Historic cities, natural beauty and a warm welcome in Colombia
July 1, 2009 by HeatherCowper
My Guest post today will take you to Colombia – where you’ll find a warm welcome, historic cities and beautiful national parks. Andrew and Andrea are travelling around South America and provide travel advice and hostel reviews at Review-Hostel.com.
The streets of Bogota
Colombia. The very word alone inflicts fear into even the most laid back parents and relatives. Colombia has a reputation as the land of guerilla warfare and drug lords looking to shoot backpackers. So why had we chosen Colombia on our South American trip? Put simply, we wanted to see for ourselves. We were sick of only hearing the reported bad news from Colombia. We thought Colombia, with its current ‘The only risk is wanting to stay’ tourist campaign must have some truth in it.
On arrival at Bogota airport, the safety and security compared to other South American cities is by far superior. Arrivals is kept clear and easy to navigate by security, and taxis are ordered by a simple ticket system to insure only the genuine companies drive you, at fair rates. The first local contact (our airport taxi driver) was thrilled to see us, feeding us friendly non stop chatter about Colombia. I must point out, our Spanish is extremely limited, but he made the up most effort to understand us. Our first afternoon in Bogota gave us a real warmth and we both felt this city was one of the safest we’ve visited. Of course, as with any city center you need to take precautions, but no more so than any other city in South America – the huge police presence increases your confidence with the city every day.
Cartagena, the romantic heart of Columbia
As with many South American cities, street sellers canvas the crowds with mounds of exotic and tropical fruit. Bogota is no exception, mango being the local favourite, its the tastiest on earth! Andrea was keen for a helping, and approached an old street seller. Fumbling for the correct change she only had half the amount. The street seller didn’t look annoyed or demand the mango back, he simply grinned and said ‘All that matters is that you are here in Columbia’.
Our three days in Bogota came to an end quickly. We had a plane to catch to northern Colombia, the humid Caribbean coast. Our first stop was Cartagena, the romantic heart of Colombia. A tourist hot spot for both locals and international visitors, we found plenty of hostel and budget hotel accommodation options in the walled city, and we quickly settled at Hotel Las Vegas. Walking the cobbled streets of Cartagena, the area reminded us of a film set, more than a real living city.
Cartagena, like a film set
We both loved Cartagena, the buzz of activity in the evenings and the ample quality restaurants made it easy to spend a week here. The humid temperature however, made day walking difficult (typical Europeans!) and we both agreed selecting hotel accommodation with air conditioning was a must for staying here. The evenings are much more pleasant, the heat drops and a cool breeze passes through the city.
The one thing Cartagena is missing though, is a good beach. We found even with air conditioning, it was too hot for us without some form of swimming pool or ocean to jump in every 20minutes. So our next stop, 4hours east, was Taganga. Taganga was exactly what we were looking for; a small fishing village, next to the sea, and only 15minutes from Santa Marta – and a world away from the hustle and bustle of Cartagena.
Taganga isn’t the postcard perfect town and beach destination, it’s a little under developed and rough around the edges, but a lovely spot to rest and acclimatise to the humidity for a few days. Its typically Caribbean, very laid back, plenty of fruit juices available and lots of affordable seafood for dinner. As an added bonus, we stayed at Hostal Divanga which had a private swimming pool surrounded by hammocks.
Diving in Taganga
Taganga offers some of the cheapest diving in South America, and is known as one of the places to dive in Colombia. We did a total of five dives in 27 degree water with fantastic visibility, a wide variety of corals and sea life, and above all, the temperature is like being in a bath!
Tayrona National Park
Another of the main tourist attractions is the popular Tayrona National Park, located an hour east of Taganga. The park offers some of the best beaches and lush rainforests to explore in Colombia. Another thing the National Park offers to guests is a huge amount of mosquitoes – be sure to pack plenty of repellent and a mosquito net if sleeping in a hammock. After a two days of trekking the national park, we were both ready to get back to civilisation, have a break from the mosquitoes and enjoy a ‘normal’ bed for a good nights sleep.
