«Colombia’s capital is a city that divides opinion. Its detractors cite poverty, gridlocked traffic and crime, as well as depressingly regular rain, and with over eight million tightly packed inhabitants and some decidedly drab neighbourhoods, Bogotá rarely elicits love at first sight. Given a day or two, however, most people do fall for this cosmopolitan city with its colonial architecture, numerous restaurants and raucous nightlife. In any case, love it or hate it, odds are you’ll have to pass through it at some stage during your travels in Colombia.\n Bogotá is bounded on its western side by the Río Bogotá, and to its east by the Cerro de Monserrate, a mountain ridge topped by a church that can be seen from pretty much anywhere in town, making it a very useful landmark. Thus constricted (although seeping out beyond its traditional boundary on the west side), the city’s expansion has largely been to the north and south. The southern end of town consists of down-at-heel barrios largely inhabited by people who’ve come in from the countryside seeking work. To the north by contrast, Bogotá has swallowed up former satellite towns that have now become pleasant uptown neighbourhoods such as Chapinero – fresh and hilly, full of trendy cafés, and home to the city’s epicentre of gourmet dining, the “Zona G”. At the far northern end of town, Usaquén, formerly a village and indigenous reserve, is now a posh suburb with a popular Sunday market. The city’s oldest neighbourhood, La Candelaria, lies at what was once the junction of two rivers, the Río San Agustín (which now runs under Calle 7), and the Río San Francisco, which still flows through the centre of town to this day, in a channel down Avenida Jiménez. La Candelaria is home to some of South America’s most impressive colonial buildings, and is the neighbourhood where most tourists – and certainly most backpackers – choose to stay. The downtown city centre, though more modern than La Candelaria, gives the impression of having gone slightly to seed, and is nowadays to a large extent upstaged as a commercial and business district by smarter uptown neighbourhoods such as the Zona Rosa. The city’s nightlife zone, Zona Rosa positively heaves with clubs and restaurants, which only really comes to life after nightfall. All over town, one thing you’ll notice is the vibrant and colourful graffiti and street art, a result of the city’s liberal attitude to graffiti, which has made it a mecca for street artists from around the world. Situated on the Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia’s highest plateau and 2600m up in the Andes, Bogotá can be cold and wet year-round. March to May and September to November are the wettest periods, while late December through January is the sunniest time of year. \n Galleries and museums galore, a historic centre that’s well worth a look, vibrant culture and a ton of good food – it must be Bogota, the high-altitude capital of Colombia. This is definitely a cool city that will keep you busy for longer than you’ve got there! Whilst it’s interesting and exciting, crime still is a problem here. Though Bogota has put its worst days of murder and violence behind it, the city still retains a lot of street crime, gangs, and drug trafficking. Luckily, you can avoid these issues by staying in the right area. And in this case, it’s Zona Rosa. Zona Rosa is the dedicated nightlife area with tons of bars, clubs, restaurants, and a heavy police presence. This makes it to one of the safest areas in Bogota. This is where you’ll find most Bogotanos hanging out on the weekends or congregating after work.
Bucaramanga er hovedstad i departementet Santander øst i Colombia og har om lag 550 000 innbyggere. Byen ligger 959 moh. og har en gjennomsnittsttemperatur på 23 °C. Den ble grunnlagt i 1622. Hele ti universiteter er representert i byen. En internasjonal flyplass, mange hoteller og mange vakre parker og bygninger samt flere turistattraksjoner har sammen med innbyggernes gjestfrihet gjort byen kjent som «La Ciudad Bonita» – Den vakre byen. Byen er også kjent for dens sigarer og en av landets eksotiske matretter, nemlig kjempemaur som man steker og nyter til middagsmat. De viktigste næringene i byen er tekstil- og lærproduksjon, samt hodeplagg.
Cabo San Juan del Guía is a beautiful cape with a knockout beach. It's also by far the most crowded area of the park, although lack of road access deters casual day-trippers. The area has a restaurant and a campsite, with hammocks and cabins, in a spectacular lookout on a rock in the middle of the beach. It's possible to spend a very atmospheric night here. Swimming is also possible most of the time, but don't go in too deep.
