Frommer's EasyGuide to Colombia

1

The Best of Colombia

by Nicholas Gill

If there’s a country poised to be the next big ecotourism destination, it’s Colombia. Now with a lasting peace seemingly in place, pieces of the country long closed off to the wider world are opening up. With an area equal to that of Spain, France, and Portugal combined, Colombia has coastlines on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, lush Amazon jungle, immense flatlands evoking the American plains, scorching deserts, and snowcapped mountains. Perfectly preserved colonial cities, Caribbean islands, and meandering rivers straight out of a Gabriel García Márquez novel are all here, not to mention 45 million residents that make Colombia second only to Brazil in human and ecological diversity among South American nations.

The capital of Bogotá is home to fine museums and pulsating neighborhoods, mixing the colonial past with the country’s modern present. In Medellín, ride cable cars to architectural projects and rainforests high in the mountains. Take salsa lessons in Cali then to dance the beat of Afro-Colombian rhythms in Cartagena. Lie on the beach in national parks like Tayrona, then visit indigenous communities in La Guajira and Puerto Nariño.

Home to 10% of the world’s plant and animal species, Colombia is one of the most biodiverse places on earth. Whales frolic just off the beaches of the Pacific coast, while monkeys and jaguars hide within the dense jungles of the Amazon. With more species than anywhere else, birding here is phenomenal. Plus you can hike in the high Andes, windsurf on mountain lakes, and help sea turtle hatchlings get out to sea.

Mysterious stone statues and burial chambers in Colombia’s rugged southwest at San Agustín and Tierradentro date back more than 1,000 years, while the remote ruins of Ciudad Pérdida near the Caribbean coast are often compared to Machu Picchu. Colonial cities and fortresses dot the country, from Cartagena on the coast to Mompós in the north to Popayán in the south.

The Best of Colombia

Colombia’s best Authentic Experiences

bull.jpg Looking for El Dorado (Bogotá): The myth of El Dorado began upon the discovery of a golden raft topped by tribal chieftains from the Muisca culture, which is now the centerpiece of Bogotá’s Museo del Oro. The impressive collection contains more than 55,000 pieces of gold art created by pre-Columbian cultures like the Calima and Zenú. See p. 45.

bull.jpg Tasting Exotic Fruits (Cali): Colombia has some of the most special tropical fruits you will ever see. At Cali’s Galeria Alameda, see table after table filled with colorful fruits like carambola (star fruit), curuba (banana passion fruit), or the citrusy lulo. See p. 221.

bull.jpg Eco-Beaching (Caribbean Coast): Opt between a hammock, tent, or a luxurious yet eco-friendly cabin while sunbathing on the sands of Parque Nacional Tayrona. When you tire of coconut palms, hike into the jungle to a pre-Columbian ruin or search for endangered wildlife. See p. 137.

bull.jpg Tasting Coffee in the Zona Cafetero (Medellín & the Eje Cafetero): Colombian coffee is known all over the world, but in Colombia the best comes from the Eje Cafetero, a coffee-growing region located in and around the departments of Caldas, Risaralda, and Quindío. Aside from just producing the beans, many fincas in the region have also become country inns. See p. 204.

bull.jpg The Trail of Magical Realism (Caribbean Coast): Immerse yourself in the world of Nobel Prize–winning novelist Gabriel García Márquez, who based much of his work on towns in Colombia. See the town of Aracataca where he was born; Cartagena, where he lived for many years; and the Magdalena River, which inspired some of his greatest work. See p. 126.

bull.jpg Walking Beneath the World’s Largest Palms (Medellín & the Eje Cafetero): In the Valle de Cocora, the palma de cera, or wax palm, stands as much as 60m high above the misty green hills. The setting for Colombia’s national tree, amid grasslands and cloud forest, makes for a remarkable scene that you won’t soon forget. See p. 201.

bull.jpg Breaking a Sweat in Cali’s Salsa Clubs (Cali & the Southwest): If you want to learn salsa, there’s no better place the Cali, the world’s capital. The dance originated here, and Caleños often dominate world championships. Test your game in the city’s salsa clubs and schools. See p. 224.

bull.jpg Carnaval in Barranquilla (Caribbean Coast): Outside of Rio, the biggest Carnaval celebration is held at this bustling Caribbean port town. The debaucherous 4-day festival includes masked parades, street dancing, and more cumbia than you’ll be able to handle. See p. 116.

bull.jpg Exploring the Amazon Jungle (Amazon & Los Llanos): Leticia, Colombia’s tiny foothold on the Amazon River, is a jumping off point for isolated ecolodges, visits to indigenous communities, and wildlife-seeking expeditions. See p. 254.

