Colombia - Info Sheets

GETTING THERE BORDER CROSSING & TRAVEL FROM QUITO From Quito it is a little over 5 hours by bus to the Ecuador/Colombia border crossing. The bus stops at Tulcan, from where a taxi can be caught to the border, about another 15 mins....

BUS TRAVEL There are two main types of bus transport in Colombia – coach and collectivo (tall and luxurious minibus). Surprisingly, both have similar facilities on most routes – toilet, aircon, and TV (all playing Under Siege 1 or 2,...

South American Explorers: COLOMBIA Information Packet Table of contents 1. General Information Location Geography Climate Language People Political overview Currency and costs Entry...

Plane Travel Colombia is a relatively large country and thus time constraints may mean that taking the plane is more convenient than using the bus. Indeed, many travellers choose to fly straight into Bogota or Cartagena and start their...

Aracataca Fact: The birthplace of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, to who fans refer to as simply ¨Gabo,´ this sleepy town is believed to have been the inspiration for Gabo´s most famous novel, ´One hundred years of Solitude....

Cartagena Fact: Founded in 1533, Cartagena de Indias is legendary for both its history and its beauty. The old, walled, historical centre has managed to remain impressively intact, whilst the city has expanded around...

Parque Nacional Tyrona Fact: Tayrona is one of Colombia´s most popular National Parks and lies on the coast, just east of Santa Marta. The beaches are beautiful and mostly quiet - except during December - the...

Taganga Fact: Almost a suburb of Santa Marta, Taganga is a small fishing village, with a long stretch of beach set in a pleasant horseshoe-shaped bay area, offering calm water in which to swim, and walking around the...

San Gil Fact: Set on the Bogota-Bucaramanga road, San Gil is 300 years old, and is home to a pleasant 18th century cathedral and Parque El Gallineral, famous for its barbas de Viejo, long silvery threads that form...

Villa de Leyva Fact: Home to one of the biggest Plazas in the Americas, Villa de Leyva is a beautiful old colonial town, with the mandatory cobbled steets and white-washed buildings. It experiences a somewhat...

Medellín Fact: The capital of Antioquia, Medellin is Colombia´s second largest city after Bogota and home to over 2 million people. It is an attractive and clean city, beautifully set in the deep Aburra Valley, with...

Salento Fact: Salento, sits at over 1800m and is home to over 520 species of birds, and a little under 9000 people. It is the highest site above sea level in Colombia where the national tree, the ´Cera palma´ grows....

Cali Fact: Colombia´s third largest city and home to more than 2 million people, Cali is a prosperous and lively metropolis with a rather hot climate. Though not a hot stop-over on the tourist trail, Cali does offer...

Popayan Fact: The city was founded in 1537 and prospered as an important rest point on route between Quito and Cartagena. Wealthy Spanish settlers were attracted by the mild climate and are responsible for many of...

SECURITY – GUERILLAS IN THE MIDST Colombia must have one of the highest numbers of military checkpoints in the world. No bus/collective/jeep journey passes by without at least once being made to stop at a designated area. Gazing out of...