Zona Cafetera
Armenia's excellent 15-hectare botanical garden has the best mariposario in the Zona Cafetera. The 680-sq-meter butterfly house is shaped like a giant…
Must-see attractions in Colombia
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Isla Gorgona
Pacific Coast
Covering the entirety of remote Isla Gorgona, this rarely visited national park is a fine escape for nature lovers. Once a national prison, the island has…
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Los Nevados
Zona Cafetera
One of Colombia's most awe-inspiring national parks, PNN Los Nevados encompasses 583 sq km of rugged terrain in the heart of the Colombian Andes. Its…
Zona Cafetera
This slow-paced working coffee farm near Chinchiná is a great place to come and unwind while surrounded by cafetero culture. It runs an excellent tour…
Museo de Arte Moderno de Medellín
Medellín
Set around a refurbished industrial building in Ciudad del Río, 'El MAMM' showcases changing exhibitions of contemporary art. The large new wing houses…
Barichara
A lovely little park decorated with impressive water features (although they were out of service when we visited), statues carved by local sculptors and…
Medellín
Rodrigo Arenas Betancur, Colombia's favorite designer of monuments, has a number of pieces around Medellín, but the most impressive work is this one in…
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Ensenada de Utría
Chocó
This national park surrounding a narrow inlet of water is one of the best places to see whales close up from land. During the calving season they enter…
Boyacá
Founded by the Dominican fathers in 1620, this convent is a large stone-and-adobe construction with a huge, faintly regal courtyard. The floors are paved…
Santander
A 6.3km-long, 30-minute cable-car ride in eight-berth cabins that descend to the base of the Chicamocha canyon, then ascend to the top of the opposite rim.
Cauca & Huila
Technically not a desert but a landscape of red and gray rock, sculpted by ancient waterways, the Desierto de Tatacoa is one of Colombia's most unique…
Boyacá
This white-sand Andean beach on the southwestern shore of Lago de Tota is one of the highest beaches in the world (3015m). On weekends it gets crowded…
Santuario de Flora y Fauna de Iguaque
Boyacá
Covering 67.5 sq km, this unique páramo (high-mountain plains) neotropical ecosystem contains hundreds of species of flora and fauna but is most noted for…
San Gil
Take a day trip to this spectacular 180m-high waterfall where you can swim in the natural pool at its base or relax on the rocks. Adventure junkies can…
Cauca & Huila
On Tuesday, market day, members of the Guambiano community come down from their surrounding villages to Silvia to sell fruit, vegetables and handicrafts…
Casa del Fundador Suárez Rendón
Boyacá
The finest historic mansion in town, this place is the original home of the founder of Tunja. Built in the mid-16th century on the eastern side of Plaza…
Chocó
On Playa Cuevita, 5km south of El Valle along the coast, is the turtle-nesting sanctuary and research station of Estación Septiembre. From June to…
Museo Arqueológico Eliécer Silva Célis
Boyacá
This very well-done archaeological museum was built on the remains of Sogamoso's Muisca cemetery and highlights this very important Chibcha-speaking…
Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de La Macarena
Los Llanos
The near-pristine PNN Sierra de La Macarena is one of Colombia's best-protected national parks and contains the fabulous rivers, streams and waterfalls…
Cali & Southwest Colombia
Surrounded by lush jungle, this high-volume waterfall drops into a deep and inviting swimming hole that's a wonderful spot for a refreshing dip. Ornoyaco…
Medellín
Located in the house where the artist lived and worked, this fine museum has an extensive collection of pieces by prolific local painter Pedro Nel Gómez …
Santa Marta
Oro (gold) is only half of what this fabulous museum is about. Housed in the impressively renovated Casa de la Aduana (Customs House), which features in…
Boyacá
One of Villa de Leyva's most magnificent buildings is the Gaudí-esque Casa de Barro, an artistic house made from entirely handworked clay fired in stages…
Bogotá
The usual place to start discovering Bogotá is the giant concrete Plaza de Bolívar, the heart of the original town. What it lacks in green foliage it…
Around Medellín
A less visited cave and a great alternative to the Cueva El Esplendor excursion, Cueva de los Guácharos is reachable via a six-hour round trip from Jardín…
Providencia
Don't miss a trip to El Pico Natural Regional Park for outstanding 360-degree views of the Caribbean from El Pico mountain (360m). The most popular trail…
San Gil
Located just outside the town of Curití, La Vaca is the most attractive and adventurous cave in the are,a with numerous caverns filled with stalagmites…
Cauca & Huila
Located across the Río Magdalena 4km southwest of San José de Isnos (26km northeast of the town of San Agustín), this is the second-most important…
Around Medellín
This is a spectacular cave, about 1km long, featuring numerous marble caverns, soaring high and hollow like great cathedrals, connected by a fresh stream…
Museo de Arte Moderno La Tertulia
Cali
Presents changing exhibitions of contemporary painting, sculpture and photography from both local and South American artists. Look out for works by…
Reserva Natural Gallito de la Roca
Around Medellín
This small nature reserve right on the edge of town is the scene of one of Jardín's most impressive natural sights. Early each morning and again in the…
Amazon Basin
This magical slice of rainforest is both a reserve and a research center working closely with local indigenous communities to promote ecotourism. Its…
Zona Cafetera
At Acaime there are basic private rooms and a large dorm, and you can usually get a hot chocolate (with a chunk of cheese). You’ll also see up to 15…
Cauca & Huila
This site is 7km north of Isnos and has tombs lined with stone slabs, some of which still show traces of red, black and yellow coloring. One of the most…
Santuario de Flora y Fauna Volcán Galeras
Cali & Southwest Colombia
Just 8km from the center of Pasto, Volcán Galeras (4267m), one of Colombia's most active volcanoes, continues to rumble and threaten. The upper slopes of…
Cali
Housed in an 18th-century annex to La Merced, this interesting museum contains a collection of pre-Columbian pottery left behind by the major cultures…
Museo de Arte Moderno Ramírez Villamizar
Boyacá, Santander & Norte de Santander
In a 450-year-old mansion, this museum has about 40 works by Eduardo Ramírez Villamizar, one of Colombia's most outstanding artists, born in Pamplona in…
Providencia
This gorgeous bay boasts a magnificent palm-lined beach backed by steep hills. There are just a couple of hotels here, so it's a great spot for true…
Museo Arquidiocesano de Arte Religioso
Popayán
You don't have to be an expert on religious art to be impressed by this collection of paintings, statues, altar pieces, silverware and liturgical vessels,…
El Tablón, La Chaquira, La Pelota & El Purutal
Cauca & Huila
These four sites are relatively close to each other; most people visit them as part of a horseback-riding tour, although you can also hike up here from…
