Colombia is a beautiful country, with friendly, curious people that want to know about you and where you come from as well as talk about their amazing country. Most itineraries for Colombia include the jungle, beaches, cities and the coffee region, but you can also hike in the mountains and visit the Amazon region. In this ultimate travel guide to Colombia, I will tell you all about it!
Use this guide to help you plan your route, or to find things to do in Colombia. The guide below follows a route from north to south, with the described places color coded as a must-visit, highly recommended and if time permits.
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Table of Contents - The Ultimate Travel Guide for Colombia
Traveling Colombia - Tips & Tricks
Currency: Colombia uses the Colombian Peso (COP). For current exchange rates, check XE.
Transport: You can get to all touristic places by bus without problems. As Colombia is a big country, bus rides can be long. Night buses help you save both time and money. Domestic flights can work out the same price or even a little cheaper than a long bus ride if booked in advance. For prices and schedules of busses, check Redbus. You can book through them as well, but I always buy my ticket at the terminal itself.
ATMs: Banco Social was free for me (Mastercard – EUR).
Food: The main typical food is rice with legumes, salad, and meat or fish. Pretty similar to other countries in the area. Besides street food, the most economical lunch is a ‘menu del dia’ (menu of the day). This typically includes a starter, a main dish, and a drink. Fresh vegetables are not that common, but you’ll find fruits and juices for your daily vitamin fix everywhere. The typical dish of the Medelín-area is Bandeja paisa. It’s a giant plate full of different types of meat and some sides. It really is a big plate and the food is heavy so share a plate or order a half serve. You can always order more. 😉 Arepa’s are stuffed corn patties and are typical to both Colombia and Venezuela (although they have slightly different styles).
The North
Cartagena
Cartagena, or Cartagena de Indias in full, is famous for its well preserved colonial walled centre and the party scene which tends to hold travellers captive for a bit longer than planned. If you’re not that into partying, the city is still worth your while for a day or two. Spend some time wandering the streets and the walls of the old centre. Tip-based free walking tours are offered every day.
During the day, the centre gets incredibly busy. I do have to say that I visited mid-June, at the start of the high season. Early in the morning and later in the afternoon/early evening are quieter times to go for a stroll. It’s also a bit cooler at these hours. The walled centre can get very hot due to high temperatures, a humid climate and the lack of breeze because of the walls. Head up to the walls for a little breeze, but don’t expect a huge refreshment.
Plaza de la Trinidad in the Getsemani area is a nice place to spend an evening. As the sun goes down, the square fills up with locals and tourists and there are often dance shows.
Beach time in Cartagena
Cartagena itself doesn’t have a beach, but it’s possible to visit Playa Blanca on Isla de Barú on a daytrip. I decided to skip this however, as I’d been told it’s very crowded and in the end you don’t get that much time on the beach itself. So I decided to give the beach a miss for now and wait until further along the caribbean coast. If Cartagena is your only coastal stop, you’re in desperate need of a refreshing swim in the sea or just looking for something to do while you’re waiting for the night to fall, it could be a good way to spend the day however.
Tip: For a real beach escape, look at Colombia’s Caribbean islands of San Andres or Providencia. You can get flights from many cities in Colombia, including Cartagena.
Santa Marta
Santa Marta itself doesn’t have a lot to offer. It does make for a good place to base yourself while exploring the surroundings though. If you’re shorter on time, you can also just transfer in Santa Marta without spending any actual time in the city. If you do stay here, it’s recommendable to pick a nice hostel with a pool. You’re likely to spend a fair bit of time in the hostel and the days are generally hot and humid.
For the party animals, there is La Brisa Loca. As I prefer a quieter place to stay and head out to the party if I feel like it, I decided to stay at Republica instead.
Places to visit in Santa Marta itself are limited. You can visit the beach (it’s really not the greatest beach ever, but a nice place to drink a beer and watch the sunset), the market and the free Museo del oro (Gold museum) for example.
Getting from Cartagena to Santa Marta – It’s possible to go by bus, but both terminals in Cartagena and in Santa Marta are located outside of the city center, so you’ll need to take taxi’s to and from the center. If you’re traveling solo, it actually works out cheaper to book a shuttle. You can book these directly from most hostels and they will pick you up and drop you off at your hostel. The trip takes about 5-6 hours.
Minca
Minca is a small town located in the Sierra Nevada, about 45 minutes from Santa Marta. A great place to spend a couple of days! It’s surrounded by high jungle (cloud forest), waterfalls and coffee and cacao fincas. Minca is also a great place for birdwatching, tours leave early in the morning.
