Colombia Official Travel Guide
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Recommended weekend destinations
Colombia is a diverse nation with a multitude of natural environments that go from beaches to jungles to deserts. A country with all climates for all kinds of plans and activities.
With so many marvelous destinations, it is sometimes hard to choose. In this section, each week, we will recommend two destinations to visit.
Colombia has plans for all tastes!
Beyond the Iconic Bandeja Paisa
With bustling streets, the city of the eternal spring offers visitors an array of dining options that range from the traditional to the most refined gastronomy.
Colombian tourism offering in Vakantiebeurs, a Dutch fair
Bogotá, Cartagena, Tayrona Park and the Coffee Triangle will be the destinations promoted in the most important event in that country in this industry.
Read more: Colombian tourism offering in Vakantiebeurs, a Dutch fair
Cartagena International Music Festival
The event will take place this coming January 6 to 14, with the support of Proexport, who invited journalists from the United States and Canada to cover the Festival.
Colombian Diving at DEMA 2011
The event, which only gathers professionals from the scuba-diving tourism sector, will be held in Orlando, Florida, between November 2 and 5.
The "Colombia as a world class destination" Seminar tour begins
The seminars will be held in Bogotá, Pereira, Cartagena, Barranquilla, Cali and Medellin, with the aim of improving the corporate tourism export offering.
Read more: The "Colombia as a world class destination" Seminar tour begins
One of the largest and most luxurious ships in the world will arrive in Colombia on cruise season
The Queen Elizabeth is one of the novelties this season, which will run until June 2012. The Port of Cartagena is ready to receive more than 11,000 passengers in a single day. Cruise visitors increased from 50,946 in 2006 to 296,049 in 2010.
The Guardian highlights Bogota as a tourist destination for "rediscovering"
The British newspaper, one of the most influential in that country, ran a story about the new tourism opportunities in the Colombian capital, which refers to the city as a modern destination with an excellent gastronomical offering.
Read more: The Guardian highlights Bogota as a tourist destination for "rediscovering"
Whale Season started in the Colombian Pacific
Every year this is the ideal scenario for humpback whales to breed and bear their offspring. They travel over 8,000 kilometers from Antarctica and Southern Chile to come to these warm waters that provide the perfect conditions to conserve their species.
British see potential in Colombia for birdwatching
A group of tour operators from the United Kingdom traveled around Colombia as the preamble to the Bird Fair, the largest fair in the sector, to take place in England this coming 19th of August.
Read more: British see potential in Colombia for birdwatching
Colombia will present a tourism offer for cruise ships docking in Colombia during Sea Trade
Sea Trade is the largest cruise ship trade show to be held in Miami between March 14th and 17th. During the event, Proexport Colombia will seek to position the country as a destination for cruise ships in the region.
The road to Nevado del Ruiz. A mountain waits in silence
El recorrido hacia el Nevado del Ruiz, desde Manizales, está colmado de magia y naturaleza. El contacto con la tierra a más de 5.000 m.s.n.m. se roba el aliento de los visitantes para inculcarles humildad y entregarles la grandeza de la montaña.
Read more: The road to Nevado del Ruiz. A mountain waits in silence
Los Nevados Nature Park
The Park covers 58,300 ha, and falls within four departments or provinces: Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío and Tolima.
Recommendations for visitors
You should follow the suggestions made for the Nevado Nature Park, and the advice of guides who take you up the mountain.
An encounter with the giant Kumanday
If you leave Valle de las Tumbas, the road goes round 17 zigzag bends, up to 4,600 m, and arrives on the edge of the crater La Olleta, an inactive volcano and the youngest in the Park, also known as a León Dormido (the Sleeping Lion). This is the most photogenic of the mountains, with its fascinating colors, and a peak at 4,850 m.
The adventure begins
At the gateway into Los Nevados, in the area known as Brisas, the attitude is no higher than 4,050 m. From then on, there is a 10-kilometre track, along the highest road in Colombia, the third highest in Latin America and the fourth highest in the world.
The road to Nevado del Ruiz. A mountain waits in silence
The trip to Nevado del Ruiz is Manizales is full of magic and nature. Contact with earth more than 5,000m up takes the visitor's breath away, and teaches him a little humility as it delivers them to the grandeur of the mountain.
Read more: The road to Nevado del Ruiz. A mountain waits in silence
Cundinamarca and myth, not far from Bogotá
In the heart of Colombia, there are some marvelous places, full of history and myth. In Cundinamarca, the Muiscas were a native tribe who created the legends that explain the origins of the world, such as the legend of the Tequendama Falls, or that of the origin of the Muisca people, or that of the lake Guatavita.
Cartagena: Colombia's audiovisual showcase for Ibero-America
From February 25 to March 5, 2010, Cartagena will become one enormous screening room to celebrate the 50th Cartagena International Film Festival. It is the oldest film festival in Latin America.
