Kolumbija - Colombia

Ne gre zamenjati z Kolumbija, ki se lahko nanaša na številne kraje, razen države v Južni Ameriki.

Kolumbija zaseda severozahodni kot Južne Amerike. Ima območje dvakrat večje od območja Francije in skoraj dvakrat Teksasa, z dolgimi obalami na Karibi in Tihi ocean, gorska območja in Amazonka območja džungle v notranjosti. Etnične skupine in kulture so raznolike. Država lahko ponudi skoraj vsakemu popotniku.

Izberite podnebje in to je vaše - če se vam vreme v Bogoti z lahkimi jopiči ohladi, se eno uro vozite po gorah in se sončite ob bazenu najete haciende. Če ne želite mirno sedeti, se odpravite v Amazonijo ali katero koli drugo številno notranjo džunglo države, zasnežene vulkane, skalnate puščave, neskončne ravnice, bujne doline, kava nasadi, gorska jezera, zapuščene plaže.

Za kulturo bi intelektualna Bogota morda vodila preostalo Latinsko Ameriko v eksperimentalnem gledališču, indie-rocku in številu knjigarn, lahko pa bi dobili tudi povsem tujo izobrazbo v Amazonki maloccaali pa se poglobite v ogromno latinsko glasbeno sceno salsa in cumbia, z najbolj razburljivim plesnim prikazom je ogromen Carnival of Barranquilla.

Za zgodovino se sprehajajte po ozkih ulicah Južna Amerikaprvotna prestolnica v Bogoti, oglejte si stare španske kolonialne provincialne umike Villa de Leyva, pohod skozi debele džungle pokrite gore severovzhoda do Izgubljeno mesto Indijancev Tayrona in se sprehodite po stenah Cartagenaje čudovito lepo staro mesto, ki gleda na utrjene bedeme, na katerih se je zasukala kolonialna zgodovina Južne Amerike.

Za nočno življenje, vroče Cali je današnja svetovna prestolnica salse, ki trdi, da je konkurenčna v primerjavi z drugimi živahnimi kolumbijskimi zabavnimi prizori v velikem mestu, ki ohranjajo glasbo dolgo v majhnih jutranjih urah. Hipstersko igrišče se nahaja okoli soseske El Poblado v Ljubljani Medellín v središču mesta.

Za večerjo boste našli vse od vsepovsod poceni, okusnih kolumbijskih domačih obrokov do vrhunskih in sodobnih kulinaričnih umetnosti v velikih mestih, kjer bodo zastopane kuhinje z vseh koncev sveta.

In za sprostitev so ob Kolumbiji čudovite tropske plaže Karibi in Pacifik obale, lahko pa najdete še bolj sproščene in mirne umike na idiličnem in neokrnjenem karibskem otoku Providencia.

Politično nasilje se je po večini države precej umirilo in pametni popotniki so se že zgrnili sem z vsega sveta - pridite, preden se vsi drugi ujamejo!

Regije

Mesta

• 4.6126388888889-74.07051 Bogota - glavno mesto, svetovljansko mesto, visoko 3 km (dve milji), s približno osmimi milijoni ljudi, ki se razprostirajo iz andskih gora, kjer boste našli izvrstne muzeje, restavracije svetovnega razreda in večino vsega, kar si želite od velikega mesta.
• 10.963888888889-74.7963888888892 Barranquilla - Zlato pristanišče in četrto največje mesto v državi ni nujno tako vznemirljivo večino leta, je pa njegov karneval drugi največji na svetu po Rio de Janeiroin je neverjetna kulturna izkušnja in ena zabava!
• 3.44-76.5197222222223 Cali - tretje največje mesto v Kolumbiji, ki slovi kot prestolnica salse Latinska Amerika.
• 10.423611111111-75.5252777777784 Cartagena - Herojsko mesto, glavno mesto departmaja Bolívar, je kolumbijsko turistično mesto par excellence. Kolonialno arhitekturo in nebotičnike je mogoče videti skupaj v tem mestu, ki ponuja edinstveno doživetje festivalov, zgodovinskih znamenitosti, restavracij in hotelov.
• 5.0661111111111-75.4847222222225 Manizale - središče Zona Cafetera ponuja priložnost za obisk narodnega parka Los Nevados in zaživitev nasada kave.
• 6.2447472222222-75.5748277777786 Medellín - Mesto večne pomladi in glavno mesto oddelka Antioquia slovi po veliki tekstilni industriji, ki proizvaja vrhunska oblačila, ki jih pošiljajo po vsem svetu. Je tudi rojstno mesto mojstra slikarja Fernanda Boteroja, zato je v njem velika večina njegovih del.
• 4.8142777777778-75.6945583333337 Pereira - ljubko mesto, glavno mesto departmaja Risaralda in glavno mesto regije kave - moderno, komercialno in turistično. Tu sta znameniti spomenik "goli Bolívar" in živalski vrt Matecaña. Zelo blizu izvirov tople vode Santa Rosa in narodnega parka "Los Nevados".
• 2.4411-76.60618 Popayán - to čudovito, oprano mesto je versko središče Kolumbije. Mesto drugega največjega velikonočnega festivala na svetu (po španski Sevilli) je prispevalo več kolumbijskih predsednikov kot kateri koli drug. Obmejen z narodnim parkom Puracé in prehodom do arheoloških najdišč San Agustín in Tierra Dentro v bližnji Huilli.
• 11.236111111111-74.2016666666679 Santa Marta - priljubljeno izhodišče za pustolovski turizem v čudovitih okoliških krajih in edinstveno v smislu, da vam en dan ponuja čudovite plaže, naslednji pa sprehod do vznožja zasnežene gore, Sierre Nevade de Santa Marta, najvišje v državi.

Druge destinacije

• -3.48333333-70.21 Narodni park Amacayacu - Daleč, daleč od civilizacije v amazonskem pragozdu, ogromen narodni park, ki ga je mogoče raziskovati s čolni, poln čudnih opičjih otokov in roza delfinov.
• 5.0247222222222-74.0013888888892 Katedrala de Sal - Kolosalna cerkev, zgrajena pod zemljo v nekdanjem rudniku soli, s prehodi, obloženimi z izvrstnimi skulpturami, in sijočim križem, ki se dviga nad oltarjem kavernozne ladje.

• 11.037997222222-73.9251916666673 Ciudad Perdida de Teyuni - Predkolumbijsko mesto v bližini kolumbijske džungle Santa Marta. Zgradili so ga med 8. in 14. stoletjem Indijanci Tayrona. Dandanes so ostale le kamnite krožaste terase, prekrite z džunglo.
• 10.175-75.754 Corales del Rosario - slikovit arhipelag kratka vožnja z ladjo iz Cartagene.
• 2.97138889-78.184444445 Isla Gorgona - Ta nekdanji zaporniški otok v Tihem oceanu je zdaj naravni rezervat, odprt za obiskovalce. Obstaja veliko divjih živali, kot so opice, kače, kiti in morske želve. Ponuja odlične pogoje za potapljanje.
• 4.8-75.3666676 Nacionalni park Los Nevados - Kolumbijski visokogorski vulkanski park ponuja odlične trekinge.
• 13.34888889-81.374722227 Providencia - idiličen, oddaljen karibski otok, ki ga najdemo na polovici poti proti Jamajki. Z drugim največjim koralnim grebenom zahodne poloble je čudoviti otok Providencia imenovan za Unescov rezervat biosfere.
• 1.8791666666667-76.2683333333338 San Agustín in Tierradentro - Arheološka najdišča v jugozahodni Kolumbiji.
• 11.28333333-74.183333339 Narodni park Tayrona - Nekatere najlepše obale v vseh krajih Južna Amerika.