I’ve you’re not staying at Casa Loma (which you definitely should), at least head up here to enjoy the sunset from their viewing platform while enjoying a drink and the live music. Do note that they don’t have wifi (which is what makes this place awesome really). So if you need it to work for example, you might need to work from town or find another place to stay and just enjoy the sunset here.
Walks & Waterfalls in Minca
A nice day out is hiking to Casa Elemento, the place of the famous pictures with the hammock. It’s a working hostel and you’ll have to pay an entrance fee which includes a drink. There is a restaurant as well if you’re looking for something to eat. If you’re looking for a free place to enjoy the view, head to the nearby viewpoint Los Pinos. Once you reach the summit and the path to Casa Elemento is to your right, head to your left to get here. It’s possible to take a motor taxi or a jeep as well if you don’t feel like hiking or only want to walk one way. Hiking up, you’ll pass the Marinka waterfall and you can include Pozo Azul in the trip as well. This makes it a fairly long hike though, so if you have time, save that one for another day.
Fincas in Minca
I really recommend doing a chocolate tour, for example at El Paraíso de Tuki. They’ll show you the whole process, from fruit to bar, and you can try a facemask. If you’re looking for some exercise, you can walk here from town. If not, you can take a motor-taxi.
There are plenty of coffee fincas around as well. If you’re heading to the coffee region afterward and only want to do one tour here, do a chocolate tour. There are plenty of coffee fincas to visit in the coffee region.
Getting from Santa Marta to Minca – Vehicles leave from the market, from the corner of calles (streets) 11 and 12. There is no schedule, they leave when full.
Getting from Cartagena to Minca – Get the shuttle bus from Cartagena to drop you off at the market in Santa Marta, or if you’re coming by public bus, take a taxi from the terminal to the market in Santa Marta and take a micro (van) from there. Vehicles leave when full. The ride takes less than an hour.
Tayrona National Park
Where the jungle meets the beach.Tayrona national park is absolutely gorgeous! It’s one of my favorite places in Colombia, and one of the must-visits mentioned in this travel guide for Colombia. The entrance fee for foreigners is a bit steep, but it’s still worth it, trust me!
In order to reach the beach, you’ll walk through the jungle, along a coastal path with awesome views. It’s possible to hike to the beach all the way from the entrance, but it’s recommendable to take the park shuttle from the ticket office further into the park. This will save you about 4 km of hiking along a road to reach the hiking trail. If you’re taking the main trail along the coast, you’ll reach Playa La Piscina (swimmingpool beach) shortly before reaching the Cabo campsite. This is one of the few beaches where you can go for a swim in the park. And you can swim in Cabo as well.
You can walk back the same way, take an inland trail, or take a boat to Taganga from where there are busses to Santa Marta if that’s where you’re heading.
Staying overnight at Tayrona
To really enjoy the park, leave early and stay the night. Most people will decide to camp at the Cabo campsite. Yes, this means that the site gets quite busy, but, it’s still the best place to stay in my opinion. There are not many places to swim in the park, due to dangerous currents, but here you can. If you want a slightly quieter place, you can walk a little bit further to reach the next beach.
You can sleep in a hammock (the most popular option), rent a tent, or pitch your own. It is possible for hammocks to be booked out in high season, so it’s best to get there early(ish). I’ve heard it’s also possible to book a hammock at the park entrance, but we didn’t worry about it and got a hammock without problems.
Getting from Santa Marta to Tayrona – Micros (vans) leave from the market to Tayrona and continue to Palomino. When approaching the bus stop, you’ll be greeted by a bunch of men screaming “Tayrona, Palomino” happy to point you in the right direction. The ride takes about an hour.
Getting from Cartagena to Tayrona – Get the shuttle bus from Cartagena to drop you off at the market in Santa Marta, or if coming by public bus, take a taxi from the terminal to the market in Santa Marta and take a micro (van) from there.
Getting from Minca to Tayrona – Take a micro (van) from Minca to the market in Santa Marta. Micros to Tayrona leave from nearby just head for towards the men shouting “Tayrona, Palomino”.
La Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City)
La Ciudad Perdida (or the lost city in English) is the name of an archeological site with stone ruins close to Santa Marta. It can only be reached hiking through the jungle with one of the 6 tour agencies that are allowed to run the tours. Be prepared for 4 (or 5) days of sweating like never before. The path has lots of ups and downs and the climate is very humid. The landscape is beautiful and the route passes by indigenous communities and waterfalls and rivers where you get to cool down.