The Zipaquirá Cathedral, a mine of light and salt
First there was the light of day, then darkness. Little by little, a multicolored phosphorescent light appeared and illuminated the walls of the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, a monumental architectural masterpiece built by the miners' own hands and which became a beautiful temple.
Tayrona Natural Park: Where Nature and Archaelogy Meet
In the department of Magdalena, just 34 km from the lovely city of Santa Marta, lies the Tayrona National Park – a sanctuary of nature and archaeological remains that invite an encounter with oneself. Mangrove swamps, corals, algae prairies, thorny scrubland, and magical dry, humid, and cloud forests proliferate and are home to a surprising variety of vegetal and animal species that bear witness to life.
Literary Cartagena: Hay Festival
Cartagena decks itself in light and letters every January to make everyone vibrate with marvelous narrations, exciting novels, and touching poems that come forth from the pen of writers who find their inspiration in life. The Walled City exudes culture and beauty and opens spaces for the Hay Festival, one of Colombia’s largest literary events.
Barichara: tranquility and adventure carved out of stone
Barichara was declared a National Monument in 1978 because of its architectural heritage dating back to the Spanish conquest. Barichara mesmerizes both tourists and residents with its beauty. With good reason, Barichara is considered the prettiest village in Colombia. This is thanks to the craftsmen and their skillful hands, who labored, stone by stone, to build these charming houses and churches.
The cosmopolitan life of Medellín
Over 4,000 tourists from abroad descended on the city for the IDB Assembly in 2009. The event was a resounding success. It demonstrated the city's efficient infrastructure and ability to host global events. Medellín has numerous benefits and advantages on offer for tourists and businesses alike.
Lake Tota: beach in a cold climate
Lake Tota is in Boyacá, a department in the Andean region of Colombia, characterized by its green countryside, fertile land and noble people. It is surrounded by pretty villages and beautiful, peaceful countryside. Immerse yourself in the lush surroundings!
Gorgona: eco-tourism and a natural paradise in the Colombian Pacific
Gorgona is a small 25 km² island that is home to a natural paradise and a mecca for eco-tourism and fauna and flora research due to its coral reef and tropical rainforest ecosystems. For this reason, it is known as the “Science Island”.
Nuquí: a treasure and a paradise in the Colombian Pacific
Guachalito, Coquí, Joví, Termales, and Morromico are some of the names of the beaches and villages that make up the paradise called Nuquí, a municipality in the department of Chocó, on the shores of the Pacific Ocean, where sea and jungle fuse into one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in Colombia.
Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta: Land of Snow and Indigenous Peoples
The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta is a magical destination where the wisdom of nature and the indigenous people are joined. Every step taken into its depth is an encounter with truly unique beauty and exuberance.
Valle del Cauca: A Colombian Museum Destination
Valle del Cauca is a fertile land for culture and art. The department also has numerous museums and culture houses that exhibit works of artists and writers from Colombia and other parts of the world.
News, Colors, and Reasons for a Trip to Cartagena de Indias
Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo fulfilled his dream of sending his blessed voice towards the immensity of the ocean from in between the crowded Torre del Reloj and the Camellón de los Mártires (clock tower and promenade) of Cartagena de Indias.
Santa Marta: An Old Historical City Bathed by the Sea
Summarizing the features of a destination like Santa Marta is pleasant per se, but more so in this case in the light of the many factors it combines. There are more than enough reasons to exalt this tropical city and its surroundings as one of the most important destinations for foreigners and nationals.
The Coffee Region: Three Locations, One Charming Region
Coffee Region is another name for the Coffee Axis region embedded right at the center of Colombian geography. A forceful culture that teaches about the wonderful coffee bean, as well as a great deal of tourist activities revolving around ever-present coffee traditions and their characters, is permanently developing.
Santander Means History, Adventure, and Unlimited Thrills
Whenever you have the chance to visit the department of Santander, in northeastern Colombia, you will realize why one of its sites was nominated as one of the new Seven Natural Wonders of the World: the Chicamocha Canyon, an extraordinary place worth watching from land, air, and water.
Guatavita: Village and Lake, History and True Legend
To prove that a legend transcended the sphere of the fantastic, all that needs to be done is to leave Bogotá, by the Autopista Norte or the road to La Calera, and visit the sacred Guatavita Lake, the site of the legend of El Dorado, the legend that attracted the Spanish conquistadors to this land in the sixteenth century.
The Museum of the Caribbean - Barranquilla
In April 2009, the first regional museum in Colombia opened its doors for the first time: the Museum of the Caribbean, a space that reconstructs the history of that area of the country and presents its visitors with cultural expressions and the historic memory of its inhabitants, while fostering reflection about the environment, the territory, and the development of the region.
San Andres island: a four-day plan for tourists of the world
Slightly over 720 km separate this archipelago from the Colombian coast, making it Colombia’s northernmost insular region in the Caribbean. It is known, among other things, for its seahorse shape and the spectacular seven shades of its sea, which may be seen from the aircraft, the beach, or even better, from the hill by the name of “La Loma”, the most authentic section of the island.
