Colombia – World Travel

Amazon-Basin Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

As you head southeast from the Andes, dry scrubland grows more lush, turning into almost impenetrable jungle long before you ever reach the Amazon. This huge, wild region, which Colombians call Amazonia, accounts for a third of the country’s total area – it’s about the size of California and larger than Germany. Biologists will probably never finish cataloging the region’s dizzying array of flora and fauna. Likewise, visitors can never quite account for the strange exhilaration they feel when they come face-to-face with the rainforest for the first time.

With transportation largely limited to the rivers that crisscross the jungle, indigenous peoples have in many cases been able to preserve their cultures more or less intact. The region remains an ethnic and linguistic mosaic, with more than 50 languages (not counting dialects) belonging to some 10 linguistic families.

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Caribbean-Coast Parque-Nacional-Tayrona Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

One of Colombia’s most popular national parks, Tayrona is set on the jungle-covered coast at the foot of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The park stretches along the coast from the Bahía de Taganga near Santa Marta to the mouth of the Río Piedras, 35km to the east.

The scenery varies from sandy beaches along the coast in the north to rainforest at an altitude of 600m on the southern limits of the park. The extreme western part is arid, with light-brown hills and xerophytic plant species, such as cacti. The central and eastern parts of the park are wetter and more verdant, largely covered by rainforest. May to June and September to November are the wettest periods. Many animals live in the park but most stay out of sight, deep in the forest.

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Northwest-Colombia Armenia Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Though not beautiful in itself, Armenia is set dramatically between a lush valley and one of the highest stretches of the Cordillera Central. Founded in 1889, the city quickly grew into the center for the region’s coffee trade, and in 1966 it became the capital of the newly created Quindío department. Unfortunately, disaster struck in 1999 when a catastrophic earthquake destroyed almost a third of the city center.

The city rebuilt itself with remarkable speed and determination, and it’s bustling and prosperous once again. Of course, the need to rebuild so quickly has given the city a rather makeshift feel. However, there are a few surprisingly slick new buildings, and the area around Plaza de Bolívar is a pleasant enough place for a stroll.

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Southwest-Colombia Pasto Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Set at the foot of the Volcán Galeras in the fertile Atriz Valley, Pasto is the cultural and political capital of Nariño. Though not a beautiful city in itself, it has several fine colonial buildings as well as a bustling downtown area. Pack a sweater because days can be cool and nights are downright chilly.

The town was founded by Lorenzo de Aldana in 1537 and was an important cultural and religious center in colonial and republican times. Earthquakes have unfortunately destroyed much of its historic character; a handful of churches and palaces have been rebuilt in the original style. The city is also known nationwide for barniz de Pasto, a processed vegetable resin used to decorate wooden objects in colorful patterns.

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North-Of-Bogota Barichara Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Barichara is the kind of town that Hollywood filmmakers dream about. A Spanish colonial town of striking beauty, the whitewashed buildings and stone streets look almost as new as the day they were created some 300 years ago. Granted, the movie-set appearance owes its debt to considerable reconstruction efforts made over the past 25 years, but all rebuilding has been done with taste in mind.

The town, 20km northwest of San Gil and high above the Río Suárez, was founded in 1705 as Villa de San Lorenzo de Barichara. Four stone churches were built, including a massive cathedral. Today it’s considered one of the most beautiful small colonial towns in Colombia.

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Southwest-Colombia Popayan Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Amid rolling foothills at the southern end of the Valle del Cauca, Popayán is a small gem. Known as the ‘Ciudad Blanca’ for the stunning uniformity of its chalk-white facades, it is second only to Cartagena as Colombia’s most impressive colonial city.

Founded in 1537 by Sebastián de Belalcázar, Popayán became the most important stopping point on the road between Cartagena and Quito. Its mild climate also attracted wealthy Spanish families from the sugar haciendas of the hot Cali region. In the 17th century they began building mansions, schools and several imposing churches and monasteries. Fortunately Cali overtook Popayán as the region’s capital in the early 20th century, so the Ciudad Blanca was never bulldozed to make way for modernity like so many other Colombian cities.

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Bogota Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Bogotá is on the move. Once considered a place to avoid, the capital has cleaned up its act and is fast becoming one of Latin America’s urban highlights. Improved security, infrastructure projects and a clean-up campaign have helped bring a new face to the metropolis.

Home to more than seven million people, Colombians still flock to Bogotá in search of opportunities. Many find that the streets are not exactly paved with gold and end up eking out an existence in one of the vast shantytowns that line the southern portion of the city.

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San-Andres-And-Providencia Providencia Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Providencia will fulfil your every expecta-tion of paradise. Quiet, laid-back hamlets nestle against white-sand beaches shaded by palm trees. The sea is warm, the locals are friendly and the topography is gorgeous. If you’re looking to get away from it all, Providencia is about as far as you can get.

Traditionally known as Old Providence, the island lies 90km north of San Andrés and covers an area of 17 sq km. It is the second-largest island of the archipelago. A mountainous island of volcanic origin, it is much older than San Andrés.

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North-Of-Bogota Bucaramanga Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Surrounded by mountains and filled with an air of vibrancy, the rapidly expanding town of Bucaramanga makes for a decent stopover on the long road between Bogotá and the coast. There is little to see in the city itself, but facilities are fine for an overnight stop or as a base to visit Girón, a nearby colonial-era town and legitimate tourist attraction.

Bucaramanga, the capital of Santander, is also noted for its cigars, numerous parks and the famous hormiga culona, a large ant that is fried and eaten.

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Southwest-Colombia San-Agustin Colombia

WorldTravelDB.com — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:59:57 +0000

Centuries before Columbus dreamed of the new world, the rolling and remarkably green hills around San Agustín were home to an enigmatic civilization that congregated here to bury their dead and honor their memory with monumental stone statues. It’s easy to understand why they chose to consecrate this lush, mountainous land of dramatic canyons and ethereal mists.

Little is known about the peoples of San Agustín. They didn’t have a written language and had disappeared or dispersed several centuries before the Europeans arrived on the scene. Yet they have left behind at least 500 statues that still enthrall the visitor. Many of them are anthropomorphic figures – some realistic, others resembling masked monsters. Still others depict sacred animals such as the eagle, jaguar and frog. The largest is 7m high. Archeologists have also uncovered pottery and gold objects in the tombs of what is believed to be the tribal leaders.

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