As the tours are regulated by the government, only 6 agencies are allowed to run the tours and they will all charge the same. I went with Expotur as I read a lot of good things about them. Their office is also conveniently located, a few minutes away from Hostel Republica where I was staying. It’s possible to leave your luggage with them for the duration of the tour and if you’re not planning on going back to the same place you came from, they can drop you and your luggage off at your next destination as well. I had a great experience and can definitely recommend them.
To go or not to go: Due to the regulations the tour is quite expensive. I enjoyed the experience and for me it was worth the money. The tour has gotten more expensive since though and seems to be getting more expensive every year. So if you feel it’s really stretching your budget, you might want to consider skipping it. Colombia has many more amazing experiences on offer.
Getting from Santa Marta to la Ciudad Perdida – With tour agency only. If you’re not staying in Santa Marta, but somewhere along the route, for example in Tayrona park or at Costeño beach, ask your agency if they can pick you up along the way.
Palomino
Palomino is a small beach town on the east side of Tayrona national park, on the border of La Guajira. If you just want to chill in a hammock or at the beach for a bit, this is your place. The sea is quite rough, but you can swim in the river, where it flows into the sea.
The most popular thing to do here is tubing down the river to the beach. Plenty of agencies/guides in town offer the trip.
Getting from Santa Marta/Tayrona to Palomino – Take a micro (van) from the market in Santa Marta with direction Tayrona/Palomino, or from the park entrance of Tayrona. The trip takes about 2 hours from Santa Marta.
Getting from Minca to Palomino – Take a micro (van) from Minca to the market in Santa Marta. Micros to Tayrona leave from nearby the Minca stop, just head towards the men shouting “Tayrona, Palomino”.
Riohacha & La Guajira
There’s not much to see or do in Riohacha itself, but it’s the gateway to the La Guajira peninsula. You can spend an afternoon at the beach and enjoy a beer at one of the beach bars in the evening before continuing on the next day. By far the easiest way to visit the peninsula is with a tour. Bear in mind that these tours do not offer a lot of information. The driver will be your guide as well and most drivers only speak Spanish. I went with Expotur as I did La Ciudad Perdida with them, which I enjoyed and they give a discount if you book a second tour with them.
You can do a 2-day tour to Cabo de la Vela, or a 3-day tour which continues on to the northernmost point of mainland South America: Punta Gallinas. When visiting the La Guajira peninsula, be prepared to see an immense pollution of plastic and heartbreaking poverty. Many Venezuelan refugees reside in the desert and children hold up robes over the roads in an attempt to stop cars and ask visitors for a little bit of food or water.
If you want to visit without a tour, you’ll find information on transport in Riohacha. Note that if going by yourself, you’re expected to bring some food and/or water to hand over to the children yourself.
Tip: Love kitesurfing or want to learn? Cabo de la Vela is a kite hotspot.
Getting from Santa Marta to Riohacha – Take a bus from the terminal, the ride takes about 3-3.5 hours. Check redbus for prices and schedules.
Getting from Tayrona/Palomino to Riohacha – Waive down a bus heading for that direction on the main road, or, from Palomino, take a shared taxi for a few pesos more.
Medellín and the Coffeeregion
Medellín
Medellín is an incredible city that offers just about anything. Make sure to plan at least a few days here to explore the city. Locals are curious and proud of their city nowadays (as they should be!). They are very happy to see that tourists are willing to visit their city after all they went through and are happy to welcome you and show you what Colombia is really about.
Getting around Medellín is as easy as it gets. You can get a ticket in any metro station and load rides on there. Once you’ve used up your last ride, the machine will swallow your ticket and you can get a new one.
An absolute must-do and a great way to spend part of your first day is the free walking tour of the city. I went with Real City Tours and can hands down, 100% recommend them. I’ve done a lot of free walking tours and this one is definitely in my top 3. Be sure to visit Comuna 13 as well (there are free walking tours in this part of town too). This area was once the most dangerous part of Medellín and the transformation they have gone through is incredible.
Of course, a ride with the famous cable cars can’t be missed either. As they are part of the public transport, just use your public transport card. As long as you don’t leave the station, you’ll just pay for the one ride. All of the rides will offer a great view of the city. The main ‘touristy’ one is the one going to Aví park, which is nice if you just want to get out of the city and see some green. Note that this is the only cable car you need to pay extra for. If you’re not planning on getting a guide, the park itself is not that amazing and the views from the other lines are just as great.
