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Travel guide · Coffee and the Caribbean

Travelling to Colombia

Walled Cartagena, the Coffee Region, the Caribbean coast of Tayrona and a reinvented Medellín. We tell you when to go, what to see and what to eat.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • All year round
  • Where to eat: a set-lunch spot (menú del día)
Photo: Unsplash

Colombia in 30 seconds

  • Any time of year is good to travel to Colombia: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.
  • Apps: Uber/DiDi.
  • To eat like a local: a set-lunch spot (menú del día). Don’t leave without trying: Bandeja paisa, Ajiaco, Arepas.

Colombia in November

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Colombia. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

More destinations for November

When to travel to Colombia

Any time of year is good to travel to Colombia: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb no warnings
  3. Mar no warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings

What to see in Colombia

The cities and areas most worth your time, with their highlights. Open each one for all the places, where to stay and its day trips.

  • Bogotá
    Bogotá

    Bogotá

    The capital in the Andes: La Candelaria, the Gold Museum and Monserrate above the city.

    • Monserrate
    • Gold Museum
    • Plaza de Bolívar
    • Botero Museum
    Bogotá guide
  • Cartagena
    Cartagena

    Cartagena

    Colourful houses, balconies full of flowers and walls facing the Caribbean.

    • Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
    • Clock Tower
    • Palace of the Inquisition
    • Walls of Cartagena
    Cartagena guide
  • Medellín
    Coffee Region / Medellín

    Medellín

    The city of eternal spring, with cable cars, graffiti in Comuna 13 and Guatapé nearby.

    • Comuna 13
    • Plaza Botero
    • Museum of Antioquia
    • Parque Arví
    Medellín guide
  • Santa Marta

    Santa Marta

    Colombia’s oldest city, between the Caribbean Sea and the Sierra Nevada.

    • Historic centre
    • Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino
    • Taganga
    • Minca
    Santa Marta guide
  • Tayrona National Park

    Tayrona National Park

    Wild beaches between jungle and giant boulders on the Caribbean coast.

    • Cabo San Juan
    • La Piscina
    • Arrecifes
    • Jungle trails
    Tayrona National Park guide
  • Cali

    Cali

    The world capital of salsa, warm and full of dancing.

    • San Antonio
    • Cristo Rey
    • Salsa schools
    • Bulevar del Río
    Cali guide
  • Salento

    Salento

    A colourful village in the Coffee Region, gateway to the Cocora Valley and its giant palms.

    • Cocora Valley
    • Calle Real
    • Salento viewpoint
    • Coffee farms
    Salento guide
  • San Andrés

    San Andrés

    The island of the sea of seven colours, in the middle of the Caribbean, closer to Nicaragua than to Colombia.

    • Johnny Cay
    • El Acuario
    • Hoyo Soplador
    • La Piscinita
    San Andrés guide
  • Villa de Leyva

    Villa de Leyva

    A white colonial town with one of the largest main squares in the Americas.

    • Plaza Mayor
    • Pozos Azules
    • Casa Terracota
    • Fossil Museum
    Villa de Leyva guide
  • Guatapé

    Guatapé

    Colombia’s most colourful town, next to El Peñol Rock.

    • El Peñol Rock
    • Zócalos
    • Guatapé reservoir
    • Calle del Recuerdo
    Guatapé guide
  • Barichara

    Barichara

    One of the prettiest villages in Colombia: stone streets, white houses and the Camino Real to Guane.

    • Cobbled streets
    • Cathedral of La Inmaculada
    • Camino Real to Guane
    • Viewpoint
    Barichara guide
  • Tatacoa Desert

    Tatacoa Desert

    A desert of red and grey labyrinths in Huila, with clear skies for stargazing.

    • Red zone (Cuzco)
    • Grey zone (Los Hoyos)
    • Observatory
    • Villavieja
    Tatacoa Desert guide
  • Jardín

    Jardín

    An Antioquian village of colourful houses, coffee plantations and green mountains.

    • Main square
    • Cueva del Esplendor
    • Coffee plantations
    • Garrucha
    Jardín guide
  • Manizales

    Manizales

    The capital of the Coffee Region, high up in the cordillera, with the Nevado del Ruiz and hot springs nearby.

    • Cathedral
    • Chipre
    • Nevado del Ruiz
    • Hot springs
    Manizales guide

Day trips and activities

What’s most worth booking from each city. We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

From Bogotá

From Cartagena

From Medellín

From Santa Marta

From Tayrona National Park

From Cali

From Salento

From San Andrés

From Villa de Leyva

From Guatapé

From Barichara

From the Tatacoa Desert

From Jardín

From Manizales

Some links are affiliate links: if you book through them, Bagintravel may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

What to eat in Colombia

To eat like a local: a set-lunch spot (menú del día), and order bandeja paisa or ajiaco. And don’t leave without trying:

  • Bandeja paisa

    Beans, rice, pork crackling, minced beef, egg, arepa and avocado.

