Colombia Travel Guide

There are some beautiful beaches along the Colombian coast and a range of accommodation depending on your preferences. We can suggest options to include eco huts in amongst the forests of a coastal national park or more luxurious boutique hotels on the Caribbean island of Providencia.

You’ll definitely have plenty of opportunity to sip coffee during your trip. You might like to explore the coffee region to visit coffee farms and do some tastings but wherever you go, coffee will be hard to avoid!

Colombia is a fantastic country to travel within and the areas that we would suggest for an itinerary are receiving more and more international travellers. There are no restrictions in place for areas such as Cartagena, Bogota & Santa Marta and the Tayrona National Park and we would not have any concerns over safety. There are still areas of Colombia that we would not recommend travelling to and we always keep up to date with the latest Foreign & Commonwealth Office advice.

Yes, a direct flight has recently been introduced by Avianca but there are also alternative airlines and routes that offer indirect options depending on your preferences.

There are some great boutique properties in Colombia, particularly in Bogota & Cartagena. There is no shortage of interesting options and if you are looking for a very high standard then this is perfectly possible in the most visited parts of the country.

In the midst of an ever-changing political landscape is a beautiful country that has much to offer. Nature has provided the Amazon Basin, large lakes surrounded by majestic mountains as well as the unspoilt beaches of the Caribbean coastline.

Colombia’s vibrant cities are similarly scenic. Urban Colombia centres on Bogota, home to about 20 percent of the country’s inhabitants. This ancient city was the pre-Columbian capital of the Chibcha Indians and remains a blend of old and new, teeming with Spanish colonial buildings and plazas alongside modern skyscrapers.
Another highlight is the Spanish colonial port of Cartagena with its spectacular walled old town, a medieval wonderland of palaces, monasteries, plazas and overhanging balconies. To the south of the town are Colombia’s major seaside holiday resorts with excellent beaches and scuba diving opportunities.

You should always check with your GP before travel and ensure you are up to date with basic vaccinations such as tetanus and Hepatitis A, however, there are no mandatory injections required for entry into Colombia. A Yellow Fever vaccination certificate is required for travellers aged 1 and over arriving from or transited for more than 12 hours through an airport in Angola, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.

Colombia is five hours behind GMT.

Avianca offers direct flights from London Heathrow to Bogota which take 11 hours and 30 minutes.

As with most cities around the world, pick-pockets are always on the lookout for easy pickings. Please be vigilant and keep wallets and purses safely out of sight, especially when paying at attractions.