Colombia - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 482

5

Introduction
Home to a traumatic but rich history, stunning scenery and some of the
continent's most welcoming and sophisticated people, Colombia is a natural
draw for travellers to South America. Despite its four-decade-long civil war
and reputation for violence, improved security conditions have led to a sharp
increase in tourism. Foreigners and Colombians alike are now far more able
to explore this thrilling paradise of cloudforested mountains, palm-fringed
beaches and gorgeous colonial cities. The only country in South America to
border both the Pacific and the Caribbean, Colombia offers a huge range of
ecosystems, from the Amazon rainforest near Leticia to the snowcapped
mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the tropical islands of
San Andrés and Providencia.

Cosmopolitan Bogotá is, like most
capitals, a busy commercial centre,
with a vibrant cultural scene and festive
nightlife. The two other major cities,
Medellín and Cali , are also lively but less
overwhelming. Better still are the small
towns scattered throughout the country
that could turn out to be the highlight of
your visit. Popayán and Mompox , for
example, are famed for raucous Semana
Santa (Easter week) celebrations, and
Mompox has a timeless beauty to it.
Colombia's coffee-growing region, the
Zona Cafetera , offers breathtaking walks

in the foothills where the bean is grown,
accommodation in authentic fincas
(coffee farms) and excellent trekking.
Most visitors make time - and rightfully
so - to head north to the Caribbean for
the sun. Just a stone's throw from the
beach, the walled city of Cartagena is the
biggest Spanish colonial port in South
America. A few hours east, the less scenic
Santa Marta and fishing village of Taganga
are near Parque Nacional Tayrona , whose
picturesque sandy beaches are unrivalled.
The two are also great bases for a
five-day trek to the archeological ruins
of La Ciudad Perdida , the Lost City.
Almost un-Colombian in their feel, the
remote Caribbean islands of San Andrés
and Providencia both offer great diving,
crystal-clear waters and - particularly in
Providencia's case - a unique Raizal culture.
As you head north from Bogotá through
the Andes to Bucaramanga , picturesque
colonial villages like Villa de Leyva give
way to more tropical, river-fed bastions of
adventure tourism such as San Gil .
In the southeast, Colombia's stake of
the Amazon, centred on Leticia , may not
be as well known as Peru's or Brazil's but
it offers a slice of jungle adventure and a
gateway into the neighbouring countries.
he southwest, near Popayán, boasts
some wonderful scenery as well as the
monumental stone statues and burial
chambers of the forgotten cultures of
San Agustín and Tierradentro .

WHEN TO VISIT
Colombia's proximity to the equator keeps
regional temperatures stable
throughout the year, around 24°C (75°F)
along the coast and 7-17°C (45-63°F) as
you move higher inland. However,
rainfall does vary with the seasons. In the
Andean region there are two dry and two
wet seasons per year, the driest months
being from December to March and July
to August. In low-lying areas, especially
southern Colombia, rainfall is more
constant but showers never last very long.
The Amazon climate is uniformly wet the
entire year. Bear in mind that the most
intense tourist seasons , with the highest
prices, are from December to February
and Semana Santa (Easter Week), the
week before Easter.