Top Things To Do In Colombia

Haven’t been to South America in 8 years and let’s just say, you could spend forever here. With so much to do and so many amazing cities not visited yet, Colombia is still on my bucket list. After traveling here for eight days, I learned so much that I cannot wait to share it with you guys. Traveling to Colombia does not have to be as intimidating as it sounds. With the help of this blog post, I break down everything. From your top most asked questions to recommendations & stories from the trip. Are you ready to prepare or get inspired for your trip to Colombia? Say less & read on!

Firstly, Why Colombia?

When it came time to book a new flight (which I try to do often hehe) I had three criteria. Firstly, I needed to redeem American Airlines’ credit. Secondly, it needed to be a warm climate & lastly, it needed to be before February (when the credit expired). I kept searching for the perfect flight and Colombia fit all three. Getting the days off and packing followed and now that I am back from the trip, it’s definitely one for the books, and here is why.

Great Bank For Your Buck

There are tons of flights all at affordable prices from major airlines. Based on experience, if possible to find a direct flight- those are always superior. Layovers could really interrupt a good travel day, depending on delays and immigration lines, it could be the cost of a half travel day into a full one.
Your money could really stretch, making this a trip that won’t break the bank. For every $1USD is 4,000 COP. Typically a plate or food costs $20-25k which is around $6 USD. Just WOW right? Lots of stores also give discounts if you pay in cash. I’d recommend exchanging a good amount upfront so that you don’t have to stress about finding ATMs.

Cultural Enrichment

Since it’s a Spanish-speaking country, this is an amazing opportunity to learn, freshen up, & perfect. Duolingo cannot compete with this type of language immersion.
The food is truly spectacular. Arepas, coconut rice, fresh seafood, and plantains are just a few of the many dishes that’ll make you want to try every restaurant. When it came to deciding where to go, it was honestly chosen by what was closest to us. Since we had some pretty awesome dishes, I’ll list my recommendations here as well.
Culture is huge for me and Colombia is full of it. It was a privilege to learn not only about the culture of the Colombian people but of the indigenous groups in the Sierra Nevada region. The museums, monuments, and free tour guides truly offer an insightful experience that really helps you put everything you learn to memory.
The natural wonders are out of this world. From the Tatacoa Desert to Tayrona National Park & La Ciudad Perdida, an indigenous civilization that predates Machu Picchu by a few hundred years, there is something for everyone.

Where to Start?

As I mentioned, many cities in Colombia are worth visiting. If you are planning on spending more than a month, you have a chance at hitting all the major cities and then some. If you’re in the same boat as me, having about eight days is virtually impossible to get around the entire country. Many recommend flying from one city to another to avoid an over 20+ hour drive.

Where Should You Travel To?

Since Bogota is the capital, you could pair this one with another city of your choice to help you with the travel costs and long travel days.
Cali is known for its Salsa dancing. They have the most authentic salsa spots and for good reason. Start practicing now to try and fit in!
Medellin is known for its chaos & from hearing about it from other travelers, that’s really taking a turn for the better. Medellin has one of the best nightlife spots in the world, a reason to definitely get your party on.
Santa Marta is known for its beautiful nature. From Tayrona Park to the Sierra Nevada mountain range along the Buritaca river, explore more and get outdoors.
Cartegena is the closest city to travel to from the Northern Hemisphere. Its Caribbean beaches, beautiful history & energy are just a few reasons many want to get a glimpse themselves. As with big cities comes other situations to be wary of- watch out for overly persistent sellers trying to make an extra buck.

The Brooklynite Abroad’s Top Recommendation: The two cities you should most certainly pair together are Cartagena & Santa Marta for a perfect 8-10 day trip. Flying into Cartegena and then driving/taking a bus to Santa Marta is the best way to approach this trip.

How long is the immigration line at the Colombian airport?

Unfortunately, the immigration line took FOREVER. Forever meaning 2.5 hours. This is something you really cannot avoid so you’re going to have to keep that in mind when you travel here and honestly most countries. Specifically, Latin American countries operate a little slower so that could also explain the lengthy wait. Even though there were about 8 desks, only half of them were in use- making it a frustrating waiting game as we anxiously awaited our adventure. Ways to prevent this is to try to either get an early flight so essentially, you’re one of the first flights in OR by getting a direct flight to avoid layover times since immigration lines you can’t really avoid.

When is the best time to take out money?

The best time to take out money is a very ambiguous question. Why? Because currency rates are ALWAYS changing. It’s best to look at the currency rates a few weeks before and as you get closer you can request a currency exchange at your local bank with the rate that is the best deal. Typically at the airports, you’ll get an unfavorable rate compared to at your local bank so just try to be wary of that and plan as much ahead as you can.

How much money should you take out?

In terms of how much to take out, again another ambiguous question. It all depends on what you paid for already via credit/debit card for hotels, excursions etc. The more cash you have, the more bargaining power you have to ask for deals and discounts on souvenirs and excursions as well. For this trip, we took out about 600 USD in exchange for roughly 2.7mil COP. This lasted us just 2 days before the trip when we had to start using our credit cards. Both Amex & VISA cards are accepted which was great for us!

Should you rent or drive from Cartagena to Santa Marta?

I will say that if you aren’t a confident driver, please do not do this. It’s pretty dangerous to rent a car like that let alone the physical injuries & fees you’d have to pay for an accident. The roads are one-lane highways so the only way to pass is to drive into oncoming traffic & then switch back into your plane to pass someone which is super scary!! If you’re renting a car, be careful when making stops. Don’t stop when you see a group of people clustered together- that’s a recipe for disaster.