Colombia’s best Active Adventures

bull.jpg Hiking to Ciudad Pérdida (Caribbean Coast): The arduous 5-day hike to the lost city of the Tayrona is one of South America’s greatest trekking experiences. You’ll encounter indigenous Kogi villages and see rare wildlife. The feeling you’ll have after climbing 1,200 stairs hidden on the side of a river to a setting that’s as dramatic as Machu Picchu will leave you speechless. See p. 140.

bull.jpg Running Big-Time Whitewater (Northern Andes): In San Gil, Colombia’s adventure capital, you’ll find all sorts of dare-devilish sports like mountain biking, canyoning, and bungee jumping. However, nothing will test your adrenaline as much as the Class V rapids on the Río Suarez. For a more mild experience, opt for the Río Fonce. See p. 81.

bull.jpg Surfing El Chocó (Pacific Coast): Isolated towns like Nuquí and Bahía Solano make excellent bases for surfing the strong currents and tall waves of the Pacific Coast. Surfing guides and surf lodges are quickly becoming as common as howler monkeys. See p. 247.

bull.jpg Trekking and Climbing in the High Andes (Northern Andes): Inaccessible a decade ago, Parque Nacional Cocuy, an Andean range of towering peaks and glaciers, is perhaps Colombia’s finest high-altitude hiking destination, even with access into the interior being closed. For now, stick to short hikes from the town of El Cocuy. See p. 78.

bull.jpg Diving the Caribbean (San Andrés & Providencia): PADI-certified dive centers can be found on these two paradisiacal islands, good places for exploring one of the world’s longest barrier reefs. Manta rays, morays, sea turtles, and giant shoals of fish are all a boat ride away. See p. 269 and 278.

bull.jpg Swimming with Hundreds of Sharks (Pacific Coast): The remote Pacific island of Malpelo is one of the world’s most renowned dive destinations. It’s here that divers can swim with 500 hammerhead sharks at a time, not to mention catch a glimpse of the extremely rare smalltooth and tiger shark. See p. 250.

Colombia’s best Restaurants

bull.jpg Leo Cocina y Cava (Bogotá): Leonor Espinosa’s eponymous restaurant has been redefining contemporary Colombian cuisine since opening in 2007. It’s because of her that unusual ingredients like big-butted ants from Santander and fermented yuca broth from the Amazon now appear in the realm of fine dining. See p. 57.

bull.jpg Cielo (Medellín): With restaurants in Bogotá and Medellín, not to mention TV appearances, young chef Juan Manuel Barrientos has become one of the faces of Colombia’s growing food movement. He adds molecular touches to native ingredients, so expect to have all of your senses tingled. See p. 181.

bull.jpg Cafe Pacifico (Pacific Coast): Afro-Colombian traditions and regional ingredients are explored at this surprising Buenaventura restaurant. After a ceviche made with piangua, the local black clam, chase it down with a shot of viche, the regional aguardiente, which they have macerating with native herbs and fruits behind the bar. See p. 244.

bull.jpg Carmen (Medellín): This lively Parque Lleras restaurant is run by two Cordon Bleu grads who like to pair Colombian ingredients with international cooking styles. Think pork belly glazed with tamarind or pig-cheek tacos with yuca tortillas. See p. 180.

bull.jpg El Boliche (Caribbean Coast): What happens when a chef trained in three Michelin star restaurants in Spain opens a tiny, 16-seat cevicheria in Cartagena’s Centro Histórico? Fresh seafood and other Colombian flavors are beautifully prepared for an always-changing menu. See p. 106.

bull.jpg Criterion (Bogotá): Originally a French restaurant from the Rausch brothers, their flagship Criterion has increasingly moved toward Colombian ingredients. Their work with lionfish, an invasive predator, is helping save coral reefs in the Gulf from further deterioration. See p. 58.

bull.jpg Villanos en Bermudas (Bogotá): Two of Latin America’s most promising young chefs, one from Mexico and one from Argentina, join together in a three-level building to create Colombia’s most ambitious restaurant ever. Food is strictly based on what’s in season. See p. 59.

bull.jpg Andrés Carne de Res (Bogotá): You don’t know Colombia until you have spent an evening at Andrés Carne de Res in the town of Chia outside of Bogotá. Like a small city, the restaurant serves thousands of people every night, who come for steak and traditional specialties and to rumba until closing time. See p. 67.

bull.jpg Mora Castilla (Cali & the Southwest): The colonial city of Popayán is one of the centers of Colombian gastronomy, and this unpretentious little restaurant serves classic recipes like salpicón payanese and carantatas. See p. 231.

