Colombia has a diversity of landscape, climate and culture which should make it one of the world's most popular travel destinations. Its jungles, including large swathes of the Amazon, are some of the world's least explored places, hiding ancient temples and astounding ruins, while its cities offer both the grace of their colonial heritage and the vibrancy of modern South America. This variety is reflected in Colombia's hotels, posadas and hostals - from luxury through boutique and budget - there are a range of great places to stay in Colombia for every taste.
Its mountains, too, are magnificent - perfect for both trekkers and skiers, and its beaches wouldn't seem out of place in a Caribbean travel brochure, with whale watching, diving and surfing opportunities. In short, Colombia is a paradise. The deterrent for most visitors has been its history of drug cartels and violence, but this is changing, so use our guide to the best places to stay in Colombia and take the opportunity to experience this paradise before it becomes too mainstream!
If you find the climate of Bogota a bit too fresh, drive for an hour down the mountains to where it's warmer. Lower still are the lush jungles, coffee plantations and the Reserva Natural Canon de Rio Clara, just one of many beautiful Colombian reserves. This is a great spot for anyone who wants to get into Colombia's great outdoors and do some hiking or kayaking. The coastline is tropical - almost right on the equator, and things are naturally more languid here and happen at their own pace. Beautiful Cartagena is probably the country's best known destination, and it remains one of the best places to stay in Colombia. Once an important and wealthy port on the gold and silver trade routes, Cartagena boasts a wealth of colonial architecture and a charming walled old town, amply deserving of its Unesco World Heritage status.
Colombia's cities and towns
- Bogota, Colombia's capital, is a huge place. And like most major cities, you can find most of the top attractions in the central area. As well as all the cultural sights, Bogota has stunning botanical gardens and a lively cafe, bar and restaurant scene.
- Many claim that Cartagena is the jewel in Colombia's crown, and we'd certainly recommend a stay here! In addition to its stunning UNESCO World Heritage Listed old town, you can also take advantage of its location on Colombia's Caribbean coast. There are some excellent colonial townhouse hotels to stay in here.
- For wild, joyful partying, Cali is the place to be. Warm, tropical and full of salsa and dancing, in Cali it's considered reasonable to want to dance until dawn every night of the week - perhaps one of the best places to stay in Colombia for an inpromptu party! There are a couple of chic places to stay we can recommend here.
- Manizales is a student city with a lot of universities and not only has some beautiful public artworks lying scattered around, amazing coffee, but some of the coolest nightclubs in Colombia.
- Just to the south, Pereira is a fast-paced commercial centre that also has a thriving bar and club scene. Though it has few attractions, it is near thermal springs, colonial towns and the Los Nevados National Natural Park.
- Villa de Levya is great for exploring the pre-Colombian past of the region, the Muisca Civilisation: there are burial mounds, sacred sites and ancient monuments on the outskirts of town that are worth exploring, and the town itself seems as if caught in a time lapse of the 16th century.
Rural Colombia
- If you want to escape to the countryside, then Anapoima and Nobsa should be high on your list. An Arcadia used as a weekend escape by wealthy Colombians, Anapoima has a lovely climate, rolling foothills, some amazing gourmet restaurants, golf clubs and an incredibly friendly community. Nobsa is a charming little town, surrounded by mountains. It is the spiritual home of the "ruana" garment, traditionally worn by the Muisca peoples, and they manafacture it here to an extremely high standard working only by the loom.
- If you want adventure sports and the great outdoors, Tobia is a great choice. Though often overlooked in favour of San Gil, it is quickly making a name for itself as the capital of adventure sports in Colombia: whether it's white water rafting, rappelling, hiking, absailing or mountain biking. There's an excellent riverside guesthouse we recommend here.
- If you're looking for Colombia's colonial charm, look no further than Mompos. Though it is a trek getting there, down dirt tracks that wind through jungle, it is perfectly preserved in time, where colonial buildings far outnumber anything remotely modern. Indeed, mule-driven carts still outnumber cars here! There's a good choice of historic and colonial properties to stay in here.
Colombia's beaches
- For wide white-sand beaches, you have a great variety to choose from. Buritaca and Santa Marta both lie on the Caribbean Sea and are great for lounging with a cocktail and bathing in the sunshine. Both are near the Lost City, known as Ciudad Perdida, built by a civilisation that preceded the builders of Machu Picchu, where you can trek with a professional guide through the jungle. Between them they offer a choice of laid back beach cabana resorts and townhouse boutique hotels.
- Providencia, however, is without a doubt the place to be. A tiny island that's essentially a tropical paradise, it is laid-back, unknown by the tourist industry and has some of the best places to go snorkelling in the region, if not the world, owing to the fact that it lies just by the world's third largest coral reef.
Use our guide to the best places to stay in Colombia and start to plan your South American adventure!