the history to you and take you around the entire city of Medellin. I found the tour to be absolutely fascinating, and it stopped by 4 main spots tied to Pablo Escobar:
• Inflexión Memorial Park — he built a bomb-proof Monaco building here. It has since been demolished and a memorial park to his victims has been built here
• La Catedral — when Pablo Escobar was finally "arrested" by the Colombian government, he made an agreement with the Colombian authorities where he was allowed to build a prison for himself. He built La Catedral a massive hillside mansion where he hosted celebrity parties, beheaded employees and could leave freely. It had since been mostly destroyed, but you can visit parts of the site
• Cancha El Dorado — the next stop was a soccer field in his home neighborhood of Envigado. He built things all over the country and buried a stockpile of cash and weapons in this unassuming location. After he died, Colombians had a frenzy of digging holes everywhere around the country to look for his hidden stockpiles of cash
• Montesacro Cemetery — the final stop was the cemetery where he's buried along with his family and other famous Cocaine traffickers like Griselda Blanco. The cocaine trade today is 4 times the size of what it was when Pablo was running it. However, there are "unofficial" agreements with the government look away in exchange for a reduction of the level of violence
• Comuna 13 — spend a half day in the neighborhood of Comuna 13. It went from one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world to now being safe after gang leaders were arrested and the next generation moved on. It is covered in street art with break dancers, souvenir shops and former gang members performing and telling their stories. The street art is great, visit the local basketball court and the viewpoint from the top of the hill is legitimately great
• However, from a true social change perspective, the neighborhood felt a bit disingenuous to me. Some critics argue this clean up of Comuna 13 is largely window dressing, highlighting visible improvements to voters and tourists while poorer residents were kicked out of the area and deeper social issues of poverty and violence remained elsewhere in the city. However, it is an interesting visit to learn the stories of the locals that genuinely benefited from the changes
• Plaza Botero — the historic downtown plaza home to 23 bronze sculptures donated by Colombian artist Fernando Botero, set against the striking Rafael Uribe Palace of Culture. Botero is one of Colombia's most celebrated artists, known for his distinctive style of depicting people and animals with exaggerated, rounded proportions. Once you see one Botero sculptures, you'll start to notice them all over the world (I've seen them in NYC, Barcelona, Monaco and even Armenia!)
• Museo de Antioquia — Medellín's main art museum, right on Plaza Botero, holding the largest collection of Botero's paintings and sculptures
• Casa de la Memoria — a free museum exploring Colombia's decades-long armed conflict, including guerrilla warfare, paramilitary violence, and the rise of the drug cartels. Through personal stories and multimedia exhibits, it offers a sobering look at Medellín's past and the human cost behind the headlines. The exhibits are mostly in Spanish, but there is an English audio guide available
• San Antonio Plaza — square with the famous "Bird of Peace" Botero statue that was partially blown up by a bomb in the war between Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel. There isn't much else in this area so you should skip it if you're short on time in favor of Plaza Botero
• Go to a Colombian Fútbol match — Going to a Fútbol match in Latin America is a quintessential experience and Colombia is no exception! I went with a large group from our hostel to a match in the Atanasio Girardot Stadium. We watched the Deportivo Independiente Medellín team play Cali from the ultras section and it was quite an experience when the match ended with riot police shutting it down. I would highly recommend as Colombian fans bring an incredible energy to the game.
• Jardín Botánico / Parque Arví — a free botanical garden near the university and a huge forest reserve reached by the scenic Metrocable. Both beautiful green escapes from the bustling city of Medellín, though I didn't get to go
• Mirador de Las Palmas — a lookout on the road climbing out of the city, with a sweeping view over the valley. At night, the valley lights up providing for an amazing view
• Guatapé Day Trip — the most popular day trip from Medellín (about 2 hours each way): a really colorful colonial Spanish town downtown, beautiful waterways, and the towering Piedra del Peñol rock. It was a very pretty day trip, but expect it to be busy and a bit touristy. Here is the tour that I booked
• Guatapé town — one of the most colorful Spanish colonial towns that I've seen. The Guatapé is covered in beautiful little details including tile art on every building showing what the business does and a famous fountain with 4 little men in sombreros holding small hoses. A great place to wander around for a couple of hours and take pictures
• Boat tour around Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir — There was a short boat tour on a pontoon taking you around the Peñol-Guatapé Reservoir. It is a popular place for wealthy residents of Medellín to have vacation homes and you'll see some interesting sites including one of Pablo Escobar's many mansions
• Piedra del Peñol Rock — the final stop is a massive rock with over 740 steps to the top. The stone is so large that it was originally thought to be a meteorite. One man climbed it with just rope and a plank of wood over the course of 4 days, built stairs on it and it has since become a popular tourist attraction. Once you're at the top, there is a view of the valley below with the reservoir branching into the landscape, eagles circling below, and a rainbow even appeared when we were up there