Colombia’s best Hotels

bull.jpg Four Seasons (Bogotá): The luxe international hotelier took over this emblematic property in the Zona G in 2015. Designed from pieces of colonial convents, the 62-room hotel’s stone columns and hand-carved doors have been restored to their original glory. See p. 52.

bull.jpg Sofitel Santa Clara (Caribbean Coast): In a converted 17th-century convent, this colonial gem in Cartagena’s old city was the setting of the García Márquez novel Of Love and Other Demons. Despite being the largest hotel in this part of the city, it manages to add modern amenities without losing the original architectural spirit. See p. 104.

bull.jpg Tcherassi Hotel + Spa (Caribbean Coast): One of Colombia’s biggest fashion designers enters the hotel game with a posh boutique hotel in a 250-year-old colonial mansion in Cartagena. There’s an Italian restaurant, a spa, a vertical garden, and just seven immaculate rooms. See p. 105.

bull.jpg Charlee Hotel (Medellín): It’s modern and edgy and it towers over Parque Lleras—the Charlee is more than a hotel. With a ground-floor restaurant, rooms with hibachi grills, and a rooftop pool and bar, it’s a place to see and be seen. See p. 177.

bull.jpg Eco-habs Tayrona (Caribbean Coast): Crafted from native woods and thatched roofs from palm leaves, these cushy four-person Tayrona bungalows above Canaveral beach in Parque Nacional were inspired by ancient tribes that once lived here. A spa and gourmet restaurant are also on site. See p. 137.

bull.jpg Hacienda Venecia (Eje Cafetero): Set on a working coffee finca near Manizales, this rural inn is designed with traditional Bahareque elements like bamboo-and-clay walls and red tile roofs. See p. 207.

bull.jpg Hotel Dann Monasterio (Cali & the Southwest): In the white city of Popayán, this 16th-century Franciscan monastery is a colonial attraction as important as the city’s famed churches and plazas. Elegant and classy rooms surround an atmospheric courtyard. See p. 229.

bull.jpg Portal de la Marquesa (Caribbean Coast): In the long-lost colonial city of Mompós (aka Mompox), this 1735 home built for a rich merchant feels like a time machine. Hand-carved wooden doors, high ceilings, and original wood columns have all been restored by local artisans. See p. 160.

bull.jpg Cosmos (Pacific Coast): What is this sleek, modern hotel doing standing over the bay in once-shabby Buenaventura? You’ll never look at the Colombian Pacific’s largest container port the same way after looking at it from a rooftop infinity pool. See p. 245.

bull.jpg Deep Blue (Providencia): On the rainforest-covered hillside of this quiet Caribbean Island near San Andrés, this refined small hotel is popular with both honeymooners and divers. All of the 13 rooms have private ocean-facing balconies and some add private plunge pools. See p. 278.

Colombia’s best Architectural Landmarks

bull.jpg Barichara (Northern Andes): Sometimes overshadowed by the adrenaline pumping going on in nearby San Gil, this colonial town dates to 1705 and is sometimes called the most beautiful in Colombia. Every single cobblestone street and terracotta-tiled roof here has been restored. See p. 79.

bull.jpg Villa de Leyva (Northern Andes): Far from commercial routes, Villa de Leyva’s stone plazas and colonial buildings have seen little development—outside of tourism—in 4 centuries. This is one of Colombia’s first architectural attractions to receive attention. See p. 72.

bull.jpg Popayán (Cali & the Southwest): The best preserved of Colombia’s colonial cities, Popayán’s whitewashed buildings have earned it the nickname Ciudad Blanca or White City. Historic churches, monasteries, bridges, and university buildings have all been impeccably maintained. See p. 228.

bull.jpg Parque Biblioteca España (Medellín & the Eje Cafetero): Installed on a hillside in the Santo Domingo neighborhood and reached by cable car, this modernist library complex has helped give a new face to Medellín. The three buildings, covered in dark stone tiles and resembling large boulders, have transformed one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city. See p. 175.

bull.jpg Monserrate (Bogotá): The peak of this famed mountain hovering above Bogotá is noteworthy not just for the views, but for the Catholic Church balancing on top of it. The sanctuary was built in 1657 in honor of the Virgen Morena. See p. 44.

bull.jpg Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá (Bogotá): Two hundred meters underground, set in the tunnels of an old salt mine, is this dramatic cathedral and the Stations of the Cross. All of it is backlit with eerie mood lighting. See p. 68.

bull.jpg Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas (Caribbean): Built to withstand pirate attacks, the imposing fort of San Felipe guards Cartagena from the top of the 40m-high San Lázaro hill. A complex network of walls and tunnels, this is the strongest fort the Spanish built anywhere in the Americas. See p. 100.

The best Undiscovered Colombia

bull.jpg Mompox/Mompós (Caribbean Coast): Set on an island in the Magdalena River, Mompós, or Mompox, is true García Márquez country. It was once one of the most important Spanish cities in the Americas, but faded into history until UNESCO named it a World Heritage Site in 1995. With its colonial core restored, it’s now ready for tourists. See p. 155.

bull.jpg Tierradentro (Cali & the Southwest): While Tierradentro is Colombia’s second most important archeological site, it receives very few tourists because of its isolated location. Those who come are rewarded by more than 100 underground tombs, unlike anything else that has been discovered in the region. See p. 238.

bull.jpg Parque Nacional Natural Utría (Pacific Coast): Halfway between Nuquí and Bahía Solano, this coastal park in El Chocó is home to mangroves and thick tropical forest. Its sheltered coves are where humpback whales come to raise their young. See p. 247.