Razumeti

Kolumbija je edina država v Južna Amerika z obalami tako na severnem Tihem oceanu kot na Karibskem morju in ima drugo največjo biotsko raznovrstnost na svetu. Leži južno od Panama, Kolumbija nadzira dostop do kopnega med Osrednji in Južni Ameriki. S Panamo na severu je Kolumbija obkrožena z Venezuela na vzhodu, Brazilija na jugovzhodu in Ekvador in Peru na jugozahodu. Država je bila poimenovana v čast Krištof Kolumb, po italijanski različici njegovega imena (Cristoforo Colombo). Čeprav Kolumb ni nikoli stopil na sedanje kolumbijsko ozemlje, je v svojem četrtem potovanju obiskal Panamo, ki je bil del Kolumbije do leta 1903.

Potovanje po Kolumbiji se vsekakor splača. Iz Bogote vas z zmernim podnebjem 2.600 m (8.530 ft) nad morsko gladino in pri stalni temperaturi 19 ° C vožnja ene ali dveh ur severno, južno, vzhodno ali zahodno pripelje do krajin, ki so tako raznolike kot so lepe. Do zgodovinskih mestnih središč, sodobnih in energičnih mest za zabave, vzhodnjaških ravnic, ki se z malo modulacije razprostirajo daleč čez obzorje. razgibane konture višje Andske regije, polotoka Guajira in njene puščave, idilične plaže, tropska džungla Amazone in Choco z obilnim rastlinstvom in živalstvom, zasneženi vrhovi in ​​vulkani, starodavne ruševine, dolina reke Magdalene in vroče vreme, čudoviti koralni grebeni in obilno podvodno morsko življenje skupaj s prijetnimi sproščenimi tropskimi otoki ter možnost počitka in sprostitve v zasebno najetem hacienda ki vam omogoča, da imate in uživate v teh zakladih. Takšna raznolikost prihaja z enako raznoliko tradicijo in hrano. Kolumbija je ena ekvatorialnih držav na svetu, vendar edinstvena v svoji ekstremni topografiji in obilici vode in ima nekaj za vsakogar.

Podnebje

Izberite, res. Kolumbija je ekvatorialna država z neverjetnimi razlikami v nadmorski višini, zato bo nekje vse leto najlepša, kakršna temperatura vam bo najbolj všeč! Ob obali, vzhodnih ravnicah in Amazonki je podnebje tropsko; v visokogorju mraz z občasnimi sušami. Ker nimajo običajnih letnih časov, Kolumbijci deževne sezone običajno imenujejo zima, vendar razlike v terenu in nadmorski višini pomenijo, da so deževne sezone v vseh kotičkih države različne!

Slaba stran vse te vrhunske raznolikosti pa je ta, da boste morali prinesti precej različnih oblačil, če nameravate veliko potovati. Mesta v središču, kot je Bogota, in mesta na severu v Boyacá lahko potencialno doseže temperature pod 0 ° C, zato vzemite plašč. Nekatere gore so celo leto prekrite s snegom. Mesta ob karibski obali všeč Cartagena, Barranquilla, in Santa Marta so vroča in vlažna, medtem ko nekatera mesta na sredinski nadmorski višini všeč Medellín (Mesto večne pomladi), Manizalein druga mesta v regiji Coffee Triangle imajo vedno lepo zmerno vreme.

Teren

Ravne obalne nižine, osrednje visokogorje, visoki Andi, vzhodne nižinske ravnice

Naravne nevarnosti: visokogorje, ki je izpostavljeno vulkanskim izbruhom; občasni potresi. V Armeru se je leta 1985 zgodila vulkanska katastrofa. Laharji (vulkanski blatni tokovi), ki jih je ustvaril Nevado del Ruiz, so pokopali 25.000 ljudi.

Najvišja točka: Pico Cristobal Colon 5.775 m (18.950 ft) od Sierre Nevade de Santa Marta. Gora je del najvišjega obalnega območja na svetu. V bližini Pico Simon Bolivar ima enako višino

Zgodovina

Kolumbija je bila naseljena s številnimi glavnimi avtohtonimi kulturami, kot so Muisca, Tayrona in Quimbaya; nekatere skupine avtohtonih prebivalcev, kot so Karibi, so živele v stanju trajne vojne, druge pa so imele manj vojaškega odnosa. Območje, ki je zdaj Kolumbija, so Španci osvojili z zavezništvi z nekaterimi avtohtonimi skupinami, ko so Američani "odkrili" Ameriko. Proces osvajanja in kolonizacije je korenito spremenil socialne strukture območij, avtohtono prebivalstvo se je močno zmanjšalo in njihov delež prebivalstva od takrat upada. Špansko cesarstvo je pripeljalo evropske naseljence in afriške sužnje, medtem ko je bila večina prebivalstva v koloniji mešanih španskih in avtohtonih prednikov. Španski imperij je v svoje kolonije pripeljal sužnje, ki so večinoma uporabljali sistem "asiento" in trgovcem iz številnih držav, ki trgujejo s sužnji, dovoljevali prevoz sužnjev.

Neodvisnost od Španije je bila pridobljena leta 1819 kot del federacije "Gran Colombia", vendar je bila zveza do leta 1830 razpuščena. Bila je ena od petih držav, ki jih je osvobodil Simón Bolívar (ostale so Ekvador, Venezuela, Peru in Bolivija). Uspeh osamosvojitvenih gibanj po Latinski Ameriki je olajšal Napoleonove vojne ki je celinsko Španijo pustil z dvema konkurenčnima vladama. Zdaj sta Kolumbija in Panama nastali kot Republika Nova Granada. Nova država je eksperimentirala z federalizmom kot konfederacija Granadin (1858) in nato Združene države Kolumbije (1863), preden je bila Republika Kolumbija razglašena leta 1886. Namere Združenih držav Amerike za nadzor Panamskega prekopa so povzročile, da je Panama postala ločen narod leta 1903.

Kolumbija je bila prva ustavna vlada v Južni Ameriki. Suženjstvo je bilo v državi odpravljeno leta 1851. Leta po osamosvojitvi je zaznamovalo več državljanskih vojn, zapuščina teh konfliktov v kombinaciji z državno represijo nad levičarskimi milicami na podeželju in svetovna polarizacija, ki jo je povzročila hladna vojna, je dosegla vrhunec v komunistični uporniški kampanji leta 1964 s strani FARC in ELN za strmoglavljenje kolumbijske vlade. Leta med konfliktom so zaznamovali močni spopadi med komunistično gverilo, kolumbijsko državo in vojaškimi, desničarskimi paravojaškimi združbami in več mamilnimi karteli. V letih po letu 2005 se je varnost po vsej državi izboljševala. Kot del težkega mirovnega procesa je AUC (desničarska paravojska) kot formalna organizacija prenehala delovati, vlada in FARC pa sta leta 2012 začela mirovna pogajanja, katerih cilj je bil, da se 50-letna državljanska vojna enkrat konča in za vse. Kolumbija je v okrevanju s hitro izboljšanim gospodarstvom. Končanje konflikta, neenakost bogastva in obnova države so nekatera vprašanja, s katerimi se sooča država. Oktobra 2016 je predsednik Santos prejel Nobelovo nagrado za mir za svoja prizadevanja za odpravo petih desetletij državljanske vojne v državi.

Govori

Uradni jezik Kolumbije je španski. Nekatera avtohtona plemena na podeželju še naprej govorijo svoje jezike, čeprav bodo skoraj vsi ljudje iz teh plemen dvojezični v svojem jeziku in španščini.

Če ste se pred kratkim naučili španščine, je olajšanje vedeti, da je bogotsko narečje jasno in lahko razumljivo. Španci pa se razlikujejo od Cartagene do Bogote do Calija. Na splošno se španščina na obalah govori hitreje, španščina iz Medellina pa ima svoje posebnosti. V mestih, kot sta Medellín in Cali, je narečje španščine voseo oblika. Pomeni, da namesto druge osebe znani zaimek tú, vos namesto tega. Pa čeprav tú razumejo tudi vsi, vos je bolj prijazen glas tú je rezervirano za intimne kroge. Španščina, ki se govori ob karibski obali, je podobna narečjem, v katerih se govori Kuba, Portoriko in Dominikanska republika.