Use your street-smart skills to justify rest stops & make sure you’re diligently checking for surprise scooters that will pop up out of nowhere. It’s the law to make sure after 8:30, no rental cars are being driven so plan & time out the day accordingly to make sure you don’t get pulled over. Getting pulled over could mean a bunch of things, but more so they’re usually after money and will try to pull you over for the slightest inconvenience. I’d also make sure to check for automatic & manual vehicles since the majority of Colombians drive manual cars.

The Best Experiences In Colombia You Can’t Miss

Trekked 4 days in the Colombian Jungle

A piece of my heart was left in the heart of the world 🌎

Something I never imagined was being able to experience the most underrated wonders of the world. La Ciudad Perdida is an indigenous civilization that dates back 2,000 years before Christ. One of the most beautiful, awe-inspiring, hardest, challenging & mentally/physically draining hikes I have ever done. There’s a life greater than the one you know. One without “modern technology”, yet they still have advancements in society and it was a true privilege to have gotten just a tiny glimpse. A humbling experience to say the least.

Overview Of 4 Days in the Colombian Jungle

Only relying on necessities, our fabulous tour guides & harsh conditions, we managed to get just a glimpse of the indigenous ways of life. Seeing the fantastic landscape was nothing but inspiring. Surrounded by my favorite color, the natural sounds of the jungle’s finest creatures, and the hospitality of the locals- it was a privilege to have the opportunity to step foot on a land so well-preserved, well-respected & mostly well deserving of our support. Being violently ill for half of the trek was a token of humility. I have never felt weak and strong at the same time. It taught me that there’s strength in weakness.

Trusting indigenous peoples to guide us through the over 1200m descent of the mountain was emotional & wholesome. Taking mules and a motorcycle the way down and recovering for 2 days after taught me that our body is not given enough credit for the miracles it performs. Experiencing my body heal in nature was a very surreal feeling and a reminder to not take your health for granted. The trek of a lifetime one might say, I’d love to visit again and see just how much I learned.

To Our Wonderful Tour Guides, Thank You

Thanks to Teyuna Tours, we had an incredible experience. They picked us up and dropped us from our hotel before and after the tour which was SWEEET! They were the nicest, most accommodating, & helpful during our violently ill 48 hours. For $285 USD you get a 4-day trip with breakfast, lunch & dinner including tours of the Kougi & Wiwa indigenous groups & the experience of a lifetime. You have the option to venture with an indigenous, but we decided on a tour guide with a translator who was nothing but kind & supportive on our journey to the lost city! Isidro & Luis, muchas gracias para todo! Check them out here!

Promotion! Book At The End Of The Year

We got a great deal for offering to pay in cash when we get to Colombia including an early bird discount for booking in December 2022 for our January 2023 trip. I’d recommend contacting, Karen with Baquinos Travel who helped us with accommodations & kept us updated with the process leading up to our pickup! Contact Karen here

Safety Precautions

To prevent getting sick, I’d recommend not drinking the lake water (I feel like that was a no-brainer for us but we tried to use our water filters, nonetheless. I’d avoid drinking their juices & drinks since it’s also made with their water. I’d be really careful and pack your own soap since they don’t have individual soaps in the bathrooms. If you really want to be safe, back lots of nutrition bars to keep your stomach at ease. Avoid drinking the lake water in the swims & take supplements to settle your stomach when you feel unsettled! Getting sick was a wake-up call for us to be extra cautious when in these conditions so overall, very happy I learned it here! I will most certainly do another post just on this experience because there really is so much to talk about.

Colombia Highlights

Toganay Beach, Santa Marta

As I said relaxation was necessary after the nightmare/fairytale I experienced. Ate well, and got some beautiful sun on one of the most lowkey places, Toganay Beach. Woke up to the most beautiful view of the sunrise over the water. It seriously looked like a Colombian Positano. Our hotel was just amazing. We had two different rooms a view of the ocean via the balcony and the other via hammock. My body was slowly healing. The cold salty ocean water was refreshing. It truly felt like we were in a spot full of locals. Swimming into the sunset and jamming out to reggaeton on our private rooftop was for sure a highlight. Eczema on my skin was finally going away. – Nature heals.

Santa Marta Centro

Our journey doesn’t end there. With a quick taxi into the city center, we had to check out the Museo de Oro (the museum of gold). After hearing stories of just how much gold was found in the oldest city in Colombia, the museum was going to blow us away. That museum was beautiful. We saw these intricate pieces of gold carved into animals symbolic of indigenous cultures (bats, frogs, birds). I loved learning about the history of the different types of people. The sea people, river people, land people & the valley people. Each different group has a significant impact on the lifestyle, culture & economy of beautiful Colombia.

Cartegena

The 5-hour bus ride to Cartegena was the budget-friendly option necessary after sending a lot for the mules and motorcycles to our ill-asses down La Ciudad Perdida. Deciding to take a 1 pm bus, allowed us to arrive at 5:30, just before sunset. It was really my mistake in taking pictures of the fruit ladies. It resulted in being bombarded with their strange song & later ungratefully denied our voluntary tip and asked for more money, which was given with resentment. Cartegena was off to a bad start & it shows me that there is something to learn from every trip you embark on. Trying to snap yourself out of a bad mood is something really hard for me. Embarking on the free walking tour of Cartagena was lovely and helped put my mind at ease. In such little time, our informative guide really knew how to sum everything up.

There You Have It

The trip ended just like that. Traveling to Colombia should be a no-brainer with all of the beauty that the country offers. There are many stereotypes of traveling here and lastly, I’ll say that I always felt safe & extremely kind hospitality from the locals. It’s always bittersweet ending a vacation and adding another country to the list. This blog post will continue to grow as more cities in Colombia are visited. I have this pinned map at home that I always add to when I get back so just another token of appreciation for the trip! Thanks for sticking to the end! Your support is always recognized & appreciated from the bottom of my heart! With lots of love, Vee!