Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [3]
Termales de Santa Rosa Set next to a stunning series of waterfalls. Hot thermal springs bubble up next to a quality hotel.
BEST BEACHES
Colombia has world-class beaches. Its Caribbean beaches are picture-postcard perfect with white sand. The Pacific coast beaches, meanwhile, are something different entirely – black-sand beaches sandwiched between wild jungle and pounding surf.
Jonny Cay Colombia’s holiday islands offer classic Caribbean sun, sand and sea.
La Miel Technically inside Panama, just a short walk from the border town of Sapzurro.
Taroa Beach Isolated beach at the tip of the continent.
Tayrona Jaw-dropping national park.
Guachalito The most beautiful beach on the Pacific coast, with an abundance of fabulous tropical gardens.
Ladrilleros A budget taste of the Pacific coast.
UNMISSABLE HIKES
Colombia’s varied terrain has some of the world’s most stunning hikes. You’ll find jungle, mountain, snowcapped peaks, and everything in between.
Ciudad Perdida This sweaty six-day trek takes you to the ruins of the extinct Tayrona civilization.
El Cocuy A high-mountain trek that rarely drops below 4000m and crosses several glaciers. Not for the faint of heart (or short of breath).
Los Nevados A classic one-day excursion takes you above 5000m to the snowline of Nevado del Ruiz. Longer treks and mountaineering opportunities are on offer for those with the time and the muscle power.
Valle de Cocora This fabulous one-day walk in the heart of the coffee country takes you through forests of wax palm – the tallest palm in the world, and Colombia’s national tree.
Tierradentro This four-to-six hour hike follows a circular ridgeline with views of the surrounding hills, and takes in all the tombs of this pre-Columbian culture.
Barichara Walk the ancient stone trail of the Guane people on this two-hour stroll.
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DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT…
your passport, and a visa if you need one
scanning your passport photo page to keep in your email account
up-to-date vaccinations
a hat and sunscreen
a sweater and rain jacket – it gets cold in the mountains
a small flashlight (torch)
toilet paper (just in case)
insecticide-treated mosquito net if you’re going to malarial zones
some English-language reading material
some nice shoes to go out salsa dancing
this guidebook
a smile
a healthy sense of patience
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Between Legitimacy and Violence: A History of Colombia, 1875–2002 (2006) by Marco Palacios offers the broad storyline of Colombia, covering the main social and economic trends in the country’s modern history.
Colombia has very little racial tension, but it wasn’t always that way. Nancy Appelbaum offers a critical look at the paísa myth of Antioquia and the history of race in Colombia in her 2003 book, Muddied Waters: Race, Region, and Local History in Colombia, 1846–1948.
Finally, no traveler will want to miss Charles Nicholl’s book The Fruit Palace (1994), a hilarious diary of his wanderings through the country in the 1980s. Think Hunter S Thompson meets Colombian drug barons. (Spoiler: he survives to tell the tale.)
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INTERNET RESOURCES
BBC News (news.bbc.co.uk) The Beeb has excellent South American coverage.
El Tiempo (eltiempo.com.co) Spanish-language readers will want to browse the website of Colombia’s leading newspaper.
Lonely Planet (www.lonelyplanet.com) Lonely Planet’s website includes a dedicated Colombia page with photos, travel tips and the ever-useful Thorn Tree online forum.
Parques Nacionales Naturales de Colombia (www.parquesnacionales.gov.co) The national parks office has detailed information (in Spanish) on all 54 national parks.
Poor But Happy (www.poorbuthappy.com/colombia) An online forum used mostly by expats living in Colombia, the site is a good place to go for practical information.
Turismo Colombia (www.turismocolombia.com) The government’s official tourism website has good tourist