Kar nekaj Kolumbijcev zna vsaj nekaj osnovnih fraz v angleščini, ker se angleščina uči v šoli, hollywoodski filmi pa so ponavadi v angleščini s španskimi podnapisi. Večinoma pa bi morali vsekakor vlagati v učenje osnov španščine, saj boste naleteli na veliko situacij, ko nihče ne bo govoril angleško.

Kolumbijci iz premožnejših okolij se bodo bolj verjetno naučili angleščine, večina visokih strokovnjakov, direktorjev in visokih državnih uradnikov v Kolumbiji pa govori spodobno angleško. Kreole iz angleškega jezika, podoben Jamajčanske govorice govori jamajška diaspora na karibskem otočju San Andrés in Providencia.

Vstopi

Vizumi

Imetniki potnih listov naslednjih držav ne potrebujejo vizuma za vstop v Kolumbijo, če je namen obiska turizem do 90 dni (razen če ni drugače navedeno): Andora, Argentina, Avstralija, Avstrija, Azerbajdžan, Bahami, Barbados, Belgija, Belize, Butan, Bolivija, Bosna in Hercegovina, Brazilija, Brunej, Bolgarija, Kanada, Čile, Kostarika, Hrvaška, Ciper, Češka, Danska, Dominika, Dominikanska republika, Ekvador, El Salvador, Estonija, Fidži, Finska, Francija, Georgia, Nemčija, Grčija, Grenada, Gvatemala, Gvajana, Honduras, Hong Kong (180 dni), Madžarska, Islandija, Indonezija, Irska, Izrael, Italija, Jamajka, Japonska, Kazahstan, Republika Koreja, Latvija, Lihtenštajn, Litva, Luksemburg, Malezija, Malta, Marshallovi otoki, Mehika, Mikronezija, Monako, Mongolija, Črna gora, Nizozemska, Nova Zelandija, Norveška, Palau, Panama, Papua Nova Gvineja, Paragvaj, Peru, Filipini, Poljska, Portugalska, Katar, Romunija, Rusija, Saint Kitts in Nevis, Sveta Lucija, Sveti Vincent in Grenadine, Samoa, San Marino, Srbija, Singapur, Slovaška, Slovenija, Salomonovi otoki, Španija, Surinam, Švedska, Švica, Tajvan, Trinidad in Tobago, puran, Združeni Arabski Emirati, Združeno kraljestvo, Združene države Amerike, Urugvaj, Vatikan in Venezuela.

Državljani naslednjih držav lahko vstopijo s svojo osebno izkaznico: Argentina, Bolivija, Brazilija, Čile, Ekvador, Paragvaj, Peru, Urugvaj in Venezuela.

Kanadska pristojbina za vzajemnost Od 1. maja 2019 bo kolumbijska vlada ukinila vstopni davek za kanadske potnike.

Kanadski državljani, ki imajo običajne potne liste, morajo ob prihodu plačati vzajemnost v višini 160.000 kolumbijskih pesonov, razen za turiste, mlajše od 14 let, ali tiste, katerih končni cilj je San Andrés, Providencia in Santa Catalina.

Kolumbijske oblasti bodo žigosale potne liste iz zgornjih držav, ki dovoljujejo bivanje največ 30 do 90 dni. Uradniki za priseljevanje na katerem koli mednarodnem letališču v državi vas običajno vprašajo o predvideni dolžini potovanja in vam določijo določeno število dni, ki ga bo pokrivalo, kar lahko podaljšate na 90, če obiščete katero koli službo za priseljenske službe.

Podaljšanje bivanja

Prijavite se lahko za 90-dnevno podaljšanje bivanja v pisarni Asuntos Migratorios v nekaterih večjih mestih, ki stane približno 40 ameriških dolarjev. Potrebujete dve kopiji glavne strani potnega lista, dve kopiji strani z vstopnim žigom, dve kopiji vozovnice na poti iz države in štiri fotografije. Postopek traja nekaj časa in vključuje odvzem prstnih odtisov. Za obiskovalce najdaljše bivanje v enem letu ne sme presegati 6 mesecev.

Z letalom

Obstajajo redni mednarodni leti v večja mesta, vključno Bogota, Medellín, Cali, Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cartagena, Pereira in otoki San Andrés ter do drugih manjših mest na mejah z Venezuelo, Ekvadorjem, Panamo in Brazilijo.

Iz ZDA in iz Kanade, Mehike, Kostarike, Paname, Španije, Francije in Južne Amerike so na voljo direktni leti.

Pazite tega Medellín je edino kolumbijsko mesto, ki ga zagotavljata dve letališči: mednarodni in dolgoletni domači leti so namenjeni José María Córdova Mednarodno letališče (MDE ^IATA), medtem ko regionalni in nekateri drugi domači leti prispejo v Olaya Herrera letališče (EOH ^IATA).

Bogota ima dva letališka terminala: Puente Aéreo in El Dorado. Zunaj letališča se zavedajte podjetnih moških, ki vam bodo pomagali dvigniti kovčke v taksi ali avto, nato pa pričakovati plačilo. Najbolje je, da vljudno zavrnete vse ponudbe pomoči, razen če vas bo taksist najel.

Taksiji so regulirani, imajo ugodne cene in so varni z letališč. Vožnja s taksijem od letališča do osrednjega poslovnega okrožja v Bogoti traja približno 20 minut.

Z avtom

• Vstopite iz Venezuela avtor San Cristóbal-Cúcuta ali Maracaibo-Maicao podajo.
• Vstopite iz Ekvador avtor Tulcan-Ipiales (Rumichaca) prelaz.
• Pomembno: Iz treh sosednjih držav ne prihajajo glavne ceste: Panama, Brazilija in Perú. Iz Paname sploh ni cest, med Kolumbijo in Perújem ali Brazilijo so drobne ceste, ki pa ne vodijo v večja mesta ali regije.

Moj čoln

Vstopite iz Panama z jadrnico. Jadrnice redno odhajajo iz Portobelo, Panama, na 5 nočnih potovanjih v Cartagena, Kolumbija. Od tega 3 dni raziskujemo San Blas otoški raj. Cene se gibljejo med 550 in 700 USD, pri čemer so najuglednejši čolni rezervirani vnaprej neposredno po spletu.

Vstopite iz Paname po Puerto Obaldia-Capurganá podajo. Od Capurganá, vas pripelje še ena vožnja z ladjo Turbo, kjer vas avtobusi pripeljejo do Medellina in Monterije.

Če vstopite iz Brazilija, so tedenski čolni iz Manaus do Tabatinga/Leticia skozi reko Amazonko. Pot do Manausa traja približno šest dni, do vrnitve pa le tri dni (razlog razlike je tok reke). Obstajajo tudi tedenski motorni čolni, ki so dražji, vendar pot prevozijo v manj kot dveh dneh. Enkrat imate v Leticiji dnevne notranje lete v več mest, vključno z Bogota.

Lepo število potniške ladje enodnevne obiske (običajno v Cartageni), zlasti v hladnejših mesecih v Severni Ameriki.

Z avtobusom

Iz Venezuele

Povezave je mogoče vzpostaviti z glavnega terminala v Caracasu do večine mest v Kolumbiji. Z glavnega terminala Maracaibo (Venezuela) lahko najdete avtobuse, ki vozijo do mest (Cartagena, Baranquilla, Santa Marta) na obali. Meja v Maicau omogoča razmeroma enostaven, neposreden vstop v Kolumbijo iz Venezuele.

Iz Venezuele lahko vstopite tudi po prometni San Cristóbal do Cúcuta pot, ki poteka skozi obmejno mesto San Antonio del Táchira.

