Expert: Garrett Fifer - 1/29/2009

Question
hola i am from Ireland and will be traveling from Peru into Columbia where i will spend about a month, i was just wondering what is there to do there anything you can suggest.. cheers

Answer
Colombia has just about anything you could imagine to do and some sights that are just absolutely amazing. Here are a few ideas, though I haven't done all of these...

Visit La Ciudad Perdida near Santa Marta. It is supposed to be more extensive than Machu Pichu but requires a few days hike with a guide to get there.

Visit Tayrona National Park, also near Santa Marta... breathtaking Caribbean beaches and scenery. This is high on my list.

Visit the old city in Cartagena. The colonial city is well preserved and quite interesting. I took a Naval History Museum tour there to kill some time once that turned out to be fascinating to learn about the history and how many times the city had been overtaken by other countries as well as pirates. You could also visit las Islas de Rosario for a nice day trip or a few nights while you're there.

If you find yourself near Pereira or Armenia, you might check out el Parque de Cafe which is a nice and easy day trip.

In Medellin, if you're Spanish is good, I might recommend you take a Turibus tour which will show some interesting points around the city. At night, there is the world famous Mango's, which I've never been to, but can only imagine is filled with some of the most beautiful women in the world. Bahia is another that is nearby that is good.

In Bogota, look into el Museo de Oro and ask about Andres Carne de Res for dinner and rumba (its actually outside the city, but quite a draw, so make reservations). There are quite a few nightspots near the Parque 93 and the Zona Rosa. Usaquen is a nice area that is more 'cultured'. La Candelaria has lots of interesting sites that are not very well publicised. Many tourists stay in hostels in this area.

Two hours south of Bogota is a resort town called Melgar... recommended if you're in town for a holiday weekend because the place fills up with party goers from Bogota. The white water rafting there is kind of tame, but refreshing.

If you're drawn to the Amazon, people rave about Leticia. Also high on my list of places to visit.

Cali is always a big draw for its reputation of beautiful women, but personally, I find Medellin better and more inviting. You may struggle to find things to do in Cali besides visiting some malls and a few artisan areas. North of Cali is el Lago de Calima which sounds nice for a weekend on the lake. Also a good holiday weekend type place to visit.

The Pacific Coast is supposed to be a tropical beach paradise, though a bit undeveloped. Do your homework if you're going to drop into el Choco and keep security as a priority. Guerrillas, paramilitaries, and drug traffickers are active in this area.

San Andres in the Caribbean is Colombia's island of choice. Probably a tourist trap type resort island, though many love it.

San Agustin in the south is supposed to be a nice destination with some old indian ruins and statues being the most notable attractions. Use caution in planning the route to get there.

If you're up for adventure... I know a guide from deunacolombia.com that does some pretty amazing trips all over the country. Get in touch with Thomas to plan a trip or see what he has coming up. He's Dutch but he probably knows Colombia better than 99.999% of Colombians. You might mentioned that Garrett made the suggestion.

Good luck and enjoy Colombia.