bull.jpg Puerto Nariño (Amazon & Los Llanos): Reached only by boat, this mostly Ticuna town on the Loreto Yacu River makes a good base for exploring Lago Tarapoto and the surrounding Amazon jungle. Keep an eye out for giant Victoria Regia water-lilies. See p. 258.

bull.jpg San Cipriano: Set in a reserve amid wet, wonderful rainforest, this Afro-Colombian community can only be reached by brujita, a motorcycle-powered rail car from the nearest town. Once there, rent an inner tube to float in the adjacent crystal-clear stream. See p. 245.

bull.jpg La Macarena (Amazon & Los Llanos): For a few months each year, during the wet season, an algae on the floor of a nearby river, Caño Cristales, turns a bright red, clashing with the green mosses and golden sand. Once impossible to reach, direct flights from Bogotá now allow for short trips. See p. 260.

bull.jpg La Guajira (Caribbean Coast): This remote Caribbean peninsula near the Venezuelan border, home to sand dunes and scrublands, is emerging as an ecotourism destination. This is the land of indigenous Wayúu, weavers of the famous mochilas sold around the country, who have integrated cattle ranching into their traditional society. See p. 140.

Colombia’s best Beaches

bull.jpg Playa Almejal (Pacific Coast): This legendary surf beach outside of Bahía Solano takes advantage of the strong currents and large swells of the Pacific Coast. There are also calmer waters for swimming, spotting whales, and just cooling off after a hike through the jungle. See p. 246.

bull.jpg Cabo San Juan (Caribbean Coast): This is the most famous beach in Parque Nacional Tayrona, a place known for its many beautiful beaches. Essentially two beaches split by a rocky point, where there’s good snorkeling off the reef and a trail that leads into the jungle to the ruins of El Pueblito. See p. 136.

bull.jpg Playa Blanca (Caribbean Coast): Why settle for Cartagena’s municipal beaches when this long stretch of white sand is on nearby Isla Barú? Come in the morning, lay down your towel, buy fresh fish and cold beer from the thatched beach shacks, then go back to the city in the afternoon. See p. 101.

bull.jpg Rodadero (Caribbean Coast): For a straightforward and inexpensive all-inclusive vacation, this popular Santa Marta beach is your best bet. The water is nicer over in Tayrona, but if you have just a weekend to get away and don’t want to overthink it, come here. See p. 121.

bull.jpg Johnny Cay (San Andrés & Providencia): The idyllic white-sand beach, backed by just enough coconut palms, is perhaps the best reason to leave the main island of San Andrés. The tiny islet, a regional park, has no population outside of a reggae band playing for day trippers. See p. 269.

bull.jpg Cabo de la Vela (Caribbean Coast): Near the far tip of La Guajira, a desert peninsula that forms Colombia’s northeastern border, this remote cape adjacent to a fishing village is worth the effort. Just off the beach, American flamingos flock to the saline lagoons by the hundreds. See p. 144.

2

COLOmbia in Context

by Nicholas Gill

Once considered the most dangerous country in the world, Colombia, having implemented security improvements over the last decade, is slowly emerging from the internecine bloodshed of the 1980s and 1990s. Homicide rates in many Colombian cities, once among the highest in the world, have fallen below levels of many U.S. cities. Political kidnappings are a thing of the past. Since the early 2000s, a strong military and police presence have made land transportation reasonably safe again. With the conflict with the FARC coming to a close, expect things to get even better.

Thanks to this improved security situation, Colombia is a country ripe for discovery by foreign tourists. Though politically one nation, it is made up of three distinct regions, each with its own customs and traditions. The Atlantic and Pacific coasts, inhabited mostly by descendants of African slaves, are culturally linked to the Caribbean, rich in musical tradition and spectacular tropical scenery. The central and most densely populated portion of the country, crowned by the Andes Mountains, has managed to grow and prosper despite its unforgiving terrain. Dotted by most of Colombia’s largest cities, it is the economic engine of the country. The sparsely populated eastern portion of the country is inhabited by tough, hard-working farmers and traditional indigenous tribes; it’s a land of vast planes, thick jungle, unmatched natural beauty, and, unfortunately, high levels of guerilla activity and cocaine production.

Like most of the developing world, Colombia is a country of contradictions. Hip yuppies dress to the nines and sip $14 cocktails at über-upscale bars, while the poorest Colombians can barely afford life’s necessities. Cosmopolitan cities offer luxury condos, theater, international cuisine, and all the amenities of the modern world, while many small pueblos seem stuck in the 19th century, stunted by high unemployment and old-fashioned attitudes. Despite all its woes—economic, social, and political—Colombia remains a fascinating country to visit.

Colombia

The Making of Colombia

Colombia’s vibrant, at times violent, history has shaped the modern society in ways that we may never fully understand. Simultaneously a romance and a tragedy, the story of Colombia is more complex and interesting than cable news would have you believe. Dating back tens of thousands of years, from when the first migrants traveled down through Panama, human history in the region has been shaped by waterways and mountains and thick forest cover. Natural forces like earthquakes and floods, not to mention the unexpected arrival of the Spanish and forced arrival of African slaves, have all contributed to the diverse society that inhabits the country today.