Meja je lahko nekoliko moteča ali celo nevarna, zlasti ponoči. Vprašajte domačine.

Iz Ekvadorja

Zelo enostavno je v Kolumbijo vstopiti iz Ekvadorja. Potujte v Tulcán, kjer lahko dobite taksi do meje. Iz priseljenskih pisarn vzemite izhodne žige in se z drugim taksijem odpeljite do Ipialesa. Od tam lahko potujete naprej do Calija, Bogote itd.

Iz Paname

Z avtobusom ne morete prestopiti iz Paname v Kolumbijo - Darien Gap se začne pri Yavizi, kjer zmanjka Interamericana. Namesto tega razmislite o prečkanju čolna. Pogosto se nahajajo jahte, ki vas bodo prepeljale med Kolumbijo in Panamo ter ponudile postanek na čudovitih otokih San Blas.

Letalski prevozniki, ki letijo med državama, so Avianca, COPA in LAN.

Obiti

Z letalom

Delno zaradi odsotnosti medkrajevnih železnic in visokogorja, ki ločujeta večja mesta, je letalsko potovanje priljubljeno in razširjeno med tistimi, ki si ga lahko privoščijo, konkurenca pa je močna. Bogota-Medellin je bila 30. najbolj prometna letalska pot v letu 2018 s skoraj štirimi milijoni preletenih potnikov in nič ne kaže, da bi se na tej 239-kilometrski progi kmalu preusmeril na druge načine. Najpomembnejši domači prevozniki v Kolumbiji so:

• Avianca (glavna kolumbijska nacionalna letalska družba)
• VivaColombia (poceni letalska družba, podobna letalu Ryanair).
• Wingo hčerinska blagovna znamka "low fare" COPA Kolumbija deluje kot ločena blagovna znamka (prej AeroRepublica)
• LATAM Kolumbija (prej LAN Kolumbija in Aires)
• EasyFly (regionalna letalska družba okoli Medellina, Bogote in Bucaramange)
• Satena (Servicio Aéreo a Territorios Nacionales) (upravljajo ga kolumbijske zračne sile za prevoz iz oddaljenih regij Los Llanos, Amazona in pacifiške obale iz Bogote)
• TAC (Transportes Aero Colombiana) čarterska letalska družba
• AEXPA (predvsem čarterski prevoznik do in vzdolž pacifiške obale)

Vsi imajo urejeno floto in redne prevoze do večjih mest v Kolumbiji. Postopek spletnega plačila nekaterih domačih letalskih prevoznikov je zapleten. Plačila lahko opravite na letališču ali na uradnih blagajnah.

Z vlakom

The Metro v Medellinu in okolici je najbližje potniškemu vlaku v Kolumbiji. V državi ni medkrajevnih vlakov. Obstajajo pa načrti, da bi to spremenili in županja Bogote za obdobje 2020–2023 je svojo kampanjo vodila na ploščadi „Metro, Metro in še več Metro“, gradnja tako za metro kot za regionalni tramvajski vlak pa že poteka. .

Z avtom

Vožnja poteka po desni strani ceste - večina avtomobilov ima standardne menjalnike. Kolumbijski vozni park sestavljajo predvsem avtomobili s 4-valjnimi motorji evropske in japonske proizvodnje.

Tuji obiskovalci lahko vozijo, če pokažejo mednarodno vozniško dovoljenje (večjezična izkaznica, ki jo izdajo avtomobilski in vozniški klubi po vsem svetu).

Zavarovanje je poceni in obvezno.

Omejitev hitrosti v stanovanjskih naseljih je 30 km / h (19 mph), v urbanih območjih pa 60 km / h (37 mph). Obstaja nacionalna omejitev hitrosti 80 km / h (50 mph).

Država ima dobro vzdrževano mrežo cest, ki povezujejo vsa večja mesta na andskih območjih in tista na karibski obali. V deževnem obdobju (od novembra do februarja) so na cestah in avtocestah pogosto plazovi. Manjši plazovi lahko zmanjšajo ceste na en vozni pas, kar povzroči znatne povratne udarce; večji zemeljski plazovi so lahko celo dnevi promet. Cestninskih prehodov je veliko; pristojbina znaša približno 3,00 USD. Obstaja tudi veliko makadamskih poti spremenljive kakovosti. Mednarodna kopenska potovanja so mogoča le v Ekvador in Venezuelo.

Z avtobusom

Potovanje z avtobusom je zelo razširjeno in ima različne ravni kakovosti. Medkrajevna potovanja redko stanejo več kot 55 USD (v eno smer). Pri nakupu vozovnic za avtobus je lokalna navada, da potnik pride na terminal in kupi vozovnico za naslednji razpoložljivi avtobus, ki vozi do želenega cilja. Odvisno od podjetja ali terminala je morda celo vozovnice nemogoče kupiti več kot nekaj ur vnaprej! Zato je priporočljivo vedeti, kdaj se določena storitev začne in konča čez dan. Potovanja z avtobusi na dolge razdalje so ponavadi zelo počasna, saj so glavne avtoceste dvopasovne ceste z veliko prometa s tovornjaki. Mnogo poti se vije visoko v gorah (3000 m) in potovalna bolezen se lahko kombinira z višinsko boleznijo. Za katero koli razdaljo več kot 5 ur se boste morda želeli prijaviti na letalski prevoz.

Oddaljenost in čas potovanja od Bogote:

Cilj	Razdalja (km)	Čas (h)
Armenija	296	8
Barranquilla	985	20
Bucaramanga	429	10
Cali	511	12
Cartagena	1090	23
Cúcuta	630	16
Ipiales	948	24
Manizale	278	8
Medellín	440	9
Neiva	309	6
Pasto	865	22
Pereira	360	9
Popayán	646	15
San Agustín	529	12
Santa Marta	952	19
Tunja	147	3

Nekatera večja podjetja, ki ponujajo poti na sever Bogote in Medellina do karibske obale in območij med obema mestoma:

• Expreso Brasilia, brez cestnin: 1 8000 51 8001. Iz telefonov Tigo in Movistar pokličite # 501 ali # 502 (posodobljeno julij 2015)
• Copetran, ☏ 57 7 644-81-67 (Bucaramanga), brez cestnin: 1 8000 114 164. # 567 ali # 568 iz mobilnih telefonov Claro (posodobljeno julij 2015)
• Berlinas del Fonce. Potuje med Bogoto, Bucaramango, Cartageno, Cúcuto, Santa Marto in točkami vmes (posodobljeno julij 2015)
• Rapido Ochoa, ☏ 57 4 444-88-88. Potovanja od Medellina in Bogote do Arboletea, Barracajermece, Monterije, Barranquille, Santa Marte, Toluja in točk vmes v več kombinacijah poti (posodobljeno julij 2015)

Druga podjetja, ki gredo v več mest v južnem delu države, južno od Bogote in Medellina ter na območja med obema mestoma; in navzdol proti ekvadorski meji:

• Expreso Bolivariano, ☏ 57 1 424-90-90 (Številka Bogote). Ponuja obsežne poti iz Bogote in Medellina do Manizalesa, Armenije, Medellina, Calije, Ipialesa, Popayana in drugih krajev na jugu. Ponujajo tudi mednarodne storitve v Peruju. (posodobljeno julij 2015)
• ^{[mrtva povezava]}Expreso Palmira, ☏ 57 321 890-35-97 (iz mobilnega telefona), brez cestnin: 1 8000 936-662. (posodobljeno julij 2015)
• Fronteras - Kontinentalni avtobus. (posodobljeno julij 2015)
• Koomotor. (posodobljeno julij 2015)

Obstajajo številna druga avtobusna podjetja in sindikati voznikov po vsej državi, ki delujejo bolj lokalno na različnih razdaljah določenega mesta ali znotraj oddelka ali med sosednjimi oddelki. Oglejte si članke določenega kraja ali prispevajte, kaj je na voljo. V Amazonasi, Los Llanosu in v oddaljenih predelih južnih regij proti Leticiji in pacifiški obali ceste niso omejene, prav tako tudi avtobusne storitve. Poleg tega nekatera od teh oddaljenih območij, zlasti tista v bližini meja z Venezuelo, Panamo in Ekvadorjem; Amazonski deževni gozd na jugovzhodu in proti pacifiški obali morda še vedno ni varen za potovanje v in okoli zaradi stalne gverilske dejavnosti. Pred odhodom se pozanimajte lokalno.