• Ajiacos y Mondongos — Colombian stews are a massively underrated part of the cuisine and the best place to try them is Ajiacos y Mondongos. It was one of my favorite restaurants in Colombia. If you're feeling adventurous, try Mondongo, the local favorite yellow tripe soup with bits of beef, served with an arepa, rice and avocado
• Alambique — a fancy upscale cafe in El Poblado hidden in an unsuspecting building
• Las Monas Restaurante — a no-frills, traditional Colombian restaurant located in El Poblado
• Cafe 11:11 El Despertar — a small rooftop cafe with good coffee

• Parque Lleras — the heart of El Poblado's nightlife, a square ringed by bars and clubs that spills out into the surrounding streets. The go-to spot for a night out

• The best place to stay is El Poblado, a leafy, upscale neighborhood with the most hostels, restaurants and nightlife. It is very gentrified, catering to tourists with a lot of international restaurants. However, it is a very safe place to base yourself in the city
• Los Patios Hostel — a large hostel known for good parties and a cool rooftop. It was clean and offered a lot of tours and social events to meet other travelers
• Masayo Hostel — another large hostel with a better rooftop pool and bar. I had a great time visiting and the facilities seemed to be nice, complete with a coworking space

Cartagena is Colombia's Caribbean showpiece with a walled colonial city of bright buildings, flower-draped balconies, horse carriages and some serious heat. Base yourself in the picturesque old town to explore most of the historical sites in the walled city and make your way to the nearby hip Getsemaní barrio. Cartagena is also the launch point for boat trips out to the San Bernardo Islands or longer trips to the San Blas Islands in Panama.

Cartagena's old town can easily be explored in 2 days and add on extra days to make a trip to the San Bernardo Islands.

• Centro Histórico de Cartagena — one of the most picturesque parts of Colombia showcasing its colonial history. It is very compact and walkable and gets crowded during the day from large cruise ships. Despite the polished exterior of the city, I found it to be a bit sketchy at night with strange characters and drug dealers following you
• Puerta del Reloj — the iconic yellow clock-tower gate, the main entrance into the walled old town
• Walls of Cartagena de Indias — walk the thick 16th-century stone walls that wrap the old town. Make sure to catch the sunset from the walls and a drink at Café del Mar for the classic Cartagena moment
• Parque de Bolívar — a shady, palm-filled plaza with a Bolívar statue at the center of the old town. It is a good place to escape the heat
• Cathedral Santa Catalina de Alejandría — Cartagena's landmark cathedral, instantly recognizable by its ochre-colored bell tower rising above the rooftops of the old town
• Las Bóvedas — colonial dungeon vaults built into the walls, now handicraft and souvenir shops
• Museo del Oro Zenú — a small, free gold museum showcasing the intricate goldwork of the indigenous Zenú people
• Getsemaní — the hip barrio with great street art and bars. Getsemaní feels like a cross between the old town buildings and the vibe of Comuna 13. It is super compact with banners, flags and kites hanging overhead, bright colorful buildings, tons of street art. I enjoyed that it was not overcrowded, more of a locals scene
• Plaza de la Trinidad — the social heart of Getsemaní, locals and travelers gather on the church steps in the evening with street food and drinks
• Parque Centenario — right next to Puerta del Reloj is an unassuming local park. Make sure to look up to catch the sloths and monkeys playing around with each other
• San Felipe de Barajas Fort — the massive hilltop Spanish fortress guarding the city, with a maze of tunnels you can explore. Sunset on the wall is also incredible
• Convento de La Popa — a 17th-century convent on the city's highest hill with the best panoramic viewpoint over Cartagena

• Restaurante 1595 — my favorite restaurant in Cartagena. It is a hidden restaurant with an unsuspecting doorway leading to a Spanish colonial courtyard. I ordered the menu del día called Criollo. On the day I was there, it was Mote de Queso, a porridge with paneer-like cheese and bits of meat, served with rice and avocado
• Restaurante La Mulata San Felipe — a spot in the Getsemaní neighborhood serving Caribbean food. I got the shrimp rice with patacones (fried smashed plantain cakes)
• Mirador Gastro Bar — if you're looking for a good night out, this is the place to be in Cartagena. All the backpackers gathered here and there was a great DJ and view of the Clock Tower at night

• Viajero Cartagena — a great hostel that is part of the Viajero chain. There was a great pool in the courtyard and lots of social activities including a free group salsa dancing class

The San Bernardo Islands are a cluster of tiny Caribbean islands a couple of hours by speedboat from Cartagena. People do day trips from Cartagena, but my friends who did these tours didn't like them.

The best reason to come is Casa en el Agua, a hostel sitting alone in the middle of the city built on. You'll spend your days sunbathing, snorkeling, island-hopping and partying at night. It's completely off-grid, so come ready to disconnect. The place recently got famous on Instagram so it completely books out 2 to 3 weeks in advance (book here).