Cali (egentlig Santiago de Cali) er en by i den vestlige delen av Colombia. Den er hovedstad i departementet Valle del Cauca. Byen har et innbyggertall på cirka 2 158 107 (pr. 2008), og er med det landets tredje største by. Byen ble grunnlagt av Sebastián de Belalcázar den 25. juli 1536. Navnet er fra indianerspråket quechua. Cali er en av Colombias viktigste industri- og handelsbyer. Internasjonalt er imidlertid byen mest kjent for Cali-kartellet, et ledende narkotikasyndikat for produksjon og distribusjon av kokain.
Cartagena er en havneby og provinshovedstad i Bolívar i Colombia. Byen er også kjent under navnene Cartagena de Indias eller La Heroica. Byen har en befolkning på om lag 900 000 innbyggere. Med de omkringliggende områdene er befolkningstallet 1,2 millioner, noe som gjør den til landets femte største storbyområde. Byen ble grunnlagt i 1533 av don Pedro de Heredia, som kalte opp byen etter Cartagena i Spania. Cartagena var et viktig senter for spansk kolonisering av Sør-Amerika, og er i dag fortsatt et viktig økonomisk sentrum samt et populært turistmål. Cartagenas befestede bydel og fort står på UNESCOs verdensarvliste.
Manizales er hovedstad i departementet Caldas i Colombia og har om lag 480 000 innbyggere. Byen ligger nord i området «Zona Cafetera», nær vulkanen Nevado del Ruiz i en høyde av 2153 meter over havet. Manizales er et viktig utdanningssenter og har flere ulike universiteter. .... \\p ....
Medellín er den nest største byen i Colombia. Den befinner seg i Aburrádalen i departementet Antioquia. Selve kommunen hadde 2 441 000 innbyggere i 2013.[1] Med omkringliggende områder er befolkningen på rundt 3,7 millioner, noe som gjør Medellín til en av verdens 100 største byer. Bykjernen preges av skyskrapere, kjøpesentre og et hektisk natteliv. Lenger ut fra bykjerna finner man fattigkvarterer, der det blant annet bor folk som har vært nødt til å flykte fra de væpnede konfliktene andre steder i landet.\n Byen ligger 1500 moh. i den sentrale delen av Andesfjellene. Medellínelva renner gjennom byen. Byen har et temperert klima, hvor temperaturen ligger på om lag 24°C, noe som har gitt byen kallenavnet «den evige vårens by.» Årstidene består av to regnperioder (vinter) og to tørrperioder (sommer) per år. Medellín var lenge kjent som kokainhandelens hovedstad, med påfølgende vold og terror. Etter at flere av de største narkotikakongene (hvor Pablo Escobar var den mest kjente) ble myrdet, har sikkerheten i byen økt. Disse dagene er langt forbi nå som byen opplever sterk økonomisk vekst.
San Juan de Pasto er hovedstad i provinsen Nariño vest i Colombia og har om lag 400 000 innbyggere.[1] Byen ligger i 2527 meters høyde i dalføret «Valle de Atriz» i Andesfjellene nær vulkanen Galeras. Byen ble grunnlagt i 1536 av den spanske conquistadoren Lorenzo de Aldana.[1] Byen fikk navnet «San Juan de Pasto» etter den indianske urbefolkningsgruppen «Los Pastos» som opprinnelig bodde i området. Hvert år arrangeres det et stor karneval i byen som kalles «Carnaval de Blancos y Negros» der egne karnevalsflåter transporteres gjennom byen.[1]
Colombia’s adventure-sports hotspot, SAN GIL is one of the biggest backpacker draws in the country. The town itself is small, friendly and easy to get around (give or take the odd steep hill), but what brings in the visitors is the opportunity it affords to take part in high-adrenaline sports such as whitewater rafting, paragliding and other exciting outdoor activities in the surrounding countryside. San Gil is also an excellent base for day-trips to the colonial town of Barichara and the Parque Nacional del Chicamocha. In the way of sights, on the other hand, San Gil itself doesn’t really have very much. The tree-shaded main square, Parque la Libertad gets quite animated after sundown, when people come to hang out in the cool of the evening. The cathedral, in the northwest corner, is worth a second glance. It was built in the late eighteenth century, in rich, tawny sandstone from Barichara, and its retablo, in white with gold and red trimming, is quite magnificent. \n San Gil is a town municipality in the Department of Santander in northeastern Colombia, located roughly 300 km (192 mi) from Bogotá and 95 km from the department's capital, Bucaramanga. As of 2020, San Gil had a population of roughly 46,000 people within the total municipal area, making it the third largest urban area in the department, after Bucaramanga and Barrancabermeja. Founded in 1689, San Gil is over 300 years old. It was officially named the tourist capital of the region in 2004, thanks to its outdoor activity opportunities such as rafting, caving, kayaking and hiking.