Več informacij najdete na RedBus.co ki primerja raznoliko število podjetij.

Z mestnim avtobusom

Na prelomu tega stoletja so se v mestnih središčih v Kolumbiji razvili zelo učinkoviti in urejeni avtobusni tranzitni sistemi, ki se širijo v druge države. V Bogoti lahko najdete Transmilenio, v Medellín el Metroplus[1], v Cali el Mio, v Barranquilli Transmetro, v Bucaramangi Metrolínea, v Pereiri Megabús.

Še vedno je priporočljivo, da pazite na svoje stvari in ne nosite dragocenosti, presežka gotovine (vidnih več kot 20.000 USD) ali nepotrebnih predmetov. Nikoli ne sprejemajte hrane ali pijače od tujcev. Izogibajte se pogovoru z neznanci na avtobusnih postajališčih ali terminalih. Možno je, da vas lahko ustavijo na policijskih kontrolnih točkah. Miren odnos je najboljši ključ, da se izognete neprijetnostim.

Z metrojem

Edini sistem podzemne železnice v Kolumbiji je Medellín, v departmaju (zvezna država) Antioquia. Povezuje oddaljena primestna mesta z barijemi Medellín - proga A odhaja od La Estrelle do Barrio Niquía, proga B od Barrio San Antonio do Barrio San Javíer. Metro sistem ima tudi dve žičniški progi: Metrocable Line K od Barrio Acevedo do Barrio Santo Domingo Savio in Metrocable Line J, ki odhaja iz Barrio San Javier. Vožnja z žičnicami je edinstvena izkušnja, saj se potniki po gorah potujejo z gondolami. MetroCable ima šest postaj in podaljšek do ekoparka Parque Arví. Vožnja do Parque Arvi stane približno 4 USD (3500 COP). Tam po 20-minutnem potovanju z gondolami dosežete nadmorsko višino 2500 metrov.

S taksijem

Taksi mreže v velikih mestih, kot je Bogota, so obsežne. Cene se med mesti zelo razlikujejo, Bogota je na primer razmeroma poceni, Cartagena pa draga. (Svetlo rumeno) potovanje s taksijem čez Bogoto lahko traja en dan, vendar stane manj kot 15 ameriških dolarjev.

Če naročite taksi po telefonu, vam bo podjetje izdalo registracijsko številko taksija. Potem bo taksi čakal na dani naslov. Morda jim boste morali dati tri ali štirimestno kodo, ki ste jo dobili pri rezervaciji taksija. Čez dan bodo nekatere taksi postaje zunaj hotelov, poslovnih stavb in vladnih uradov dovoljevale le certificirane voznike in podjetja, prav tako pa bodo vzeli vaše ime in podatke, ko se boste vkrcali v taksi. Taksije od mesta do mesta je enostavno urediti tako, da pokličete naprej in se dogovorite za ceno, po zahodnih standardih bo še vedno poceni, varen in zelo prijeten.

Števec se v vseh taksiji začne pri COP 25 USD in nato narašča na daljavo. Številka, na katero prispe, ustreza tarifi, ki bo prikazana na sprednjem sedežu kabine. Cene taksijev in avtobusov naraščajo ob nedeljah, praznikih, zgodaj zjutraj in pozno ponoči. Za prtljago in za predhodno rezervacijo po telefonu se doplačajo.

Za razliko od mnogih drugih držav ni običajno, da taksistu dajejo napotke. Odvisno je od posameznika.

Mnogi taksiji ne smejo potovati izven Bogote zaradi mejnih omejitev z njihovimi dovoljenji. Vedno se morate predčasno dogovoriti za potovanje izven Bogote s taksijem.

Na nekaterih lokacijah (na primer Las Aguas v okrožju Candelaria v Bogoti) boste morda našli posameznika, ki bo vozil taksiste - ponudili vam bodo taksi in vas pripeljali do določene kabine. Nato od voznika prejmejo majhno napitnino.

V velikih mestih je postalo zelo pogosto uporabljati aplikacije za točenje kabin. Zdi se, da sta Tappsi in EasyTaxi precej priljubljena. Storitev Uber je na voljo v Bogoti, Cartageni in Medellinu.

Z vzpenjačo

Ker večina kolumbijskega prebivalstva živi v Andih, žičniški sistemi postajajo priljubljeni tako za prevoz na delo kot za turistični prevoz. Vozite se lahko po tistih v Manizalesu in Medellinu, ki sta integrirana v sistem Metro, in po tistih v podeželskih mestih Antioquia: Jardín, Jericó, Sopetrán in San Andrés de Cuerquia. Uživajte tudi v čudovitem pogledu na novo žičnico nad kanjonom reke Chicamocha v Santander.

Glej

Večji del Kolumbije je v Andih, kar pomeni, da je mogoče najti zelo čudovito gorato pokrajino. Po drugi strani pa so v nižinah tudi lepe plaže. Nadmorska višina nekaterih vrhov pomeni, da je mogoče videti sneg, čeprav leži v tropih.

Šport

Nogomet (soccer) je nacionalni šport Kolumbije, kolumbijska reprezentanca pa je ena močnejših na svetu, saj je ustvarila več igralcev svetovnega razreda, kot so Carlos Valderrama, Iván Córdoba in James Rodríguez. Predvsem tekme z Argentino ponavadi pritegnejo veliko pozornosti domačinov.

Domača stran je najvišja stopnja kolumbijskega sistema nogometne lige Categoría Primera A, Kolumbijci pa tudi domače rivalstvo jemljejo zelo resno.

Ali

V Kolumbiji je veliko stvari, zabave in praznovanja najdete kamor koli greste. Kolumbijci še posebej radi plešejo in če ne veste kako, vas bodo z veseljem naučili. Kolumbija je znana po vznemirljivem nočnem življenju.

There are many groups and agencies offering eco-tourism and it is very usual to find trekking plans (locally named 'caminatas' or 'excursiones') on weekend; many groups (named 'caminantes') offers cheaper one day excursion, special trips (on long weekends or during periods of vacation time (January, Holy Week, July, August, October, December) to different places in the country. Some recommended groups based out of Bogota are: Viajar y Vivir, Fundación Sal Si Puedes, Caminantes del Retorno; there are many other. Patianchos in Medellín; Rastros in Bucaramanga. They usually offer guidance and transportation to the place; on long trips include lodging and other services. The recommendation is asking if the guide has the official certification.

Nakup

Denar

Exchange rates for Colombian pesos As of January 2020: US$1 ≈ COP$3,300 €1 ≈ COP$3,700 UK£1 ≈ COP$4,300 Tečaji nihajo. Trenutne cene za te in druge valute so na voljo pri XE.com

The currency of Colombia is the Colombian peso, but the symbol you will encounter is $ (ISO code: COP). Wikivoyage uses the notation "COP$" for clarity.

Most banks and money changes will accept major world currencies such as the US dollar and the euro.

ATMs are widely available, with varying withdrawal limits. Banks with highest limits are Citibank (COP$1,000,000 but charges an extra fee) and Bancolombia (COP$600,000 limit).

