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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In Colombia altitude defines attitude. While Bogotá (2650m) is perpetually chilly and Medellín (1485m) enjoys eternal spring, Cali (1005m) remains sultry 12 months of the year. And that’s why Colombia’s third-largest city wears less and parties more than its rivals. In their relentless pursuit of a good time, caleños have adopted salsa music as their own, and in the Juanchito district you can dance until dawn seven nights of the week, no questions asked.
Covered in coconut palms and cut by sharp ravines that turn into rivers after rain, the seahorse-shaped San Andrés is the largest island in the archipelago, covering 27 sq km. It’s the main commercial and administrative center of the archipelago. As the only transport hub to the mainland, it’s the first and last place you are likely to see.
Soaked with sunshine and steeped in history, the Caribbean coast offers a wealth of attractions that make it Colombia’s biggest draw for both domestic and international visitors.
Geographically near Nicaragua, historically tied to England and politically part of Colombia, the islands of San Andrés and Providencia may at first glance seem a little schizophrenic. But after experiencing its isolated beaches, pristine coral reefs and unique island flavor, there is no doubting the reasons to visit the far-flung archipelago.
A fairy-tale city of romance, legends and sheer beauty, Cartagena de Indias is an addictive place that can be hard to escape. This is the place to drop all sightseeing routines. Instead, just stroll through Cartagena’s maze of cobbled alleys, where enormous balconies are shrouded in bougainvilla and massive churches cast their shadows across leafy plazas. Take time out to relax at one of Cartagena’s many open-air cafés, prime viewing spots to watch the parade of horse-drawn carriages, fashionable locals and mystified tourists. When the bustling city gets too much, you can always escape to the nearby Islas de Rosario.