Prehistory (20,000

b.c.

–1000

b.c.

)

While Colombia does not have as extensive of an early history as other Latin American countries such as Peru and Mexico, it is located almost directly in between the two. Most historians think the first inhabitants crossed the Bering Strait in Asia during the last ice age, migrated their way down through North and Central Americas, and settled in the region around 20,000

b.c.

They were nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived mostly along the coasts, river valleys, and highlands. In remote Chiribiquete National Park, archaeologists have uncovered cave paintings that date back more than 10,000 years. Images include jaguars, crocodiles, and deer, painted in red on vertical rock faces. The oldest pottery fragments, believed to be more than 6,000 years old, were found at the San Jacinto archaeological site. Still, very little is known about early human settlement in present-day Colombia.

Pre-Columbian Cultures (1000

b.c.

–

a.d.

1499)

While there were no colossal civilizations like the Aztecs and Incas to develop in Colombia, lesser-known cultures that were nearly as sophisticated did arise here, as archaeological evidence suggests. The country’s geography often confined cultures to particular regions, such as the Andes or near the coasts. While these agrarian societies traded among each other, there were never conquering forces that took over vast pieces of the country, like there were in Peru.

A dozen or so cultures—like the Calima, Muisca, Nariño, Quimbaya, San Agustín, Sinú, Tayrona, Tierradentro, Tolima, Tumaco, and Urabá—left behind artifacts like intricate gold work and ceramics.

Several cultures left behind significant monuments, too. In the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and along the Caribbean coast, the Tayrona built settlements with roads, plazas, aqueducts, and stone stairways. Their signature achievement has become known as Ciudad Pérdida, or the lost city. Set high in the jungle-clad mountains, in a setting as majestic as Machu Picchu, the city may have housed as many as 8,000 people at its peak. In San Agustín in the southwest, past inhabitants left behind hundreds of megalithic sculptures of gods and mythical animals that date from the 1st to the 8th centuries. Not far away in Tierradentro, underground tombs dating from 600 to 900

a.d.

, some measuring as much as 12m (40 ft.) wide and unlike anything else in the Americas, reveal a complex social structure and belief system.

Spanish Conquest & Colonialism (1500

–

ca.

1800

)

Columbus and his pals landed in the Americas in 1492, with the first European—Alonso de Ojeda—reaching Colombia in 1499. During a brief exploration of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, he was impressed by the amount of gold he encountered with the local Indians, and they told him of more wealth in the interior. This gave birth to the legend of El Dorado, which would later be attached to the Muiscas, who tossed gold into the Laguna de Guatavita as a ritual offering.

Small Spanish settlements began appearing on the coast in the following years, though it wasn’t until Rodrigo de Bastidas founded Santa Marta in 1525 that any of them were permanent. Eight years later, Pedro de Heredia would build Cartagena, which became the primary point of access into the continent and a center of trade. A massive fortress was built there to guard the growing collection of gold from pirate attacks.

In 1537, Jiménez de Quesada pushed into Muisca territory, which was split into two rivaling factions, the Zipa and the Zaque, allowing him to conquer the group relatively quickly. A year later, he founded Santa Fe de Bogotá at Bacata, the center of power of the Zipa. Around the same time Sebastián de Belalcázar, who deserted Francisco Pizarro’s army while they were in the middle of conquering the Incas, founded Popayán and Cali. Various Spanish factions fought for power of the country until 1550 when King Carlos V of Spain established a colony under the control of the Viceroyalty of Peru.

In 1564, the Nuevo Reino de Granada was established, which included present-day Panama and most of Colombia. It was during this period that Cartagena was granted the privilege of being the exclusive slave-trading port in the colony, drastically changing the cultural make-up of what would become Colombia. Many of the African slaves worked in mines and coastal plantations. In 1717, the growing Spanish Empire in the New World pushed the colony’s borders outward. Ruled from Bogotá, the Virreinato de Nueva Granada comprised the territories of present-day Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, and Venezuela.

The Fight for Independence (1793

–1819

)

As Spanish power grew in the region, mounting taxes and duties met with protests from inhabitants. The 1781 Revolución de los Comuneros in Socorro was the first major rebellion against the crown. When Napoleon installed his brother Joseph as monarch in 1808, many cities refused to recognize him and declared independence. After the collapse of the First Republic of Venezuela in 1812, Simón Bolívar joined the growing Colombia independence movement, winning six battles against Spanish troops before being defeated. After Spain wrestled the throne back from Napoleon, they quickly regained full control of the colonies. In 1816, Bolívar returned and formed a new army and marched over the Andes from Los Llanos, eventually joining forces with a British legion. They successfully defeated the Royalists and won a decisive battle in Boyacá on August 7, 1819. Bolívar and his troops then marched into Bogotá 3 days later. He was named president of what would become known as Gran Colombia (Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, and Ecuador) and held the office until 1828.