Stroški

Typical prices: modest but clean (and occasionally charming) hotel: US$25, for a nice meal US$15, for two beers US$0.60-1.00 at "tiendas" or similar stores, US$1.5-3 at bars; bus 100 km about US$6 (cheaper per km for longer trips, more for dirt roads); urban transport US$0.50-0.90

Tipping

A service charge of 10% is generally added to the bill in nice restaurants (if it's not, you should add it yourself). Tipping taxi drivers is not common. Most "tipping" is merely rounding up to the nearest thousand pesos (e.g., rounding up your cafe bill to COP$7,000 from COP$6,700). Private tour guides do not need to be tipped, but it is common to do so, if you liked the guide.

In some restaurants and bars that include the tip (la propina) in the bill, this extra money often does not make it into the hands of the staff person who serves you. Instead, it is simply kept by the owners. With this in mind, many Colombians will pay the bill without the tip (in cash or with credit card) and then hand a cash tip to the staff member (waiter, bartender, etc.) who served them.

Nakupovanje

The Colombian textile industry is well-recognized and reputable around South America and Europe. Clothing, including lingerie is particularly well-regarded as high quality and very affordable. Leather garments, shoes and accessories are also of interest to foreigners. The best place to buy either is Medellín, known for being the fashion capital of the country, where one can buy very high quality goods at a very low cost.

Colombian emeralds and gold (18k) jewelry can also be very attractive for visitors. A typical Colombian style of jewelry is a copy of precolombian jewelry, which is fabricated with gold, silver and semi-precious stones.

The "mochila", the Spanish word for "backpack" or "rucksack", is also a traditional, indigenous, hand-woven Colombian bag, normally worn over the shoulder. They are commonly sold in shopping malls, especially in the Santa Marta/El Rodadero area. Mochilas usually come in three sizes - a large one to carry bigger things, a medium one to carry personal belongings, and a small one to carry coca leaves. Coca leaves are carried by local tribe members to reduce hunger, increase energy and to combat altitude sickness.

Handicrafts such as intricately designed jewelry are commonly sold in markets and on street corners. Many street vendors will approach people, selling T-shirts, shorts, glasses, bracelets, watches, necklaces, souvenirs, and novelty photographs. If you want to buy something, this is a good time to exercise your bargaining skills. Usually you can go down by COP$2,000-3,000, however 10%-15% is the generally accepted rule. For example, if someone is selling a shirt for COP$10,000, try asking if you can pay COP$8,000. Go from there.

If you don't want to buy anything, a simple gracias, ("thank you") and a non-committal wave of your hand will deter would-be sellers.

Jej

Pre-Columbian civilizations cultivated about 200 varieties of potatoes, and they remain popular today. Try the local preparations like papas saladas (salted potatoes) or papas chorriadas (stewed potatoes). Most meals feature some kind of meat with rice, potatoes, and avocados. In the coastal areas, the rice is usually flavored with coconut.

Both restaurants and family meals often feature soup, and, in the mountain areas, you may even be served a milk-based soup called changua for breakfast.

Compared to nearby countries, Colombian food is not nearly as spicy as Mexican food. Fruit juice is particularly popular. Some foods with the same name are quite different. Na primer empanadas, made with potato and meat with a pouch-like yellow exterior, are delicious and entirely different from their Mexican and Argentinian counterparts.

In many areas of Colombia, it is common to have buñuelos (deep fried corn flour balls with cheese in the dough) and arepas (rather thick corn tortillas, often made with cheese and served with butter) with scrambled eggs for breakfast. Bogota and the central region have its own breakfast delicacy of tamales: maize and chopped pork or chicken with vegetables and eggs, steamed in plantain leaves, often served with homemade hot chocolate.

For lunch, especially on Sundays, you should try a sancocho de gallina (rich chicken soup, served with part of the chicken itself, rice and vegetables or salad). Sancocho is widespread throughout the country, with countless regional variants. On the coast it features fish, and is highly recommended. Another soup, served in Bogota and the periphery, is Ajiaco (chicken soup made with three different kinds of potato, vegetables and herbs (guasca), served with rice, avocado, corn, milk cream and capers).

Bandeja paisa is the official national dish of Colombia. The name translates roughly as "the peasant's plate". This filling dish includes rice, beans, fried plantain, arepa (corn bread), fried egg, chorizo sausage, chicharrón (pork crackling) with the meat still attached. It's a very fatty dish, but you can leave what you don't like, and if you're lucky enough, you could find a gourmet bandeja paisa in a good restaurant in Bogotá or Medellín. They are lighter and smaller.

In Colombia there are a great variety of tamales but they are very different from their most famous Mexican cousins. They differ from region to region, but all of them are delicious. Envueltos are the sweet tamales made of corn.

There are a few chain restaurants in the country. In addition to worldwide franchises (McDonald's, Subway, T.G.I.F., which are specially focused on Bogotá and other big cities), Colombian chains are very strong and located in almost every city. Presto and especially El Corral serve outstanding burgers, Kokoriko makes broiled chicken, and Frisby specializes in roasted chicken. Gokela is the first choice among people wanting healthy options such as wraps, salads, super foods, supplements, and subsequently one of the only options for vegetarians, vegans and organic eaters. Crêpes and Waffles, as the name indicates, is an upscale breakfast/brunch restaurant with spectacular crêpes, waffles, and ice cream. There are many international restaurants, including rodizios (Brazilian steak house style), and paella houses.

Organic food is a current trend in big cities, but in little towns you can get fruits and veggies all very natural and fresh. Colombians aren't used to storing food for the winter, since there are no seasons in the traditional sense. So don't ask them for dried items like dried tomatoes or fruits. All you have to do is go shopping at the little grocery stores nearby and pick up the freshest of the harvest of the month (almost everything is available and fresh all year). As for pickles and related preserved food, you can find them in supermarkets, but they are not common in family households.

Sweets

Bread and pastry is easily available from a neighborhood bakeries. Pastry is prevalent, both salty and sweet, including pandebono, pan de yuca, pastel gloria, in roscon. These vary in quality—ask the locals for the best niche places to indulge.

Colombians are famous for having a sweet tooth, so you are going to find a lot of desserts and local candies like bocadillo made of guayaba (guava fruit), or the most famous milk-based arequipe (similar to its Argentinian cousin dulce leche or the French confiteure du lait). That just covers the basics, since every region in Colombia has its own fruits, local products, and therefore its own range of sweet products. If you are a lover of rare candies, you could get artisan-made candies in the little towns near Bogotá and Tunja.

A great variety of tropical fruits can be tasted, and the corresponding variety in juices, from some of the oddest ones you can find around the globe (really) to the sweetest ones. Some examples of those exotic fruits include: tamarinds, mangoes, guanabanas, lulo, mangostines (really great and rare even for Colombians), and a great variety in citrus. In addition, you can find some of those rich and strange flavors in prepared food like ice cream brands or restaurant juices. Fruit juice is a very common and popular drink. Most of Colombians drink juices at home and in restaurants. They are inexpensive and natural everywhere.

Regarding coffee, you can find a lot of products that are both made commercially and homemade from this very famous Colombian product, like wines, cookies, candies, milk-based desserts like arequipe, ice-cream, etc.

The tres leches cake is not to be missed. A sponge cake soaked in milk, covered in whipped cream, then served with condensed milk, it is for the serious dairy fiend only. Another delicious milk-based dessert is leche asada, a milk custard similar to the better-known flan.

Pijte

For breakfast, take a home-made hot drink. The choices normally include coffee, hot chocolate or agua de panela. The latter is a drink prepared with panela (dried cane juice), sometimes with cinnamon and cloves, which gives it a special taste. Coffee is usually taken with a lot of milk. In Bogotá and the region around, it's customary to use cheese along with the drink, in a way that small pieces of cheese are put into the cup and then after they are melt, you can use a spoon to pick them up and eat it like a soup. It is the same way to drink hot chocolate.

