Travel Colombia • South America | She is Wanderlust Travel Blog

Located in the north of South America, Colombia has everything to ensure a unforgettable adventure. The country is blessed with an array of landscapes and ecosystems, warming and friendly locals, incredible cuisine and rich history and architecture.

Why Visit Colombia

LANDSCAPES & NATURE

Colombia is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. From snow-capped mountains in The Andes mountain range to idyllic beaches in both Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, the Amazon rainforest (which covers 35% of its territory), deserts, and much more to impress your sight.

CULTURE & LOCALS

Colombia has an unique culture, that originated from the mix between the spanish, indigenous and african that occurred during the colonial period. Colombians are famous for being warm and friendly, always welcoming tourists and encouraging them to explore they beloved country, as their tourism industry is steadily growing.

GASTRONOMY

Thanks to its mix of cultures, Colombia has some unique, fresh and delicious cuisine that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Its cheese is particularly famous, as well as its coffee, that thanks to its climate, allows the country to produce some of the best coffee in the world.

ARCHITECTURE & HISTORY

Colombia’s history dates back a couple centuries, when the pre-columbian indigenous settled in the region. As the spanish and europeans came, they influenced the country greatly, building cities and leaving a heritage that can be seen nowadays on its churches, houses and some other colonial landmarks that can be found in cities like Bogota, Tunja and Cartagena.

Why Visit Colombia

LANDSCAPES & NATURE

CULTURE & LOCALS

GASTRONOMY

ARCHITECTURE & HISTORY

Name: Republic of Colombia
Capital: Bogotá
Official Languages: Spanish
Currency: Peso
Time Zone: UTC−5

Name: Republic of Colombia
Capital: Bogotá
Official Languages: Spanish
Currency: Peso
Time Zone: UTC−5

Bucket List

What to expect

LANGUAGE

Spanish is the official language in Colombia, however there also 65 amerindian languages spoken around the country. Generally, colombians are not fluent in english, except for people in tourist areas, but they will try to help you regardless.

ELECTRICITY

In Colombia the standard voltage is 110 V and the frequency is 60 Hz. That’s the standard voltage in the US, Canada and most South American countries.

CURRENCY

The Colombian peso is the official currency in Colombia. Other foreign currencies, like dollars and euros, won’t be accepted, but credit cards are widely accepted, and you can exchange your money at any bank or withdraw directly from the ATM. 1 USD equals 3937.03 pesos (as of 2020)

CLIMATE

The climate in Colombia is generally tropical, with an annual average temperatures usually above 74 °F (23 °C). However, the country has different regions, with different altitudes and weather, like in Bogota where temperate and chilly temperatures are common.

SAFETY

Colombia was known as an unsafe country thanks to the narco-violence, however that is not the case anymore. Although the country still has some rate of petty crime, violent crime is not common, and the country is generally safe. Just like anywhere else, common sense and caution is encouraged. It is recommended to stay away from the areas where the guerrilla still has some presence and from some comunas if you are not going with locals.

How to get around

By plane

Colombia offers a decent network of domestic flights, with budget airlines like Viva Air Colombia becoming more and more popular, as the difference in prices between a bus and a flight isn’t much. Flying is the best way to cover big distances in short time.

By Car

Renting a car in Colombia is a good idea if you want to enjoy the trip at your own pace, or if you want to visit remote areas hardly accessible by plane or bus. However, it is not the safest way to travel as crime rate increases in some parts of the countryside, especially if you are around areas with guerrilla presence. Big cities tend to be chaotic and traffic could be a nightmare too (especially Bogota and Medellin). Taxis and Uber (or similar apps) are available and recommended.

By Bus

Colombia offers two different type of buses; intercity buses and colectivo. Regular buses are the cheapest way to travel around the country, with fares starting at $6. There are many private companies offering different classes of service based on the amenities of the bus. Colectivos instead, are the minibuses that get you between close towns, they tend to be faster but a little bit more expensive than regular buses. Local buses are also available and they are the preferred way of transportation by locals as they are extremely cheap (with fares starting at $0.30), however they could be overcrowded and dangerous, I would recommend to take a taxi or an uber if you are traveling short distances.

By Train

Unfortunately there is no active rail network in Colombia.

Visa Policy & Pasports

Citizens of the following 99 countries are allowed to enter Colombia without a visa for a period up to 90 days, including All European Union Citizens, Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Argentina, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bhután, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan,Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Marshall Islands, Moldova, Montenegro, Malta, Micronesia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian Federation, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Samoa, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Solomon Island, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Suriname; Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, UAE, United Kingdom Of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, US, Uruguay, Vatican city and Venezuela.