Flowers from Medellín’s Eternal Spring
In 1957, forty peasants from the village of Santa Elena participated in the first silletero (flower carrier) parade in Medellín during the old Flower Festival. Half a century later, over 500 patient flower growers descend from the magical mountains of that small community near the capital of the department of Antioquia.
Sierra Nevada del Cocuy: the fusion of the sky and the mountains of Colombia
Colombia is a striking mixture of colorful landscapes. This time, it is about the white peaks of the snowy mountain range of El Cocuy, some of which, aside from beautifying the scenery, are points of reference for the challenges of mountain climbers and tourists who wish to become acquainted with icy places in Colombian geography.
Morroa: Where hammocks swing to the beat of the pito atravesao
Morroa, also called “the cultural loom of the savannas of eastern Colombia”, is a colorful village where threads are fused by the hard work of the many inhabitants who are devoted to the noble craft of weaving hammocks, those famous nets in which humans like to wrap themselves up during their times of relaxation and daydreaming.
Mompox: a colonial island in the Magdalena River
Close to the famous city of Cartagena de Indias, in the department of Bolívar, is Santa Cruz de Mompox, a magical town on an island in the middle of the Magdalena River. It exudes history, romanticism, and nostalgia in every corner..
Cali: a subsidiary of heaven and salsa
In southwestern Colombia, music and dance attract music lovers and travelers. Cali is a city embedded between the slopes of the Western Range of the Andes and the valley of the Cauca River. It is full of festive people who carry salsa in their genes and open their doors to the world to extend an invitation to enjoy its culture.
The region with the best coffee in the world
Drinking its coffee is far from being enough to get acquainted with the culture of the best coffee in the world. It is necessary to experience the culture in the Colombian Cultural Coffee Landscape, an excellent place for enjoying exuberant landscapes and the calm of the countryside.
Medellín: the city of eternal spring
Industry and trade capital, fashion center, and the city of never-ending spring. That’s Medellín, Colombia’s second most important city.
Cartagena de Indias: always colorful, beautiful, and romantic
The inhabitants of Cartagena do not say it. Neither do the Colombians. The world and Frommer, one of the most important US tourists guides say it. Frommer recommends Cartagena de Indias as one of the top 12 world destinations to visit in 2009.
Villa de Leyva: a religious, historic, and cultural treasure
If it were not for the cold climate, upon arriving at Villa de Leyva, you would think that you are in the heart of Andalucía. The impression is very similar. White façades, wooden windows and doors, and lovely balconies with a Moorish influence are the characteristic accents of the Hispanic tradition of the town.
The Amazon: virgin jungle and live nature
We glide through the night, beneath a canopy of stars, listening to the sounds of the forest. We are deep in the Amazon jungle and engulfed in a moonlight sonata.
The Majestic Chicamocha Canyon
The Chicamocha Canyon is a Colombian natural attraction now part of the group of 261 destinations in the campaign to select the top seven natural wonders of the world. This paradise-like place is a not-to-be-missed visual spectacle.
A getaway in the Colombian Pacific
If you prefer to share the beach with sea dollars washed by the sea and the occasional group of hurried crabs rather than with hordes of families on vacation, with shows put on by the stars in the sky rather than neon lights, with the roar of waves rather than the din of traffic at rush time, the Colombian Pacific coast could be the perfect place for a getaway.
Tourism in Bogota: a city for experiencing culture
Culture is breathed and experienced every day in Bogota, the capital of Colombia, located at 2.600 meters above sea level. The past and the present blend in this metropolis founded in 1538 to offer its visitors varied artistic expressions that include museum exhibits, dance, theater, music, and splendid cuisine.
Mystery and splendor in Los Nevados Natural Park
At approximately 5,000 meters above sea level, the five towering snow-capped peaks of Quindío, Santa Isabel, El Cisne, El Ruiz, and Tolima are the heart of one of the most astounding natural mosaics in Colombia: Los Nevados Natural Park.
Providencia: “The Flower of the Ocean”
No place in the world can be called “Flower of the Ocean” except beautiful Providencia. A paradise island of crystal waters, blue skies, and tropical forests. An island enchanted by pirate tales, mystical star-lit nights, and Caribbean rhythms.
San Agustín: Park of the Stone Gods
Standing on a hilltop, the statue looks dead ahead, a smile carved across his lips. He wears the coat of a jaguar, the big cat’s head resting on his. On top of the jaguar, lies the skin of a grinning caiman.
Tayrona Park: a nature and adventure destination
Crystal-clear blue and green waters, unique ecology and biodiversity, and a lodging option that allows direct contact with nature are some of the features of the Tayrona National Park.
Contact
Proexport Colombia
Calle 28A Nº 13A-15 Piso 36
E-mail: info@colombia.travel
© 2013 Proexport Colombia
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