Colombia's national alcoholic beverage, Aguardiente (a.k.a. guaro), tastes strongly of anise, and is typically bought by the bottle or half bottle or a quarter. People usually drink it in shots. Each region has its own aguardiente, "Antioqueño" (from Antioquia), "Cristal" (from Caldas), "Quindiano" (from Quindío), "Blanco del Valle" (from Valle del Cauca) and "Nectar" (from Cundinamarca). There is also a variety of rum beverages, like "Ron Santa Fe" (also from Cundinamarca), "Ron Medellín Añejo" (also from Antioquia), "Ron Viejo de Caldas" (also from Caldas) among others.

The water is drinkable right from the tap in most of the major cities, but be prepared to buy some bottles if you go to the countryside. Agua Manantial Bottled water is recommended, it comes from a natural spring near Bogotá. An advice, make sure you do not use ice cubes, or drink any beverage that might contain non distilled water, ask if the beverage is made with tap or bottled/boiled water.

If you are lucky enough, and if you are staying in a familiar "finca cafetera" (coffee farm) you can ask your Colombian friends not only for the selected coffee (quality export) but for the remaining coffee that the farmers leave to their own use. This is manually picked, washed, toasted in rustic brick stoves and manually ground. It has the most exquisite and rare flavor and aroma ever found.

In Bogotá and the rest of the country, black filter coffee is referred to as "tinto" - confusing if you were expecting red wine.

Also, you can find specialized places where you can drink coffee with many different combinations (like Juan Valdés Café or Oma), hot or frozen preparations.

Commercially, you can find a lot of products made out of coffee too like wines, ice-creams, soda-pops and other beverages.

Spi

In Colombia you can find a range of options, bed and breakfast conditioned to western standards and hostels to five-star hotels. There are also apartments that rent per day.

Motels vs hotels

A quick word of caution; in Colombia a "motel" is not the same as what one normally finds in the United States. The term motel in Latin America usually refers to a place of accommodation where the rooms are rented on a short term basis, typically for romantic assignations. Hotels, by contrast, are places of accommodation for travelers and are typically family friendly. Many hotels will not permit persons who are not registered as guests to go beyond the reception area. This is for the safety of both the guests and hotel staff and also to protect the hotel's reputation in what is still a culturally conservative and Catholic country. So visitors looking for a place to enjoy the physical company of another, will often use motels. Also privacy is something of a premium in Colombia, with children often living at home until they are married. For this and other practical reasons, couples, even married couples desiring a little intimacy, sometimes rent a room at a motel. These motels are common in Colombia and do not carry the social stigma that used to be associated with so called "no tell motels" in the United States or Canada. The quality and price of motel accommodations varies, sometimes drastically, with most being clean and well kept. Rooms are engaged anonymously with the tariff and any associated charges usually being paid on a cash only basis.

Nauči se

Colombia education is generally strict and is kept to high standards. Most Colombian degrees can be legalized in foreign countries. In contrast to American education, a typical Bachelor's degree program in Colombia is 160 credits or 5 years long. You can find several programs in different universities around the country.

Learn Spanish

Colombian Spanish is considered by many around the world as the purest in Latin America and there are many universities and language schools that have Spanish programs.

Learn Salsa

Colombia is one of the mother countries of Salsa and you will be able to listen to this music all over the place. In the last years several of the Salsa World Champions came from Colombia. Especially in Cali and Cartagena there are plenty of clubs and schools.

Delo

If you want to work for a national company, such as Bancolombia/Conavi, Avianca, or Presto, you must be able to speak Spanish with near-native fluency. Depending on your qualifications, companies may offer Spanish lessons, however always make sure that you are indeed eligible for the position advertised. You can teach English for extra money, especially in smaller cities where the demand for it is high. Also you could work for a non-governmental organization.

Ostani varen

Colombia has suffered from a terrible reputation as a dangerous and violent country but the situation has improved dramatically since the 1980s and 1990s. Colombia is on the path to recovery, and Colombians are very proud of the progress they have made. These days, Colombia is generally safe to visit, with the violent crime rate being lower than that in Mexico or Brazil, as long as you avoid poorer areas of the cities at night, and do not venture off the main road into the jungle where guerrillas are likely to be hiding.

The security situation varies greatly around the country. Most jungle regions are not safe to visit, but the area around Leticia is very safe, and the areas around Santa Marta are OK. No one should visit the Darien Gap at the border with Panama (in the north of Chocó), Putumayo ali Caquetá, which are very dangerous, active conflict zones. Other departments with significant rural violence include the Atlantic departments of Chocó, Cauca, in Valle del Cauca; eastern Meta, Vichada, in Arauca v the east; in vse Amazonian departments razen Amazonas. That's not to say that these departments are totally off-limits—just be sure you are either traveling with locals who know the area or sticking to cities and tourist destinations. In general, if you stick to the main roads between major cities and do not wander off into remote parts of the jungle, you are unlikely to run into trouble, and you are much more likely to encounter a Colombian army checkpoint than an illegal guerrilla roadblock.

Landmines

Colombia is one of the most mine-affected countries in the world. So don't walk around blithely through the countryside without consulting locals. Land mines are found in 31 out of Colombia's 32 departments, and new ones are planted every day by guerrillas, paramilitaries, and drug traffickers.

Paramilitaries

There was an agreement in 2005 with the government which resulted in the disarmament of some of the paramilitaries. However they are still active in drug business, extortion rackets, and as a political force. They do not target tourists specifically, but running up against an illegal rural roadblock in more dangerous departments is possible.

Kidnappings

At the turn of the millennium Colombia had the highest rates of kidnapping in the world, a result of being one of the most cost-effective ways of financing for the guerrillas of the FARC and the ELN and other armed groups. Fortunately, the security situation has much improved and the groups involved are today much weakened, with the number of kidnappings dropping from 3,000 in 2000 down to 205 cases in 2016. Today kidnappings are still a problem in some southern departments like Valle del Cauca, Cauca, in Caquetá. Colombian law makes the payment of ransom illegal, therefore the police may not be informed in some circumstances.

Guerrillas

The guerrilla movements which include FARC and ELN guerrillas are still operational, though they are greatly weakened compared to the 1990s as the Colombian army has killed most of their leaders. These guerrillas operate mainly in rural parts of southern, southeastern and northwestern Colombia, although they have a presence in 30 out of the country's 32 departments. Big cities hardly ever see guerrilla activity these days. Even in rural areas, if you stick to the main roads between major cities and do not wander off the beaten track, you are far more likely to encounter soldiers from the Colombian army than guerrillas. River police, highway police, newspapers, and fellow travelers can be a useful source of information off-the-beaten-path.

Zločin

The crime rate in Colombia has been significantly reduced since its peak in the late 1980s and 1990s, with the police having arrested or killed many of the important leaders of the drug cartels. However, major urban centers and the countryside of Colombia still have very high violent crime rates, comparable to blighted cities in the Združene države, and crime has been on the increase. In the downtown areas of most cities (which rarely coincide with the wealthy parts of town) violent crime is not rare; poor sections of cities can be quite dangerous for someone unfamiliar with their surroundings. Taxi crime is a very serious danger in major cities, so always request taxis by phone or app, rather than hailing them off the street—it costs the same and your call will be answered rapidly. Official taxi ranks are safe as well (airports, bus terminals, shopping malls).

Droge

Local consumption is low, and penalties are draconian, owing to the nation's well-known largely successful fight against some of history's most powerful and dangerous traffickers. Remember that the drug trade in Colombia has ruined many innocent citizens' lives and dragged the country's reputation through the mud.

Marijuana is illegal to buy and sell, although officially you can carry up to 20 grams without being charged for it. Police will tolerate you having a few grams of this drug on your person, but you are flirting with danger if you carry much more. Especially in small towns, it is not always the police you have to deal with, but vigilantes. They often keep the peace in towns, and they have a very severe way of dealing with problems.