El Conflicto Armado: who’s fighting whom

Although security conditions have improved dramatically in the last decade, Colombia can still be an unpredictable place, with flare-ups between guerilla and paramilitary factions. To understand Colombia’s half-century of civil war, it’s important to know who the players were. On the leftist, guerilla side is the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), the country’s largest guerilla army, with about 12,000 members. FARC signed a peace deal in 2016. The ELN (National Liberation Army) consisted of about 5,000 people and is in on-and-off-again demobilization talks. The M-19 was another deadly, mostly urban guerilla movement that demobilized in the late 1980s. On the far right are the paramilitaries; originally formed to combat the guerillas, they became major players in the drug trade. Las Aguilas Negras are a relatively new group, composed mostly of so-called demobilized paramilitaries.

To make sense of all the acronyms and ideology, not to mention the corruption, consider reading one of the following books, all of which provide excellent background: Killing Peace (2002) by Garry Leech; Walking Ghosts: Murder and Guerrilla Politics in Colombia (2005) by Steven Dudley; and More Terrible Than Death: Violence, Drugs, and America’s War in Colombia (2004) by Robin Kirk.

Although the modern Colombian conflict didn’t technically start until 1964, when the FARC was founded, Colombia has a bloody past almost as long as the country’s history. The violence, always rooted in politics, pitted the Liberals against the Conservatives, resulting in both the Thousand Days’ War, from 1899 to 1902, and, later on, La Violencia of the 1940s and 1950s. Combined, these conflicts took the lives of almost half a million Colombians. After the relative peace of the 1960s and ’70s, violence flared up again during the ’80s and ’90s, mostly owing to the increased involvement of the guerillas and paramilitaries in the drug trade, as well as to Pablo Escobar, who had a hand in bombings, assassinations, and campaigns of terror.

Unlike most Latin American movements, the FARC, paramilitaries, and other nongovernment armed forces have had little backing among Colombia’s poor, especially as these armed groups became more involved with narco trafficking. In fact, fighting for control of the lucrative cocaine trade appears to be the top priority for guerilla and paramilitary groups nowadays.

As a foreigner and a tourist, you are unlikely to face threats from any illegal groups, but it’s still wise to avoid some remote rural areas, city slums, and other red zones—so declared by the government depending on recent guerilla and paramilitary violence. Your best bet is to stick to cities and heavily patrolled and visited destinations such as the Eje Cafetero, the department of Boyacá, and most of the Atlantic coast. Unless for some reason you’ll be traveling to guerilla- or paramilitary-controlled areas, which are becoming fewer and fewer, you’re fine to discuss the FARC, ELN, or paramilitaries with taxi drivers, waiters, receptionists, and other Colombians; everyone here seems to have an opinion, and this is a good way to interact with the locals and learn about the country.

Keep tabs on the ever-changing situation by reading El Tiempo (www.eltiempo.com), Colombia’s most important and popular newspaper, and by frequently checking the U.S. State Department website regarding travel warnings (http://travel.state.gov). Although all this information may sound a bit ominous and discouraging, the bottom line is, unless you veer really far off the beaten path, you shouldn’t face any problems.

Gran Colombia (1820–1921)

Right from the beginning, Gran Colombia was troubled. While President Bolívar was away fighting for independence in Ecuador and Peru, his vice president, Francisco de Paula Santander, held power. The territory was big and hard to manage. Laws were introduced to abolish slavery and to redistribute indigenous lands, but by 1830, the union was over. Venezuela and Ecuador broke away and a new constitution was written. Two political parties came to power: the Conservatives, who preferred centralized power, and the Liberals, who favored more power with the states. More than 100,000 people died in 1899 alone as a result of a liberal revolt that turned violent, called the War of a Thousand Days. Turmoil in the country allowed the United States to push a secessionist movement in Panama and in 1903; it too broke away and allowed the construction of the Panama Canal across the isthmus.

La Violencia (1948–1960)

After several decades of relative peace and stability, Colombia’s most deadly civil war up until that point broke out, called La Violencia. After the assassination of Liberal leader Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, riots erupted all over the country. One of the bloodiest conflicts in the history of the Western Hemisphere, more than 300,000 people were killed in the fighting that followed. In 1953, the military, led by General Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, took over the country and ended La Violencia. By 1957, the two parties signed a pact, agreeing to alternate power every 4 years. The agreement outlawed other political parties, which planted the seeds of guerilla insurgency.

The Civil War (1960–2005)

Social and political injustices continued, and dissidents were unable to have their voices heard. In 1964, following the fraudulent election of a Conservative candidate, the FARC was formed by Marxist–Leninist Manuel Marulanda Vélez. The Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army/ELN) and more than a dozen other guerilla groups developed around the country during this period, each with their own philosophy. To counter the insurgency, paramilitary groups were created by landholders and even drug cartels, often using weapons supplied by the U.S. Murder and acts of terrorism became commonplace in Colombia. As communism fell around the world, the two major guerilla groups, the FARC and ELN, lost foreign support and turned to more desperate measures such as kidnappings, extortion, and threats.