You’ll most likely stay in Poblado, as this is the most touristic part of town with lots of accommodation options and great nightlife. It’s also a safe area (do still keep an eye out of course). If not staying here, be sure to spend at least an evening exploring this part of the city.
Tip: Love craft beer? Medellín has quite a few options. Check out Cevezeria Maestre for example.
Getting from Riohacha/Barranquila to Medellín – You can take a bus from Riohacha to Barranquilla and from Barranquilla to Medellin. Be prepared for a looong ride however (about 17 hours). I took the bus from Riohacha to Barranquilla directly after the tour of La Guajira, making the ride even longer as the last day of the tour was basically just driving back from Punta Gallinas to Riohacha. So if you’re not a fan of long bus rides, look into flights from the north coast to Medellín.
Guatapé
Guatapé is a great daytrip from Medellín. If you have more time and would like to see the town a bit quieter, stay the night. When making your way here from Medellín, make sure to get off at Piedra del Peñol before reaching Guatapé. The top offers some great views over the landscape. Note that the Piedra is located after the town of Peñol, so you don’t want to get off in town, but a little further. From here you can take shared transport to Guatapé, as it’s quite a far walk to town. Guatapé itself is small and touristy, but beautifully decorated and colorful. A great place to spend at least an afternoon.
Getting from Medellín to Guatapé – Take a bus from the north bus terminal in Medellín to Guatapé and ask to be dropped off before, at Piedra del Peñol.
Jardín
Jardín is a cute and quiet town in the coffeeregion. It’s a great place to wind down, relax and do a bit of hiking. The town is colorful, but does not have much to offer besides a square and a church. Possible hikes include the walk to Cerro Cristo Rey and to the Cueva del Esplendor. The path to the cave is not very clear at all, so be sure to have maps.me at hand. You have to pay an entrance fee to visit the cave as it’s located on private property.
Jardín is also home to the iconic La Garrucha cable car. The walk up the hill is super easy, so you can either walk up there and take the cable car down just for the sake of it, or the other way around.
Getting from Medellín to Jardín: Take a bus from the South terminal in Medellin to Jardín.
Salento
Another one of my favorite places in Colombia! Salento is another small and colorful town in Colombia’s coffee region with lots of things to do. Visit coffee fincas, go horseback riding, and of course hiking in the Cocora valley.
The cocora Valley
You can easily visit the Cocora Valley on your own from Salento. To get here, take a shared jeep from the main square. Buy the ticket at the small office behind the jeeps. You can walk the loop clockwise or counterclockwise. I did it counterclockwise and I can recommend doing it this way for two reasons. Firstly, you’ll save the best (the valley) for last. So you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the well-deserved views once you get here. It’s just a little further to reach the parking lot afterward so you don’t have to worry about having enough time to finish the loop.
When leaving the area where the jeep will drop you off, head left to find the trail. You’ll soon see a blue fence on your right-hand side. If you want to do the trail counterclockwise, turn right here. If you want to go clockwise, continue straight.
It’s possible to make a short detour to la casa de Los Colibries (the hummingbird house). This is nice if you haven’t seen many hummingbirds yet or are looking for a drink or a bite to eat. You’ll have to pay an entrance fee, which includes a drink and all the time you want watching hummingbirds. They come here for the many flowers and feeders around the house.
If you’re not feeling like lots of walking, it’s of course also possible to head straight to the viewpoints over the valley and head the same way back. In this case, head straight when passing the blue fence, following the clockwise path.
Pro-tip: Make sure you have an offline map downloaded (I recommend maps.me) when hiking the loop in the Cocora Valley. You wouldn’t be the first one to get lost and accidentally end up on the path to the mountains of Los Nevados. There are signs to point you in the right direction, but there are a little confusing, so confirm the right path with maps.me.
Fincas
There are lots of coffee fincas to visit in and around Salento. There is a great walk you can do, which will lead past a couple of fincas where you can do a tour or just enjoy a cup of coffee. The trail leads past Kasaguadua national reserve and I’d highly recommend taking a tour of this place. It’s a true eco-lodge where they are restoring the native jungle and doing everything to protect it. They know so much and are super passionate about what they do, it’s very inspiring. Tours leave at 10 am and it’s recommended to make a reservation. Make this your first stop and head to the fincas afterward. It’s possible to walk the whole loop, but the last bit will be along a windy road with lots of cars passing. You can also take transport along this part of the road.
If you want to check out a smaller type of finca, head to Finca Momota.