Scopolamine is an extremely dangerous drug from an Andean flowering tree, which is almost exclusively used for crime, and nearly all the world's incidents of such use take place in Colombia. Essentially a mind control drug (once experimented with as an interrogation device by the CIA), victims become extremely open to suggestion and are "talked into" ATM withdrawals, turning over belongings, letting criminals into their apartments, etc., all while maintaining an outward appearance of more or less sobriety. After affects include near total amnesia of what happened, as well as potential for serious medical problems. The most talked about method of getting drugged with scopolamine is that of powder blown off paper, e.g., someone walks up to you (with cotton balls in their nose to prevent blowback) and asks for help with a map, before blowing the drugs into your face. But by far the most common method is by drugging drinks at a bar. To be especially safe, abandon drinks if they've been left unattended. While a pretty rare problem, it's an awfully scary one, and happens most often in strip clubs or other establishments involving sex workers.

Ostani zdrav

Drink only bottled vode outside the major cities. The water in major cities is safe. Most drinking water in people's homes is either boiled or of the purified variety that comes in huge multi-gallon plastic bags (which you can find at any little grocery store). The coffee's delicious, though, so why not just start that habit!

Tropical diseases are a concern in lowland parts of the country, and more so outside of major cities. Mosquitoes carry malarija, Yellow fever, in Dengue, and infection rates are similar to other lowland parts of Južna Amerika (i.e., much lower than in sub-Saharan Africa). Yellow fever has a vaccine, so get it—it's required for entry to many national parks, anyway. Dengue is not preventable beyond avoiding mosquito bites, so using bug spray regularly in lowland rural areas is good sense.

Malarija is a potential problem, so trips outside Bogota, Medellín, Cartagena, in Andean region warrant use of antimalarials, which can be bought zelo cheaply without a prescription from a droguería, which are everywhere in any city of any size throughout the country. Ask for Doxycicline tablets at a dosage of 100 mg, with the number being 30 days plus the number of days in a malarial area (so you can start 1–2 days in advance, and take it daily continuing for 4 weeks past the end of your trip). The phrase you want is: doxyciclina, cien miligramos, [number] pastillas. Using some bug spray in the evening serves as a bit of extra protection.

Cases of Zika virus have been reported in Colombia. Zika is a mosquito-borne and sexually transmitted infection that can cause serious birth defects. Travellers who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy should avoid travel to this country.

Spoštovanje

Colombians are acutely aware of their country's bad reputation, and tactless remarks about the history of violence might earn you a snide remark (likely regarding your country of origin) and an abrupt end to the conversation. However, Colombians eventually become willing to discuss these topics once they feel comfortable enough with someone.

Colombians are more formal than much of Latin America. Make a point to say "please" ("Por favor" or "Hágame el favor") and "thank you" ("muchas gracias") for anything, to anyone. When addressed, the proper response is "¿Señora?" or "¿Señor?" In parts of the country (especially Boyacá) Colombians can be formal to the point of anachronism, calling strangers "Su merced" (your Mercy!) in place of usted. The one (much) more informal part of the country is along the Caribbean coast, where referring to people just as "chico" can be more the norm—but take your cues from those around you.

Race is not a hot issue in Colombia, since whites, criollos, and mestizos (mixed race) blend naturally with natives and Afro-Colombians in everyday life (education, living, politics, marriage). Differences between white foreigners are not dwelled upon: expect to be called "gringo" even if you are, say, Russian. Unless context includes anger, it's not meant to be offensive. If you are black, you will probably be referred to as "negro" or "moreno," which also are not considered at all offensive. Asians are usually called "chino" (Chinese), regardless of actual background. Confusingly, Colombians from the inner regions also occasionally refer to children as chinos ("kids"); this use comes from Chibcha, an indigenous language. Even more confusingly, Colombians refer to blondes and redheads as "monos" (monkeys). It sounds offensive, but actually ranges from neutral to affectionate.Colombians have the mannerism of pointing to objects with their chins or lips; pointing to a person or even an object with your finger can be considered rude or less discreet.

Avoid indicating a person's height using your hand palm down, as this is considered reserved for animals or inanimate objects. If you must, use your palm facing sidewards with the bottom of the hand expressing the height.

Colombians dance a lot. Anyone will be glad to teach you how to dance, and they will not expect you to do it correctly, since they have been practicing every weekend for most of their lives. Colombian night life centers mostly on dancing, and bars where people sit or stand are less common outside major cities. Despite the sensual movements, dancing is normally not intended as flirtation. It is applied in the same way as in Brazil—an almost-naked "garota" dancing samba in the carnival is not inviting you to have sex with her but inviting you to enjoy, to be happy, to join in the celebration, to join the exuberant shedding of inhibitions.

Gay and lesbian travelers

Most Colombians are Catholic, although you'll find that young people are quite relaxed about religion, especially with regards to social issues. Public displays of affection are rare, though, and may elicit uncomfortable stares. Verbal and physical homophobic violence is not necessarily unheard of, and unfortunately less aggressive homophobia may be more widespread than what politeness masks. Overall, Colombian attitudes to homosexuality are pretty similar to what you find in the United States.

You can find more liberally-minded areas (at least about LGBT issues) in Bogotá's Chapinero okrožje. It is home to what may be the biggest LGBT community in Colombia, and is the focal point of the community's nightlife in Bogotá (if not the whole country), with explicitly gay-friendly establishments such as Theatron (arguably one of the biggest discos in South America) [2]. LGBT pride parades also take place in some of the major cities sometime around late June and early July. [3]

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Colombia since April 2016.

Povežite se

Objavi

Colombia does not have a government-run post office system. However, the private firm 4-72 serves as Colombia's de facto postal service, though it tends to be somewhat slow and unreliable. Locals rarely use the 4-72 service and usually go to couriers such as Servientrega, which have many more branches than 4-72, though they are very expensive when used to send mail overseas.

By phone

Prevozniki

It's simple enough to get a SIM card and even an unlocked phone at the international airport in Bogota, although there is, of course, a price hike. They're not hard to find in any city either, just ask your hotel or hostel staff where to go. Topping up is also easy, and can be done pretty much on any street corner.

The carriers you'll most likely see are Claro, Tigo, and Movistar. Claro is the most expensive (by a little bit), but has the widest coverage in the country, if you expect to get off the beaten path.

Virgin Mobile might be the best option if you want to have internet for a low price, as you can pay for COP$20,000 for a month and get 350MB (plus 50 minutes, 10 sms and unlimited use of WhatsApp, an almost universally used chat app in Colombia) without the need of a contract. It might take a bit longer to find a spot that sells the sim cards. It should cost COP$5k-10k pesos.

Dialling

Colombian area codes

#	Oddelki
1	Bogota in Cundinamarca
2	Valle del Cauca, Cauca, Nariño
3	Mobilni telefoni
4	Antioquia, Chocó, Córdoba
5	Atlántico, Bolívar, Cesar, La Guajira, Magdalena, Sucre
6	Caldas, Risaralda, Quindío
7	Norte de Santander, Santander, Arauca
8	Boyacá, Tolima, Huila, San Andrés in Providencia, Meta, Caquetá, Amazonas, Casanare, Vichada, Guainía, Vaupés, Guaviare, Putumayo

From landlines:

To call from a landline to another local landline, dial the normal seven digits. To call from a landline to a mobile, dial twelve digits, always beginning with 03, followed by the ten digit number provided.

It's far more complex to make long-distance domestic calls or international calls. Ask whoever owns the phone to dial it for you. If that's not an option, buy a mobile phone. Seriously.

From mobiles and from abroad:

To call a Colombian landline from another country or from a mobile phone in Colombia, use the 57 country code then the eight digit number (the first of which is the area code). To dial to a mobile phone, dial 57 and then the deset digit number. You can also type "00" instead of the " ".

By Internet

Internet cafés are easy to find in any city or town. Expect rates to run about COP$1,250-2,500 per hour, depending on how much competition there is (i.e., cheap in Bogotá, expensive in the middle of nowhere). Quality of connection is directly related to the centrality of location, and hence inversely related to price.