Colombia travel guide
Colombia travel guide: Cartagena, Medellín, and the wider country
Colombia is South America’s most-improved destination of the past decade — Cartagena’s Caribbean colonial walled city, Medellín’s eternal-spring transformation story, plus coffee country, Tayrona’s beaches, and Bogotá. Currency depreciation makes 2026 exceptional value.
Destinations we cover in Colombia
Country overview
Colombia spans Caribbean coast, Andean highlands, Amazon basin, and Pacific coast. Most Western travelers get 90 days visa-free. Onward ticket sometimes requested at immigration. Bogotá altitude (2,640m) requires acclimatization.
- Language
- Spanish (Colombian Spanish is considered among the clearest in Latin America). English common in tourism but limited elsewhere.
- Currency
- Colombian Peso (COP). Cash useful; cards accepted in tourist areas.
- Best time to visit
- December-March for Caribbean coast dry season. Medellín year-round 18-24C (‘city of eternal spring’). Andean regions and Amazon vary by elevation and season.
- Trip highlights
- Cartagena walled city + Caribbean coast, Medellín transformation story + Comuna 13 + paragliding, Tayrona National Park, coffee country (Salento).