Tayrona National Park
We secured another cheap flight from Santa Marta the following day, to see us in back Bogota a few hours later. Since we’ve been away from Bogota, not much has changed, the same friendly people are here and the same vibrant night life exists. We are finding Bogota the perfect base to plan our next stage of our trip – Medellin and the Zona Cafetera.
Andrew and Andrea have stayed in hostels around Australia, New Zealand and now have embarked on backpacking through South America to complete their world loop. Since travelling, they decided to setup their own website, www.Review-Hostel.com, reviewing hostel accommodation and providing travel advice to fellow travellers. They provide honest, non sponsored reviews with videos and photos to help plan and book your trip.
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Mark (TravelWonders) on Thu, 2nd Jul 2009 12:46 am
I’ve not been to Colombia though South America is one of my favourite continents – especially Peru, Chile, Bolivia and the Iguassu Falls. Cartegena in the article sounds superb wandering the old streets and colonial buildings.
Marta on Thu, 9th Jul 2009 7:37 pm
I’m a Colombia native living in the United States and currently a US citizen.
It felt so nice to read your article about beautiful Colombia. I do believe Colombia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Bogotá is a fabulous city and of course Cartagena and the rest of the Atlantic Coast are great. But there’s much more to see in Colombia.
There are many cities that should be considered visiting. The “Zona Cafetera” where the best coffee in the world is produced, is breathtaking. Located in the middle of the Andes, it offers visitors breathtaking views. Important cities in this region are Pereira, Manizales and Armenia. Each one of them has something different to offer. People who visit are never disappointed.
There wouldn’t be enough space here to talk about all the wonderful places in Colombia. Cities like Medellín, Cali, Bucaramanga, Popayán, the ‘departamento’(province) of Boyacá, the Island of San Andrés and Providencia and many others, are certainly worth visiting.
Irotama on Fri, 9th Apr 2010 8:05 pm
You missed one tiny spot
in Santa Marta, the Irotama reservoir.
The Irotama Reservoir is a natural protected lake near the Santa Marta Cierra Nevada.
You have to visit it.
Colombia Santa Marta on Sun, 11th Apr 2010 3:39 pm
hotel Irotama ofrece grandes ofertas para vacacionar en Santa Marta
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South America Backpacking with Indie Travel Podcast | Heather on her travels on Sun, 25th Jul 2010 4:24 pm
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Capitan Justicia on Sat, 11th Sep 2010 4:27 am
Was it really necessary to begin your blog by insulting Colombia’s name by associating it with your preconceived prejudices? As a Colombian, I find that pretty offensive. Also, since you spent a good amount of time there, you should be able to spell the country’s name by now, it’s ColOmbia!
admin on Sat, 11th Sep 2010 4:30 pm
@ Capitan Justicia
Thanks for your comment on my guest article – I myself have not visited Colombia but obviously my guest writers Andrew and Andrea have. The whole point of the article is that many people may have these preconceptions about Colombia but that Andrew and Andrea found these preconceptions to be unfounded receiving a warm welcome and enjoying all that Colombia has to offer. I hope the article will encourage more travellers to visit and enjoy Colombia rather than the reverse.
Historic cities in Peru Machu Picchu on Sat, 8th Jan 2011 2:09 am
Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Pikchu) – “Old Mountain”, pronounced [ˈmɑtʃu ˈpixtʃu]) – is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located 2,430 metres (7,970 ft) above sea level.[1][2] It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 kilometres (50 mi) northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). Often referred to as “The Lost City of the Incas”, it is perhaps the most familiar icon of the Inca World.
The Incas started building the estate around AD 1400 but abandoned it as an official site for the Inca rulers a century later at the time of the Spanish Conquest. Although known locally, it was unknown to the outside world before being brought to international attention in 1911 by the American historian Hiram Bingham. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction.
Since the site was never known to the Spanish during their conquest, it is highly significant as a relatively intact cultural site. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.[2] In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide Internet poll.