Colombia is known for making people fall in love, in its great landscapes, delicious food, welcoming people, and wide variety of fauna and flora. Discover the five best places to visit in Colombia that will make you leave all behind.
Chiribiquete, 4.3 million acres of stunning nature
In the Amazon rainforest, between the regions of Guaviare and Caquetá, lies Chiribiquete. We’re referring to the National Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park. This immense natural reserve was declared a UNESCO world heritage site, classifying it as one with “outstanding universal value” due to its vast environmental and cultural assets.
Upon arriving, you’ll be greeted by huge table-top rock formations, also known as tepuis, arising from the forest like gigantic guardians of the 2,900 species that call this park home. Animals like the Jaguar, Giant Otter, Brown Woolly Monkey, Pumas, Emerald Hummingbirds, and butterflies are just a few.
It’s also home to over 70,000 pictographs, or drawings and paintings created on rock, which have been listed as the oldest anthropological evidence of their kind in the Americas. Most of them depict hunting practices, dances, and ceremonies in which indigenous tribes portray their main figure of fertility and power: The jaguar. For this reason, Chiribiquete is also known as “the Maloka of the Jaguar”.
If you wish to visit this ancient place, you may charter a 3-hour flyover. There are over 20 tour operators that offer this unforgettable plane-ride experience.
Among the top places in Colombia is the Guajira region: the northern corner of South America
There is a region in Colombia known not only as the home to the Wayuu indigenous community, but also to one of the most captivating landscapes in the country: The Guajira region. A place full of contrast, a vast and wild desert surrounded by the Caribbean sea. From Riohacha to Punta Gallinas, there are wonderful destinations which offer unforgettable experiences for adventure-seekers searching for things to do in Colombia during their visit.
One of the most remarkable views you can find in the region is at the Manaure Salt Flats. The salt extraction performed by the Wayuu people turns the land into a breathtaking landscape. This 4,200 acres of desert land is covered with small, white salt mounts over the pink and lilac lakes. Not far from there, you can find Los Flamencos Natural Reserve, a protected area where bands of beautiful pink flamingos and other migratory birds can be observed via boat ride. Keep this in mind for an instagram-worthy moment during your visit.
Cabo de la Vela is another treasure In the Guajira region, a place known for having some of the best beaches in Colombia for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Its name translates to “Cape of the Sail” due to its favorable wind conditions and backdrop of glowing, colorful sunsets.
Wax palms of Cocora Valley are the tallest in the world!
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site can be found between the regions of Caldas, Quindío, Risaralda, and Valle del Cauca. This landscape serves as a great example of how people can adapt to difficult geographical conditions to merge natural, cultural and economical elements into the cultivation of Colombian coffee.
Within this beautiful Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia, you can find the Cocora Valley, home to the world’s largest wax palm trees. Walk amongst them, elevated in a majestuous plain lowland filled with exotic creatures like the yellow-eared parrot. This place invites you to one of the best things to do in Colombia, to stay and greets you with a cup of Colombian’s best arabica coffee, a soothing delight to the palate.
Along your journey to this stunning place, you will pass through Salento, a small and colorful colonial town near the valley. There, you can hop into a Willys Jeep that will transport you to this home of these spectacular Colombian national trees, also one of the best things to do in Colombia.
Mavecure hills, wonders amidst the Amazon jungle and the wonderful places you can find in Colombia
Pajarito, Mono, and Mavecure are the names of three huge rock monoliths over the Inírida River in the Guainía region. This breathtaking landscape was featured in Colombia’s first-ever nomination to the Academy Awards with the film “The Embrace of the Serpent”.
This locale ranks into the must-see for its stunning beauty and great excursions, including sailing the river to see the fluvial star (where four rivers converge: the Orinoco, the Atabapo, the Guaviare, and the Inírida). This natural spectacle involves a combining of the different colors of each river, creating a clearly distinguishable pattern in the water.
Amongst the 250,000 acres of protected area, considering the importance of the ecosystem and water supply, you can find welcoming indigenous communities such as The Curripaco. They have developed an ethnographic tourism plan where visitors can learn about the different customs and traditions of their culture. A particularly fun aspect involves sampling their cuisine and appreciating their handcrafted decorative objects. This provides an undoubtedly unique reason to visit Colombia.
Mompox, the town frozen in time
Mompox is a must. Its historical center is also a world treasure on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. Founded in 1540, Santa Cruz de Mompox is a town that held a key role during the colonial period as it was founded parallel to the Magdalena River.
Therefore, it served as an important port to trade goods such as gold and tobacco and send them upriver to the interior. Strategically located far from the Caribbean sea, it was considered to be safe from pirate attacks and, as a result, the best site to keep the gold safe. This treasure brought about the art of filigree, which consists of making jewelry pieces by weaving fine threads of gold and silver into beautiful figures.
The city has preserved its Spanish colonial architecture, like a postcard from history that mirrors the same monumental Sevillian architecture. This is particularly true for the houses built on “Calle de la Albarrada” which have facades that share a common roof and feature decorative interiors, portals, and galleries.
If you find yourself wondering: What is happening in Colombia? or Is Colombia safe to travel? Consider that you can find some of the best places to visit in the world, including nine UNESCO World Heritage sites alongside a wonderful culture of embarking on wonderful adventures.
