The smell of gunpowder

Cocaine. That's the first thing that comes to mind when Colombia is mentioned. Those words almost seem synonymous with each other. Instantly, an atmosphere of drug lords, guerrilla warfare, bombings, revenge killings, kidnappings, and full-blown civil wars arises. In short, …

Show destinationsArmenia – Montenegro – Eje Cafetero – Buenavista – Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados – Valle del Cocora – Salento – Filandia

Children of the Water

If you look at a relief map of Colombia, it immediately stands out. From north to south, three mountain ranges run almost parallel through the country – the Western, Central, and Eastern Cordillera. Between them lie two broad valleys, each dominated by…

Show destinationsBuga – Popayán – Silvia – Páramo

We don't even know their names

It is a strange twist of fate. Of the people who left behind the largest collection of megalithic monuments in Colombia, we know almost nothing. More than a thousand years before the Aztecs and the Incas built their world-famous empires, there was an unknown people here, in the wider area of San Agustín, who combined a complex social structure with a highly developed spiritual life. This resulted in…

Show destinationsSan Agustín – Parque Archeologico – Bosque de las Estatuas – Fuente de Lavapatas – Alto de Lavapatas – Parque Arqueológico de Obando – Alto de las Piedras – Alto de los Ídolos – La Chaquira – El Tablόn – Magdalena Valley – Villavieja – Tatacoa Desert

The Golden Man

When the Spaniards set their sights on what we now call Colombia in 1536, they had only one goal in mind – getting their hands on as much gold as possible. Who knows, perhaps hidden deep in the mountains or rainforests lay that legendary city that had long been the subject of rumours. According to the myth, its streets and walls were covered in gold, and the most precious gemstones were there for the taking. All that remained was…

Show destinationsBogotá – Monserrate – Museo del Oro – Museo Botero – Iglesia de San Francisco – Bolívar Square – La Candelaria – Plaza del Chorro de Quevedo

The first wonder of Colombia

Excruciatingly slow, the traffic inches forward, five lanes wide, from one red light to the next. Even ambulances with blaring sirens are forced to conform to the crawling pace. Scooters weave fearlessly between cars and trucks, and cyclists brave enough to enter this imbroglio could be accused of…

Show destinationsZipaquirá – Villa de Leyva – Parque Arqueológico de Monquirá – El Infiernito – Convento del Santo Ecce Homo – El Fόsil/span>

From hell to heaven

Call it investing, call it money laundering – the fact is that the drug lords of Medellín had to put their crime money somewhere. And this has undeniably benefited the city. In terms of financial clout, Medellín easily outshines Bogotá, according to travel guide Gabriel. The city simply looks more prosperous, less run-down, and cleaner. But make no mistake, …

Show destinationsMedellín – Plaza Botero – Comuna 13 – El Peñol – La Piedra – Embalse Peñol-Guatapé – Guatapé – Cartagena

He counted for two, that half man

A radiant sun, an azure sea, pearly white beaches, and ruthless pirates – that's what you spontaneously associate with the Caribbean. Cartagena has it all, or so we've been told. But the city offers much more, as it turns out. For centuries, this coastal city was…

Show destinationsCartagena – Getsemaní – Manga – Convento de Santa Cruz de la Popa – Castillo San Felipe de Barajas – Monumento a India Catalina – Monumento Torre del Reloj – Santuario de San Pedro Claver – Iglesia de Santo Domingo – Las Bόvedas – Bocagrande