Casa en el Agua is a floating island hostel. It is a tiny 2 story building with both private and dorm rooms. It is surrounded by crystal clear waters and there is a common area where everyone hangs out. There are also family style dinners where a conch shell is blown before every meal to call everyone together. You'll get to know everyone staying there super well

• One boat arrives and departs everyday. You'll pull up to a group of people doing a silly dance (very cult-y vibes at first) and do the same for the next group of arrivals. Book your boat online with Tranq It Easy Boats and expect it to cost $50 round trip from Cartagena
• It is very popular so it is expensive for Colombian standards. The place runs on a wristband system where you rack up a tab for drinks, tours and extras and pay everything at the end. Expect to pay ~$50/day depending on how much you order
• Remember, it is a floating eco-hostel in the middle of the water so expect dry toilets, 3-minute showers 6–9pm only and no Wi-Fi. I would recommend staying 2 nights. It is very small so any more time would be boring

Casa en el Agua offers a number of interesting tours to help break up the time spent just laying in the sun. They are relatively affordable so I ended up opting to do all of them:

• Santa Cruz del Islote — most densely populated island in the world. There are 800 people living on a tiny island roughly the size of two soccer fields. 100+ of them descendants of one man named Pepe who had 5 wives. There is one school, one bar, one doctor and the whole place runs on solar panels and rainwater collection. It is a quick hour long visit and the tour ends at their tiny concrete aquarium with nurse sharks, sea turtles and sunfish
• Mangrove snorkeling — take a small boat into the waterways surrounded by Mangroves nearby. The saltwater is incredibly buoyant so you barely have to even kick. It is a unique ecosystem with swim through clouds of tiny shrimp and blue coral growing off the roots of the Mangroves
• Plankton tour at night — a short tour done in total darkness. You can swim in the water and every time you move your hands and feet in the dark water, it looks like electricity going off your body

Santa Marta is a port city along the Caribbean Sea that most travelers use as the gateway to the famous Tayrona National Park, where the jungle tumbles straight down to Caribbean beaches. The highlight is hiking into the park and sleeping in hammocks right by the beach. I also stayed in a hostel embedded in the jungle which was an unexpected highlight of the trip.

I would recommend spending 2 days in Tayrona National Park and a day in Santa Marta as a stopover. There wasn't much to see in Santa Marta, but it was nice to experience an authentic Colombian city lived in after the more touristy Cartagena.

• Cabo de San Juan — one of the most beautiful beaches and iconic spots in Colombia where the dense jungle of Tayrona National Park meets the Caribbean Sea.
• The only way to get there is to hike is 2–3 hours through the jungle, past massive grey stones and gorgeous palm-lined beaches. There are also people offering horse rides to Cabo de San Juan if you're not up for a hike
• When you finally get to Cabo de San Juan, there are gorgeous beaches, a few restaurants and the famous watchtower overlooking area. You can actually sleep in the National Park in the watchtower hammocks with the waves crashing in the background (although it was probably one of the worst nights of sleep I've ever had). Hammocks are available on a first-come first-serve basis so make sure you arrive before it fills up. The alternative is to stay in the many cabins nearby which is probably a lot more comfortable
• Spend the day walking around or relaxing on the beach. You can wake up to watch the sunrise over the water before hiking back the next day

• The Valley Tayrona Hostel — one of my favorite hostels of all time. It is a really beautiful wooden hostel sitting right over a Valley embedded right in the middle of the jungle. There are wooden platforms, hammocks and pools to relax in. It was a gorgeous place to watch the sunset over the green jungle as well. The hostel was so deeply embedded in the jungle that I was woken up to the sound of Howler Monkeys each morning!
• It was a fun adventure to get there as well combining both a chicken bus and moto-taxi, but well worth it (or you can just hire a taxi...). To get there take local chicken bus from Mercado Público in Santa Marta to Trompito Alto. You need to tell the bus driver to stop by "Trompito Alto." I got a bit of a rush being the only foreigner on the bus going deep into the Colombian jungle!
• They'll drop you off on the side of the road and then there will be dirt bike moto-taxis waiting to take you to the hostel. Be prepared for an extremely bumpy ride that crosses through three creeks and a super sketchy suspension bridge missing planks. It feels like you're in the middle of nowhere in the Colombian jungle, but you'll be greeted by a very comfortable hostel with a bunch of other backpackers who also miraculously made it there. Here is the hostel's official How to get here page for more detailed instructions
• Viajero Santa Marta — a new Viajero hostel in the town of Santa Marta. I stayed in Viajero hostels all over South America and they were always a reliable option. It is a great place to stay before heading to Tayrona. The staff was helpful and gave solid directions for the public bus

Colombia is huge and I only scratched the surface. Didn't make it to these, but they came up a lot with other travelers and are where I'd go next time:

• Bogotá — the high-altitude capital of Colombia; It's known for its historic La Candelaria district, the Gold Museum and the Monserrate viewpoint. However, it is less popular as a tourist destination than Medellín or Cartagena
• Salento & the Coffee Region — Colombia's coffee heartland (Zona Cafetera), is known for coffee farm tours and the towering wax palms of the Cocora Valley
• San Andrés Islands — a Colombian Caribbean island closer to Nicaragua, popular for its "sea of seven colors" and diving. To get there, take a 1.5 hour flight from Colombia and Panama City. It is known to be the most expensive place in Colombia due to its remoteness
• Cali — Colombia's salsa capital, known for its vibrant nightlife, world-famous salsa dancing, and warm climate. It's also a gateway to the Pacific region and offers a more local, less touristy atmosphere than Medellín or Cartagena