Santa Marta er hovedstad i provinsen i Magdalena i Colombia. Byen ligger ute ved den karibiske kysten og var den første byen som ble grunnlagt i Colombia. Sør for byen ligger de to høyeste fjellene i Colombia, Pico Cristóbal Colón og Pico Simón Bolívar. Santa Marta er et populært turistmål på grunn av de nærliggende strandstedene Taganga og El Rodadero, i tillegg til Tayrona nasjonalpark, som befinner seg øst for byen.
Tucked against the foot of spectacular mountains, 40km west of Tunja, scenic VILLA DE LEYVA, with its cobbled streets and whitewashed houses is must-see showcase of colonial architecture. It certainly looks and feels immaculately preserved, right down to hand-painted tiles prohibiting horseback riding and car traffic along the main plaza. Founded in 1572, the town is named after the then president of the audiencia (ruling council) of New Granada, Andrés Díaz Venero de Leiva, and the untroubled ambience and mild, dry climate make it a perfect place to relax. The narrow streets throng with day-trippers from Bogotá on weekends, but the rest of the time, this lovely place reverts to its former tranquil, timeless self, and as you sit in the 400-year-old plaza sipping beer or sangría, you’ll be able to appreciate why many describe it as Colombia’s prettiest town.
THE COLONIAL CHURCHES OF POPAYÁN The colonial capital of the southwest has retained its all-white, elegant character with handsome churches and mansions close to volcanoes, hot springs and indigenous markets.
Viewed from the Río Magdalena, the elegantly weathered Baroque churches, palaces and domes of MOMPOX poke out above the palms and whitewashed colonial houses like an eighteenth-century mirage. Troupes of howler monkeys patrol the red-clay-tiled roofs, iguanas doze in trees and clouds of dragonflies hover over fragrant bougainvillea-draped balconies. For many years few places were as redolent of colonial South America, genuinely romantic or simply as magical as Mompox – and still today the spirit of Gabriel García Márquez, whose wife went to high school in the town, seems stronger here than anywhere else in the country. The 1987 movie of Chronicle of a Death Foretold was partly shot here (though the novella was inspired by several places), and Mompox has an important role in The General in His Labyrinth: José Palacios tells Simón Bolívar, “Mompox does not exist. Sometimes we dream about her, but she does not exist.” Bolívar actually raised his army here in 1812, and visited the town six times thereafter (the final stay in 1830 is depicted in the novel). The sense of time warp has faded dramatically in recent years, however, with a series of road bridges connecting Mompox to the rest of the country and a new airport expected to be at full capacity by 2019. As a result tourism is booming and the town is rapidly being renovated and restored to its former glory. One thing that hasn’t changed is the stultifying heat – don’t wander around during the day expecting to find much going on. The secret to appreciating Mompox is doing as the locals do, giving in to the siesta spirit between about 11am and 5pm, and going out when it’s bearable – basically very early morning, when locals start walking their dogs at 5am, or late at night, when you’ll discover something happening on every corner; deserted streets suddenly become colonized by tables, rocking chairs and bars, while kids ride tiny go-karts in the plazas. Many visitors don’t go to bed before 6am.
Home to palm-lined tropical beaches and secluded coves, Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona is one of Colombia’s natural jewels. Located along the Caribbean coastline east of Santa Marta, this national park is a paradise of relaxation, set beneath the backdrop of the looming Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains. Relaxing on sun-soaked beaches or ambling along the jungle trails that edge the coastline are the flavor of the day here, with water currents at most beaches too dangerous for swimmers. To avoid the crowds, head by speedboat to Playa Cristal, an isolated island with pristine waters and gleaming beaches. Time your visit to Tayrona outside of January or February, which are the months when the park typically closes for maintenance.