  • Ajiaco

    Bogotá’s chicken soup with three kinds of potato and guascas.

  • Arepas

    Corn cakes, with cheese or filled; every region has its own.

  • Cartagena ceviche

    With prawns and a pink sauce.

  • Sancocho

    A hen or fish stew with plantain and cassava.

  • Coffee

    The tinto on every corner and tastings at the coffee farms.

The typical dish of Colombia, at home

Arepas
Photo: Steven Depolo from Grand Rapids, MI, USA · CC BY 2.0

Arepas

Griddled corn-dough cakes eaten in Colombia at any time of day, plain, with butter and cheese or filled. Every region has its own.

  • Serves 4
  • 30 min

Ingredients

  • 250 g pre-cooked white cornmeal
  • 330 ml warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon of butter
  • Fresh cheese or mozzarella (optional)

How to make it at home

  1. Mix the cornmeal with the salt and add the water gradually, kneading until you have a soft dough that doesn’t crack.
  2. Add the butter and, if you like, grated cheese, and knead a little more. Leave to rest for 5 minutes.
  3. Roll into balls and flatten them into discs a finger thick.
  4. Cook them on a griddle or frying pan over a medium heat for about 6 minutes per side, until crusty.
  5. Serve hot with butter and cheese, or split them open and fill them.

The trick: If the dough cracks when you flatten it, it needs more water.

The typical food of each city, with a recipe

Curious facts about Colombia

What guidebooks don’t tell you and will help you understand the country better.

  • It’s the second most biodiverse country in the world and first for bird species.
  • It has coastlines on both the Caribbean and the Pacific.
  • The Coffee Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Gabriel García Márquez drew on Colombia’s Caribbean coast for Macondo.
  • In Bogotá, at 2,600 metres, it’s cool all year round.
  • Vallenato is on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Traditions of Colombia

Customs and celebrations that will help you experience the country like a local.

  • August (Medellín) Flower Festival

    A parade of silleteros carrying huge flower arrangements on their backs.

  • February or March Barranquilla Carnival

    One of the biggest carnivals in the world, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

  • 7 December Night of the Little Candles

    Candles and lanterns in the streets to start Christmas.

  • Late December Cali Fair

    Salsa, parades and partying in the world capital of salsa.

What not to do in Colombia

First-trip mistakes that are easy to avoid.

  • Don’t flash your phone or valuables in the street: as Colombians say, “no dar papaya”.
  • Don’t hail taxis in the street at night: order them by app.
  • Don’t accept drinks from strangers.
  • Don’t travel to areas that your government’s travel advice warns against.
  • Don’t underestimate the altitude in Bogotá: take it easy on the first day.
  • Don’t drink tap water outside the big cities.

Before you go

Entry requirements depend on your passport and change: always check them with official sources before travelling.

Frequently asked questions about Colombia

What people search for most before travelling to Colombia.

What’s the best time to travel to Colombia?

Any time of year is good to travel to Colombia: our data shows no months with weather, closure or crowd warnings.

What to see in Colombia in a week?

The essentials of Colombia: Bogotá, Cartagena, Medellín, Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park. How many places fit into your days, and in what order, depends on your dates and how you get around: the Bagintravel app plans your trip day by day in a minute.

What to eat in Colombia?

Bandeja paisa, Ajiaco, Arepas, Cartagena ceviche, Sancocho, Coffee. To eat like a local: a set-lunch spot (menú del día).

What is the typical dish of Colombia?

Arepas. Griddled corn-dough cakes eaten in Colombia at any time of day, plain, with butter and cheese or filled. Every region has its own.

What should you not do in Colombia?

Don’t flash your phone or valuables in the street: as Colombians say, “no dar papaya”. Don’t hail taxis in the street at night: order them by app. Don’t accept drinks from strangers.

Is it worth travelling to Colombia in November?

Yes: November is a good time to travel to Colombia. Our data shows no weather or seasonal warnings that month.

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Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Seasonal data, places and areas: the same ones the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.

Photos: cover, Unsplash. Bogotá, Felipe Restrepo Acosta (CC BY-SA 3.0). Cartagena, Igvir Ramirez (CC BY-SA 2.0). Medellín, Luis90f (CC BY-SA 4.0). Santa Marta, CristhianVarela (CC BY-SA 4.0). Tayrona National Park, OpenAperture (CC BY-SA 3.0). Cali, Futbolero (CC BY-SA 4.0). Salento, Ferferic (CC BY 4.0). San Andrés, Mr.Jhosimar (CC BY-SA 3.0). Villa de Leyva, Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 4.0). Guatapé, IdkSGM (CC BY-SA 4.0). Barichara, Apimientorios (CC BY-SA 4.0). Tatacoa Desert, Jorge Láscar from Australia (CC BY 2.0). Jardín, Kamilokardona (CC BY-SA 3.0). Manizales, XalD (CC BY-SA 4.0).