Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [249]
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Resorts
There are a handful of package-style resorts on the Caribbean coast and on San Andrés. Most are frequented by Colombians, rather than foreign package tourists, and are usually excellent value. The Pacific coast also has several good all-inclusives, but they are definitely for the more adventurous type as the area is quite remote and is heavily patrolled by the army. For a selection of some of the best small resorts, see www.posadasturisticas.com.co.
If you are booking a package resort deal from outside the country, you are exempt from the 10% IVA hotel tax. Some hotels may not know this rule, so be sure to ask for the discount.
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BUSINESS HOURS
The office working day is, theoretically at least, eight hours long, usually from 8am to noon and 2pm to 6pm weekdays, but in practice offices tend to open later and close earlier. Many offices in the larger cities have adopted the so-called jornada continua, a working day without a lunch break. It’s nearly impossible to arrange anything between noon and 2pm though, as most of the staff are off for their lunch. Most tourist offices are closed on Saturday and Sunday, and travel agencies usually only work to noon on Saturday. The many competing post offices are not open for standard hours across the country. For example, in Bogotá most are open from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday, with some branches also open on Saturday morning, but on the Caribbean coast most companies close for lunch.
As a rough guide only, usual shopping hours are from 9am to 5pm from Monday to Friday; some shops close for lunch. On Saturdays most shops are open from 9am to noon, or sometimes until 5pm. Large stores and supermarkets usually stay open till 8pm or 9pm Monday to Friday; some also open Sunday. Shopping hours vary considerably from shop to shop and from city to countryside. In remote places, opening hours are shorter and are often taken less seriously.
Restaurants opening for lunch open at noon. Those serving breakfast open by 8am. Most of the better restaurants in larger cities, particularly in Bogotá, tend to stay open until 10pm or longer; restaurants in smaller towns often close by 9pm or earlier. Many don’t open at all on Sunday. Most cafes are open from 8am until 10pm, while bars usually open around 6pm and close when the law dictates, usually 3am (although some are open till dawn).
The opening hours of museums and other tourist sights vary greatly. Most museums are closed on Monday but are open on Sunday. The opening hours of churches are even more difficult to pin down. Some are open all day, others for certain hours only, while the rest remain locked except during Mass, which in some villages may be only on Sunday morning.
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CLIMATE CHARTS
Colombia’s proximity to the equator means its temperature varies little throughout the year. The temperature does change with altitude, creating various climatic zones ranging from hot lowlands to freezing Andean peaks, so you can experience completely different climates within a couple of hours of travel.
As a general rule, the temperature falls about 6°C with every 1000m increase in altitude. If the average temperature at sea level is 30°C, it will be around 24°C at 1000m, 18°C at 2000m and 12°C at 3000m.
The altitude also affects the difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. The higher the altitude, the greater the difference. Consequently, in the highlands there can be warm days but freezing nights, while in the lowlands days and nights are almost equally hot.
Colombia has two seasons: the dry (la sequía) and the rainy season (época de lluvia). The pattern of seasons varies in different parts of the country, and has been greatly affected over recent years by El Niño and La Niña.
As a rough guide, in the Andean region there are two dry and two rainy seasons per year. The main dry season is from December to March, with a shorter and less dry period between July and August. This