The Cartels (1980–1995)

At the same time, the illegal drug trade grew more intense as newly wealthy drug lords fought with guerrilla groups, leading to more kidnappings and death squads. Under pressure from the U.S., the government began cracking down on the drug trade, even while Pablo Escobar’s Medellín Cartel bribed or murdered countless public officials, founded its own political party, established newspapers, and financed public housing projects. Escobar and his crew lived a life of luxury, and his personal wealth was estimated at $2 billion. The turning point came in 1989, when the cartels killed presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán. The government responded with the confiscation of cartel properties and a new extradition treaty with the U.S. The cartels called for all out warfare by detonating bombs in banks, houses, and an Avianca flight from Bogotá to Cali with 107 people onboard. After extensive negotiations with the government of César Gaviria, Escobar turned himself in and was put under house arrest, but later escaped. After a 499-day search, he was killed in Medellín in 1993. Around the mid-1990s, as the street price of cocaine fell, the cartels lost power and the guerillas took over the trade.

Eating & drinking

You won’t be hungry in Colombia. Though every region has its own specialties, you’re never far from a plate of beans, beef, plantains, and rice. Food is good, hearty, and generally cheap, if not particularly varied. For gourmands, major cities such as Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena offer a huge range of upscale, gourmet, and international options. Some typical dishes to look for on your menu include ajiaco (chicken soup with potatoes, avocado, corn, and capers), bandeja paisa (rice, avocado, salad), chicharrón (fried pork), sancocho (plantain, yuca, potato, and beef, chicken, or fish soup), lechona (stuffed baked pork), arepa (flat corn cake, often topped with cheese or butter), and tamales (corn dough, chicken, and vegetables cooked and served in plantain leaves).

Tinto, black coffee, is Colombia’s most popular beverage and can be enjoyed at any time, just about anywhere. Other popular drinks are beer, aguardiente (firewater), hot chocolate, and soda products. Bottled (or bagged) water can usually be found at most stores and street stands. Thanks to its tropical climate and fertile soil, Colombia has countless exotic fruits such as guanábana (soursop), lulo, maracuyá (passion fruit), and tomate de árbol (tree tomato). Wine is not particularly popular in Colombia, and Colombian wines on the whole leave a lot to be desired. However, upscale restaurants and grocery stores generally offer high-quality Argentine and Chilean varieties. Colombia has an above-average beer culture, thanks to a growing number of craft breweries opening around the country.

The Road to Peace (1995–2015)

From 2002 to 2008, right wing, Harvard-educated president Álvaro Uribe took power with an anti-guerilla agenda. Murder rates fell dramatically and highways became safer. In a risky mission, the military rescued high-profile kidnapping victims from FARC, taking away much of its negotiation strength. Uribe approved a risky bombing mission over the border in Ecuador that killed FARC leader Raúl Reyes, leading to a wider regional conflict. Despite a high approval rating, his administration was plagued by charges of violence and corruption.

Juan M. Santos was elected president in 2010, and in 2012 he began peace talks with the FARC in Havana, an effort that earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016. They reached a bilateral ceasefire agreement in July of 2016, ending 50 years of bloodshed.

Present-Day Colombia

While still fragile, a gradual peace has come to Colombia. The world’s longest civil war has officially come to a close, and guerillas, paramilitaries, and drug cartels are no longer the threat they once were. A bigger issue now is re-integrating everyone back into a normal society. This is a country on the upswing. Now Latin America’s fourth-largest economy, Colombia is in the middle of a historic boom. Poverty levels have dropped from 65% in 1990 to 24% in 2015. The GDP increased from $120 billion in 1990 to nearly $700 billion in 2015. Tourism is growing 12% a year, and new parts of the country are opening up.

Dining Customs

Restaurants range from the rustic and incredibly inexpensive to polished places with impeccable service and international menus. Set three-course lunch menus are usually called comida corriente and can be had for COP$2,000 to COP$5,000 in rural areas. The majority of restaurants include taxes and service in their prices, and your bill will reflect the menu prices. For others, however, you might see a subtotal, followed by a 16% IVA (general sales tax). It’s primarily only higher end restaurants that do this. This is just a tax, not a tip.

Note: Dining hours are not much different from typical mealtimes in cities in North America or Great Britain, except that dinner (cena) is generally eaten after 8pm in restaurants. Colombians do not eat nearly as late as Spaniards. Although lunch (almuerzo) is the main meal of the day, for most visitors, it’s not the grand midday affair it is in Spain, unless it is the weekend and you are dining at a rural parrilla, where most locals linger over lunch for a couple of hours.

Music & Dance

Often called the Land of 1,000 Rhythms, Colombia is one of the most musically rich nations on earth. The combination of geographic features and influences of indigenous, African, and European cultures have resulted in the full spectrum of musical expression. While many international visitors might already be familiar with Shakira and salsa, even quick visits will expose other layers of the country’s musical portfolio.

