5 Must Visit Destinations to Add To Your Colombia Itinerary
Colombia is sometimes called the gateway to South America, due to its northerly location on the continent. And as my first destination in South America, this rang highly true for me. Home to some of South America’s wonders the Andes and the Amazon, it’s a worthy travel destination for sure.
You’ll find a complete variety of destinations in Colombia, along with this comes a mix of climates. In the north and along the coast of the country, you can find some pretty tropical weather. Inland it can get cooler and even snowy in places of high altitude.
With such a long list of worthy destinations to visit in Colombia, it can be a little overwhelming to plan your travel itinerary. This post is here to help and inspire you to visit these 5 incredible destinations in Colombia.
Minca
A mountainous town located not far from the northern coast, Minca is a haven for those travelling to Colombia. The town itself is pretty small, lined with a handful of shops, cafes and restaurants. But the surrounding nature is what draws everyone here, with plenty of hiking trails, waterfalls and diverse wildlife, it’s an ideal place to reconnect with the outdoors.
As I said it’s a small town, so the closest airport is Santa Marta/Simon Bolivar Airport. You could either hop in a taxi from the airport. Alternatively, if you’re on a stricter budget you can take the bus, but this would require 1 change. First, take the bus from the airport to the main market (Mercado Publico) in Santa Marta. Once you’re there ask the driver to point you in the direction of the collectivo going to Minca.
A few ideas of things to do in Minca, Colombia:
- Visit Marinka Waterfalls
- Hike the Los Pinos trail
- Catch a sunset from a viewpoint
- Cacao or coffee plantation tour
Don’t over plan your days in Minca with activities, the beauty of this town is how serene and peaceful it is. Minca is known for its nets with views (see photo above) and many tourist spots or accommodations will have them. As well as being a great photo opportunity they are also a lovely place to absorb all the views and unwind a little. You’ll also find yoga classes, breathwork workshops and full wellness retreats in and around town.
Discover more about the magic of Minca, Colombia —>
Cartagena
The vibrancy capital of Colombia is Cartagena. And no, not just because of its brightly painted buildings, although that is a mesmerising sight. You will get an immediate sense of creativity and identity when you arrive. Sometimes that will mean saying ‘no gracias’ to tour operators and street vendors a million times. And other times it will be stopping in the streets to watch a local artist work or to see a dance performance in the middle of the road.
The two neighbourhoods in Cartagena you must visit are Old Walled City and Getsemani. Exploring the Old Walled City is best done on a walking tour in order to get an idea of the history of Cartagena. Whereas Getsemani is the place to be once the sun sets, dancing, partying and good food all happen here.
You may be thinking of coming to Cartagena for its beaches and whilst it is right on the coastline, the beaches aren’t necessarily the best. If you’re looking for a beach day, I suggest hopping on a boat tour to the Rosario Islands, about an hour’s journey from the port in Cartagena.
Cartagena does have an airport in which you can fly internationally and domestically. There is also a major bus station with buses coming from all over Colombia, just note it’s quite far from the normal tourist areas of the city. However Uber does work in Cartagena, should you ever need it.
Get inspired by these 11 fantastic things to do in Cartagena, Colombia —>
Jardin
Although I feel I can’t quite pick a favourite, if I was pushed to Jardin would be my favourite destination in Colombia. This small town in the countryside of Antioquia really stole my heart. Simply sitting in the main square, drinking delicious local coffee, people watching and observing the charming colonial architecture was enough to win me over.
However, you simply must get out and about in that lush countryside surrounding the town. With plenty of hiking trails leading to viewpoints, caves, waterfalls and coffee farms you won’t be short of activities. Also, horse riding around these trails is popular if you aren’t much of a hiker. Be sure not to miss the viewpoint ‘Cristo Rey’ which looks down on the town of Jardin, providing spectacular views.
There are a few direct buses that run daily to Jardin from the city of Medellin and it takes roughly around 4 hours. The nearest airport would be Medellin, so if you didn’t want to bus the rest of the journey, you would either need to rent a car or hire a private driver.
Discover the 6 things you must do in Jardin, Colombia —>
Bogota
Bogota is the city in Colombia everyone told me to not bother with and boy were they wrong. I don’t want to lead you here under false pretences, Bogota is far from the most beautiful city I have ever been to. Nonetheless, I believe it to be an essential destination in your Colombia itinerary and here is why.
