Interested in South America?

Colombia’s tourist offer

Tourism has only just begun to develop in Colombia, but tourists who come to this wonderful country, always say they want to return forever. The city Cartagena is one of the old cities of the Spanish empire, and here you will find a large piece of history. A stroll through the old part of town will give you the feeling of being in a completely different world. Colonial architecture and balconies of this old trading city will steal your heart. For those who love beaches and nature, there is a nearby national park Tayrona, where you can also see wild monkeys.

On the coast, you will find an old city lost in the natural park of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Until a few years ago, the city Medellin was one of the most dangerous in the world, due to drug trafficking. Today it is one of the largest growing cities in the region and the most innovative town in the world. The city has invested in gondolas to connect poorer neighbourhoods to the city center.

Tour of the capital city Bogotá

You will most likely want to see Bogotá. What to see there? The city is huge, and other Colombian cities can’t even compare. Medellin is the second largest, but not even half as large as Bogotá. The historic quarter La Candelaria is full of old cathedrals. Here you will also find a famous square, Plaza de Bolivar, where Bogotá was founded in 1538. Restaurants in this part are worth a visit, and nearby there is the Colombian presidential palace, which is heavily protected. In the north of the square, you will find the Colombian Supreme Court, in the west, you will find the almost Parisian Town Hall and in the south, you will find the neoclassical Colombian Congress Houses. The Gold Museum has some colonial artefacts, and the Museum of Modern Art is also worth a visit. Very interesting is the Iglesia de San Francisco, the oldest church in Bogotá, built between 1550 and 1567. Overlooking the city is the Monserrate Mountain, reachable by a gondola, and the top of the mountain offers a beautiful view of the city. There are enough reasons to stop for a short while and explore the streets.

Did you know?

• Real Colombians only drink black coffee, or "café tinto" in Spanish. Would you prefer something stronger? Aguardiente is a typical Colombian spirit, which literally translates as 'water of fire'.
• Colombia is the only South American country, with a coastline on both the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean.
• Bogotá has the longest network of cycle paths in the world. The network is 300 kilometers long.
• Colombia is the third largest exporter of coffee, right after Vietnam and Brazil.