One of the most popular musical genres in Colombia is cumbia, a combination of indigenous, Spanish, and African musical styles that originated on the Caribbean coast. In cumbia’s original form, performed by African slaves and their descendants, only percussion instruments and vocals are used, and the accompanying dance evokes the shackles once worn by slaves. The modern form of cumbia began to appear in the 1940s and ’50s, when it moved from the countryside into urban areas. It was then that brass instruments and keyboards were integrated into the cumbia sound. This more big band strand of cumbia is now called porro.

Gabriel García Márquez once claimed that his prize-winning novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude, was just a 350-page vallenato, a musical genre that developed on the Caribbean coast. The style dates back more than 200 years and songs are mini-epics, with poetic stories and characters. It’s said that the genre grew out of oral tradition, carrying news from village to village. Vallenato is played on three instruments: the caja (drum), guacharaca (scratcher), and accordion. In 1993, musician Carlos Vives released Clásicos de la Provincia, a modern vallenato album that brought the genre a brief moment of international attention.

Champeta grew out of various African, Colombian, and Caribbean styles in coastal cities like Cartagena and Barranquilla in the early 1980s. Electric guitars, synthesizers, and picós (speakers) were added in the 1990s, while recent years have seen influence from reggaetón. On the Pacific, curralao is most representative of African rhythms. It’s played by groups of four musicians, one of whom who plays the Colombian marimba, a wooden xylophone resembling the African balafon.

While salsa was created in New York City by Puerto Ricans and Cubans, it quickly spread to Colombia, where it developed more Caribbean-esque rhythms. The fine footwork of Colombian salsa dancers regularly puts them at the top of world competitions. In the 1980s, an abundance of cash from the cocaine trade helped fuel new salsa clubs and a new wave of salsa orchestras in Cali, paving the way for it become the world capital of salsa. Influential artists include Orquestra Guayacán, Grupo Niche, La-33, and Jairo Varela.

Textiles

Colombia’s textile tradition dates to pre-Columbian times. On the Pacific Coast and near the border with Panama, the Kuna culture is renowned for their molas, cotton panels featuring geometric figures and animals, meant to reflect the heavens and the natural world. The Guambiano, in the Valle de Cauca around Silvia, are known for the striking blue and fuchsia dresses that they weave themselves, as well as blankets. In La Guajira, the Wayúu have an extremely complex crochet technique used for making bags, hammocks, and traditional costumes.

Books & Literature

Colombia’s literary pedigree ranks it among the world’s finest. During the colonial period, Spanish settlers wrote chronicles of conquest and religious devotion. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, who founded Bogotá and led a disastrous expedition to find El Dorado, wrote of the conquest of the Muiscas in El Antijovio (1567). Juan Rodríguez Freyle, a Spanish priest, wrote extensively about colonial life in early Bogotá in El Carnero (The Sheep) in 1638.

Post-independence, Juan José Nieto wrote Ingermina, o la hija de Calamar (Ingermina, or the Child of Calamar) in 1844, a novel about the conquest of the Calamar Indians. In the late 19th and 20th century, the costumbrismo genre, a colorful depiction of peasant life and criticism of the government, was led by authors like Eugenio Díaz, Candelario Obeso, and Jorge Isaacs. In Risaralda (1936), Bernardo Arías Trujillo explores the lives of Afro-Colombians, their connection with the land and struggle with white dominance.

Perhaps Colombia’s greatest contribution to the literary world is the invention of magico realismo (magical realism). This is the form of writing where elements of magic or fantasy appear in otherwise realistic fiction. The 1967 publication of Cien años de soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude) by Gabriel García Márquez changed Colombian and Latin American literature forever. García Márquez went on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1982, and he is credited with kicking off the Latin American boom that exported literature from the region around the world. Other notable works closely examined life, love, and politics in Colombia, such as 1975’s El otoño del patriarca (The Autumn of the Patriarch), 1981’s Crónica de una muerte anunciada (Chronicle of a Death Foretold), and El amor en los tiempos de cólera (Love in the Time of Cholera), 1985. Other notable modern Colombian writers include Laura Restrepo, whose novel Delirium (2004) describes the effect of violence on the individual and a society, and Juan Gabriel Vásquez, whose novel The Informers (2008) is a thriller about corruption in the second half of the 20th century.

Travel writing has also made its mark here. The Fruit Palace (1986) by Charles Nicholl is a true account of a journalist’s quest for a great story about cocaine, based primarily in Santa Marta. Wade Davis details two generations of Amazon explorers in One River: Explorations and Discoveries in the Amazonian Rain Forest (2010). And Ramon Chao’s The Train of Ice and Fire (2010) chronicles his son, musician Manu Chao, and his band as they reconstruct an old passenger train and journey into Colombia’s violent countryside.

Film

Colombia’s film industry is one of the strongest in the region, with several films getting international attention in recent