As the capital city of Colombia, Bogota holds a particular insight into the rest of the country. A lot of what I learnt about Colombia came from this very city, from walking tours to museums it holds a wealth of information. The street art became a particular favourite of mine in Bogota, be sure to take a street art walking tour in La Candelaria, it’s incredible. Also, Bogota is surrounded by the Andes mountain range, which on a clear day looks spectacular.
I think the city is extremely underrated, particularly in the backpacking scene. Each destination in Colombia has its own story but Bogota to me felt like it had a piece of everyone’s story. Also on a completely different note I ate the best meal I have ever eaten in my whole life here. If you are a fellow pasta and cheese lover, run don’t walk to Storie D’Amore and order the Fettuccine al Parmigiano Reggiano.
A few ideas of things to do in Bogota, Colombia
- Climb to the Top of Monserrate
- Visit the Museo del Oro
- Play a Game of Tejo
- Visit Lake Guatavita and Salt Cathedral
Bogota’s airport El Dorado is Colombia’s largest airport, therefore it’s likely if you are flying from further afield into Colombia you will arrive here. Also, there are plenty of domestic flights and buses, so Bogota is well-connected to other popular destinations within Colombia.
Read my full travel guide on Bogota, Colombia —>
Tatacoa Desert
This is the most unique destination on this list of must-visit places in Colombia. Although the name may make you think otherwise the Tatacoa Desert isn’t actually a desert. Instead, it’s considered a dry tropical forest. When you first see this strikingly unique landscape you could think you just landed on Mars.
You’ll find two sections of the Tatacoa Desert, the red (Cuzco) and the grey desert (Los Hoyos), both with their own stories. As well as learning more about the landscape formations and the fossils found here, you can participate in some stargazing at the observatory. As the Tatacoa Desert is an area with limited light pollution and regular clear skies, you’ll find it’s a fabulous spot to learn more about the universe we float around.
Getting to the Tatacoa Desert first means getting to the town of Neiva, which you can do by plane or bus. Once you have arrived in Neiva, catch a bus to the small town of Villavieja before hopping on a tuk-tuk into the desert. It’s quite an adventure!
A complete guide to visiting the Tatacoa Desert, Colombia —>
Colombia Travel Tips
The national currency of Colombia is the Colombian Peso or COP. Two things about the currency you may often see it written with the dollar symbol and also if you see prices written like this ‘$25” it most likely means 25,000 COP.
You’ll find in the large cities of Colombia such as Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena you will be able to pay by card for most things. However, outside of the cities, you will most likely need to pay in cash or if you can pay on a card you may incur a fee.
We didn’t have a problem taking cash out however a lot of ATM charge a fee, this blog post shows the different banks and which ones are fee-free.
The national language of Colombia is Spanish, not only is it respectful to know the odd phrase, I also think your trip becomes a lot easier if you have a basic understanding. Whether you watch some TV shows in Spanish, take some Spanish classes or just simply download Duolingo to practice, I think it’s important.
The plug sockets in Colombia are type A and B, which is the same as in the US, so unless you have US chargers you will need a travel adaptor. I always recommend the worldwide ones as you can be ready for anything and also it allows you to charge multiple things at once.
There is a popular saying among Colombians “no dar papaya” which basically means don’t be an easy target. Don’t flash valuables or cash, keep phones and wallets secure and close to you and have a fabulous but safe trip.
The weather in Colombia depends more on location than the season. Mostly it’s a country that has 2 seasons, dry and wet. You’ll find it’s warmer in the north e.g. Santa Marta, Cartagena and the further south you go it gets a little cooler. The weather in Medellin is described as ‘eternal spring’ and the high altitude in Bogota makes for a much cooler climate.
In terms of transport around Colombia, the fastest way is normally by taking a flight, the main airlines are Wingo, LatAm and Avianca, I usually found Wingo to be the most budget-friendly. However the most affordable way is by taking buses, you’ll find many long-distance buses available, just expect nothing to arrive on time and be extremely patient with these buses.
Let me know in the comments what your favourite destination in Colombia is.
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