Getting from Jardin to Salento: The distance might be short, the road is bumpy and the transport for the first leg of the trip is ehh interesting… When I first saw a chiva, I did not think they would leave to town. They look more like a fun ride for families to get around town itself. It is a traditional form of transport however and while they do look fun to begin with, it gets old fairly quick. So be prepared for a long and bumpy ride. Also make sure you have a sweater at hand as there are no windows so with the breeze it can get chilly.
In order to reach Salento in one day, you’ll have to take the first chiva to Rio Sucio and take a bus from there to Salento. If there is no direct bus to Salento, go to Pereira and take a bus to Salento from there.
Getting from Medellín to Salento: Take a direct bus from the South Terminal
Bogotá & the South
Bogotá
Bogotá is a big city without many must-see or do’s. If it’s on your way, or this is where you’re flying in, it’s still worth spending a day or two here. One of my favorite things to do in cities is tip-based free walking tours. As always I recommend doing one on your first day here. It will really give you a feel for the city and give you lots of ideas on how to spend the rest of your time here. They usually recommend places where to eat or go for a drink etc. as well.
If musea are your thing, Bogota has plenty of them.
On a clear day, head to Cerro de Monserrate. Depending on the time of day you can either take the funicular or the cable car up. It is possible to walk as well, but it’s steep. Also, don’t forget the city itself already lies at an altitude of 2600m above sea level. The top of Cerro Monserrate lies at 3150m. So only attempt this if you’re well acclimatized.
The majority of travelers stay in La Candelaria, which is the old centre. Most sights are located here and it is a relatively safe area. Do still keep an eye out of course.
Getting from Salento to Bogotá: Take a bus to Armenia or Pereira, from where you can take a bus to Bogotá.
San Agustín
The main draw of San Agustín are the statues located around town. Natives carved out the statues to place on graves and that’s about all that’s known about them.
To really enjoy the place, spend 2 days visiting the sites. The easiest to visit is the Archeological Park, which is within walking distance from town. Your entrance fee includes a visit to another site called Alto de Los Idolos, which is the other main site. There are lots of other sites scattered around the area.
In order to visit the other sites besides the Archeological park, you will need to join a tour (provided you don’t have your own transport of course).
The most popular hostel in town is Hostal Bambu, which is a nice and social place to stay.
Getting from Bogotá to San Agustín: There is a direct bus. The ride is quite long (9+ hours), so look at traveling overnight.
Popayán
Popayán is also known as the white city. I originally went here to take a bus to cross the border from here. In the end, I decided to make an extra stop in Pasto however, not to have to travel during the night.
Even though it’s not a major draw, it’s still a nice place to visit. There is an interesting tip-based free walking tour you can do. Also hike up Cerro Tres Cruzes for a view of the city. This is a great place to see the sunset from.
Not all parts of Popayan are safe so do take care, especially at night. The old center is relatively safe though. If you’re going up the hill for the sunset, it’s best to go in a group.
Getting from Bogotá to Popayán: There is a direct bus. The distance is long, so you’ll probably want to travel overnight.
Getting from San Agustín to Popayán: There is a direct bus, going through a national park. This means, a long and bumpy ride, with beautiful views.
Other places to visit in Colombia
I’ve heard great things about the Tatacoa desert and I’m kinda bummed I skipped it… It’s definitely on my list for when I get back to Colombia. If you’re thinking of only visiting one desert in Colombia and are not looking to kitesurf, I think Tatacoa might be a better choice then La Guajira.
If you’re a beachbum and it fits your budget, the islands of Providencia and San Andrés could definitely be for you. Just a heads up for the (solo) travelers that are looking to meet new people, you’ll find less backpackers here and more couples/families.
If you love dancing salsa, you should not miss Cali. It is the salsa-capital and they even have their own style. If you’re not that excited about salsa or big cities, skip it.
For all you fellow hiking-lovers out there, Los Nevados national park could be for you. I skipped it as I didn’t want to hike on my own and the tours were rather expensive due to low demand. It is supposed to be amazing however and can be combined with the Cocora Valley. It’s on my list together with Tatacoa for next time!
If you like adventure sports, look into San Gil. I decided to skip it only because it was slightly out of the way and I was planning to go to Baños in Ecuador anyway. I had already spent quite some time in Colombia as well and wanted to get going. If you want to visit the Amazon, you can do so via Leticia. From there you can also cross the border to Peru or Brazil.
This was the Ultimate Backpacker Guide to Colombia
