Itineraries in Colombia

Planning a trip to Colombia ?

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2018 is Colombia’s year to shine ! Live the Colombian life, like Pablo Escobar !

Colombia is often associated with violence and cartels, and you could say the newest pop culture kind of contributes to this image : with Netflix’s Narcos for example.
However, the Pearl of the Caribbeans is true to its name ! With its part of the Amazon Rainforest, coffee plantations, white sand deserts and translucide waters, Colombia is a country with a rich culture and a rare diversity.
Explore the country from city to nature in just a few hours, you will make unique encounters. Be sure to visit the colonial cities as well as the stranded islands !
And maybe, if you’re lucky you’ll get to see Shakira when dancing in the streets of Colombia !

Ready for adventure ? Vamos !

What to see in Colombia ?

What to do in Colombia ?

Live the Colombian life.

• Tatacoa desert is a must-see when in Colombia, you’ll love it.
• Stroll along the shore of Santa Marta.
• Live at the Colombian pace when in the capital, Bogotá.
• Tayrona National Park will please everyone, the hikers as well as the swimmers.
• You will fall for Cartagena‘s character.
• Go on an unforgettable hike in Cocora Valley.

But wait for it … Colobia also knows how to celebrate !

There are many national holidays all year long :

• In January, the Carnaval de Blancos y Negros is held across the whole country.
• In February, you can take part in the Carnaval de Barranquilla or in the Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria.
• In March, the Semana Santa is celebrated in Popayán and in Mompox, you could also attend the Festival Ibero-americano de Teatro.
• In August, two festivals are held, one after the other : la Feria de las Flores and the Festival de Música del Pacifico Petronio Álvarez.
• In September, many festivals take place : the Festival Mundial de Salsa in Cali, the Congreso Nacional Gastrónomico in Popayán, the Jazz Festival and the Festival Internacional de Teatro in Bogotá.
• In October : do not miss the Festival de Cine in Bogotá, the Mompox Jazz Festival and the Rock al Parque in Bogotá
• In November, the famous Carnaval de Cartagena will meet your expectations and leave you with amazing memories.

Languages in Colombia

¡ Hablamos colombiano !

Before going, you need to know that Colombian is not a language, sorry ! The official langage is Spanish so I hope you took Spanish in high school ! ¡Claro que si !
But no, don’t worry, english is widely spoken in touristic areas.

Spanish 101!

For those who skipped Spanish classes or took french in high school.

• Hello : Buenos días/Buenas noches/Holá (in the morning/in the afternoon/Hi)
• Bye : Adiós
• Please : Por favor
• Thank you : Gracias
• Sorry : Lo siento/Perdón/Disculpa
• Yes : Sí
• No : No

Official currency in Colombia

Money, money, money

The official currency in Colombia is the Colombian Peso (COP). Better get a money converter on your phone to manage your expenses more easily. If you need to exchange your cash money, there are many exchange offices in the big cities, ATMs are also pretty easy to find. If you prefer using your credit/debit card, don’t worry they are usually accepted. Be sure to warn your bank that you are traveling so that they won’t block your card for suspect abroad transactions.

Traveling in Colombia

Is the steering wheel on the left or right ?

Traveling in Colombia is best by bus but a car will be much faster and you won’t end up with a chicken sitting next to you. To rent or drive a car you will need a driver’s licence valid up to 90 days after your intended return date or an International Driving Permit.

If you were wondering what side the steering wheel is on, it’s on the left side and Malagasies drive on the right side of the road. But be careful, people do not really care about driving rules/ regulations !

Overall cost of a trip to Colombia

Thanks for all the information but how much will this actually cost ?

Transportation :

• Three airlines have domestic flights :
  – Ada (about 172 300 COP /flight)
  – Avianca (about 241 200 COP/flight)
  – Copaair (about 241 200 COP/flight)
• A rental car is about 689 100 COP/week in the big car rental agencies.
• The good news is gas is cheap ! About 2217,72 COP/liter.
• Expect about 10 500 COP every 50km/31 miles for tolls.

Accommodation : 

• A night in a hostel is, on average 31 000 COP/night. A 2-person bedroom in a hotel is about 51 700 COP/night.

Eating : 

• On average, a lunch will cost between 6900 and 10 400 COP in a restaurant. A beer is about 3 445 COP and a coffee between 690 and 5170 COP !

If you are staying longer than 90 days, you will need a VISA. It will cost 137 815 COP /person.

Useful contact information in Colombia

If you need to join / go to you embassy while in Colombia, go to this website for the address, phone number, email address  and website : https://embassy.goabroad.com/embassies-in/colombia

In case of emergency call : 123

Book your trip to Colombia

Here are different platforms to book your trip from :

Flights :

• http://www.ada-aero.com/
• http://www.avianca.com/
• http://www.copaair.com/

Rental cars :

• https://www.autoescape.com

Looking for other travelers’ experiences in Colombia to get inspired from ? Go to ShareYourTrip :

• https://www.shareyourtrip.fr/s?q=Colombie&cid=&latitude=4.570868&longitude=-74.29733299999998&areaLevel1=&areaLevel2=&areaLevel3=&city=&country=Colombie&countryIsoCode=CO&distance=100km&page=

Practical information in Colombia

Tips to travelers :

• If you plan on crossing the border and go to an other country (like Venezuela), avoid going by car. It can be dangerous (agressions, thefts …).
• For hygiene reasons, be sure to only drink bottled water, even to brush your teeth (if you don’t want to spend your vacation in the bathroom …).
• Avoid eating veggies that are not peeled.
• Get a universal adapter to charge your devices.
• Finally don’t forget to pack long sleeved clothes and insect repellant spray otherwise you’ll get eaten up by the insects !