colombia

Colombia is an interesting country with beautiful country side, lush rainforests, stunning coastline, and exciting cities. Spend time hiking Cocora Valley, a valley near Salento with the tallest palm trees in the world. Explore La Candelaria and visit the Gold Museum in the country’s capital, Bogota. Catch a ride over the city of Medellin on the cable cars. Visit the coastal city of Cartagena where you can walk around the colorful old time or spend time relaxing on the beach.

Cocora Valley

Medellin

Guatape

Salento

Bogota

Cartagena

Tayrona National Park

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Quick Guide

Language

Spanish
(English is not common so it is important to know some Spanish to get around)

BEST TIME TO GO

Temperatures remain similar in Colombia throughout the year, the main change is dry versus wet season which varies between different parts of the country. The main rainy season is April to June and October to November. The temperature within the country varies widely depending on where you visit, with Bogota typically having highs in the 60s and Cartagena with highs in the 90s. Try to visit outside of the peak season which runs from December to March.

Accomodation

Airbnb: Airbnb is a great accommodation option in Colombia, with many Airbnbs in the cities. In most cities you can find better Airbnbs for a lower price than hotels. Airbnbs will also provide you more space than hotel rooms because you can often find apartments and houses.

Hotel: The best site for hotels in Colombia is booking.com. Most hotel rooms are basic and often do not have hot water, so make sure to check the listing before booking.

Hostel: You can find many cheap hostels throughout Colombia. Look for hostels on booking.com.

Transportation

Bus: There are options to take a bus throughout the country, but as Colombia is a big country the distances are large and often take a long time. If you have a lot of time and want to save money, then a bus can be a good option. You can search and book bus tickets in Colombia on Bookaway.

Airplane: The main airlines that fly within Colombia are Latam, Avianca, EasyFly and VivaAir. Flying is a great option to get you around the country faster, but it does cost more. Domestic flights can vary from $20 USD to $100 USD one way depending when you purchase the flight and where your origin / destination is. Most of the airports are very small so you only need to get to the airport about an hour or 1.5 hours before the flight.

Rental Car: This is an option in Colombia if you feel comfortable driving on the roads here, but this option is significantly more expensive than taking busses and will still take you a long time to drive the long distances.

Currency

Colombian Pesos – View Conversion Rates

Voltage / Outlet Type

110V / 60 Hz, Plug type A, B

Words to Know

Hi= Hola
Bye= Adios
Thank you= Gracias
Good morning= Buenos días
Good night= Buenos noches
Beer = Cerveza
Wine = Vino
Bathroom= Baño

Stay connected

Wifi: Wifi is present at most hotels, Airbnbs, and some restaurants. In some cities there are Wifi hotspots like Medellin.

Sim Card: You can find a sim card and data plan at many vendors in the cities by looking for small stores that have signs for phone plans. The main companies in Colombia are Claro, Tim, and Movistar. We got a sim card and data plan through Claro, which cost 5K Colombian Pesos for the sim card plus 15 for two weeks of 2 gb of data. A sim card is very help in order to get around with google maps, call an Uber, and research your plans while on the go.

colombia