10 Best Places to Visit in Colombia

10. Medellin

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Medellín is the second largest city in Colombia. It has over 2 million people and is the capital of the department of Antioquia. It's set in a valley running south to north just under one hour by plane from Bogotá. Medellin is a very colorful city because of its gorgeous flowers; the city celebrates its flower festival for 12 days every August.

9. Popayan

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Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia's Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range. The city is famous for its Maundy Thursday procession as well as its nightlife. The Iglesia de Ermita is the city’s oldest church, built in 1546, while the Iglesia de San Francisco lays claim to being the most beautiful.

8. San Andres y Providencia

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The charming islands of San Andres island, Providencia, and Santa Catalina, located in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. White sand beaches and palm trees are San Andres’ best features. The Caribbean is colored seven shades of blue and is rich marine life, making it a great place to snorkel and dive.

7. San Agustin

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San Agustín is a town and municipality in the southern Colombian Department of Huila. The town is located 227 km away from the capital of the Department, Neiva. It is one of the most intriguing ancient sites in Colombia, the archeological park of San Agustin is home to more than 500 monoliths, statues, petroglyphs and sarcophagi.  Most of the stone carvings at San Agustin were created between 100 A.D. and 1200 A.D. These sites form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

6. Zona Cafetera

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Zona Cafetera, usually refered to as "Eje Cafetero", is a coffee-growing region in the Andino region of Colombia. The perfection of the growing conditions here allows coffee fruit to be harvested several times a year. Coffee has been grown in the region since the 19th century. Visitors can learn more about coffee at El Parque del Café, a park that has a botanical garden with coffee plants and an amusement park. Also, visitors can take a dip in thermal springs at Santa Rosa and San Vincente.

5. San Gil

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San Gil is a town municipality in the Department of Santander in northeastern Colombia, located roughly 300 km from Bogotá and 95 km from the department's capital, Bucaramanga. Founded in 1689, San Gil is over 300 years old. It was officially named the tourist capital of the region in 2004, thanks to its outdoor activity opportunities such as rafting, caving, kayaking and hiking.

4. Bogota

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Bogotá is the Capital of Colombia. Located at 2,640 meters (8,660 feet) in the Andes, Bogota has numerous attractions to entice visitors, including a planetarium, gold museum, botanical gardens, cultural events and a thriving nightlife. It has been called "The Athens of South America".

3. Villa de Leyva

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Villa de Leyva is a charming old colonial city in Boyacá in Colombia. Calm and tranquil on weekdays, it gets flooded by tourists from Bogotá on the weekends. Villa de Leyva is one of the few towns in Colombia that conserved all its colonial architecture. Its architecture reflects Spanish and Moorish influences. Museums honor famous people who fought for Colombian independence.

2. Tayrona National Park

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The Tayrona National Natural Park is a protected area in the Colombian northern Caribbean region and within the jurisdiction of the Department of Magdalena and 34 kilometres from the city of Santa Marta. It has some of South America's loveliest coastline. This little, delightful spot is located about 30 minutes from the city of Rodadero, with beautiful beaches, hammocks to rent for the night, food, water and surf. Tayrona is a good place to snorkel, hike and see wild animals, including lizards and monkeys, in their native habitat.

1. Cartagena

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Cartagena or Cartagena de Indias, is a city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, is the most visited city in the country by tourists. The city has basically two main parts where tourists go: the walled colonial city ("ciudad amurallada"), which is truly amazing and has many fancy restaurants, clubs and hotels; and “Bocagrande“, a long strip of hotel towers and condos fronting onto the beach, is also very popular with tourists. Also, Travellers can visit the exclusive neighborhood of Castillogrande, filled with recently built condos, places to jog, and a quiet beach to soak up some sun.