Jardin Botánico Eloy Valenzuela
Bucaramanga
Located a short walk from the park in Floridablanca, this lush botanic garden beside a pretty stream is a good place to take a break from the city,…
Must-see attractions in Colombia
Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Old Providence McBean Lagoon
Providencia
To protect the unique marine life here, a 10-sq-km nature reserve in the island's northeast was established in 1995. About 10% of the park's area covers a…
Popayán
Behind the Universitario de Tulcán, this hill is topped with an equestrian statue of the city's founder, Sebastián de Belalcázar, and is said to be the…
PNN Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo
Islas del Rosario
This collection of 27 white-sand coral islands is usually visited on a day trip by boat from Cartagena. While many of the islands are uninhabited, several…
Bogotá
One of several edgy art galleries that have sprung up in San Felipe, Bogotá's next cusp-of-cool barrio, this house-turned-gallery is a magnet for the city…
Popayán
This interesting museum is housed in an 18th-century mansion that was once home to General Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, who was Colombia's president on…
Museo de Arte Religoso La Merced
Cali
Housed in La Merced convent, Cali's oldest building, this museum has an extensive collection of colonial religious paintings and relics. It's worth a…
Minca
Founded in the late 19th century, this family-run coffee plantation offers interesting 40-minute tours (usually available in English) in which the coffee…
Cauca & Huila
This site (1700m) consists of a collection of nine weather-worn stone statues of warriors, women and priests, located under one roof and similar to those…
Cali & Southwest Colombia
Just off the main highway about 20km north of Mocoa, this narrow canyon feeding the Río Caqueta is lined with interesting rock formations and is…
Providencia
This very lovely stretch of white-sand beach is also Providencia's wildest, with no development at all, save the much-loved Roland Roots Bar. The water…
Caribbean Coast
Dating from 1613, this unusual riverside church is undoubtedly the most striking building in Mompós, with its wide-eyed lions and griffins, its strange…
Bogotá Region
Entrance to Laguna de Guatavita, the sacred lake and ritual center of the Muisca people. Guides on the 90-minute circuit tour are compulsory and included…
San Andrés
Located on the island's east coast, San Luis boasts white-sand beaches and some fine traditional wooden houses. The sea here is good for snorkeling,…
Cali
The views are spectacular at these three crosses high in the mountains overlooking the city, and the hike up here is a popular outdoor activity among…
Providencia
A relatively little-known beach a five-minute walk downhill from the main island road, tiny Almond Bay has lovely white sand, calm clear water and very…
Observatorio Astronómico de la Tatacoa
Cauca & Huila
This observatory makes the most of the desert's clear skies and is open to the public in the evenings from 7-9pm for stargazing with the resident…
Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona
La Arenilla is an attractive beach in a tiny cove framed by massive boulders, with chunky sand and glints of fool's gold dancing in the water. It has a…
Cartagena
Formerly the Plaza de Inquisición, this leafy and shaded plaza is surrounded by some of the city's most elegant balconied colonial buildings. It's one of…
Bogotá
This museum occupies a one-time Jesuit college and traces the evolution of how religious and portrait art pieces are made, particularly by Colombia's…
Around Medellín
This museum occupies the former Jesuit college constructed in the 1730s, next door to Iglesia de Santa Bárbara. It has a fine collection of colonial…
Centro de Interpretación Natütama
Puerto Nariño
The Centro de Interpretación Natütama has a fascinating museum with nearly 100 life-sized wood carvings of Amazonian flora and fauna and videos showcasing…
San Andrés
Off the east coast of San Andrés and right next to Haynes Cay, Acuario is a sandbank frequently visited by boat (round trip COP$15,000). The surrounding…
San Andrés
This small, rocky island doesn't offer beaches, but it's an idyllic and wild spot full of iguanas and great for snorkeling. There're a couple of…
San Andrés
This small town in the inner part of San Andrés, also known as the Hill, is one of the most traditional places on the island. It's noted for its 1847…
Cali & Southwest Colombia
For insight into the pre-Columbian cultures of Nariño, check out this museum's small but interesting collection of indigenous gold and pottery. Among the…
Nuquí
Just south of the mouth of the Río Nuquí, rugged Playa Olímpica stretches as far as the eye can see. A local named Señor Pastrana can paddle you across…
Barichara
Inside the courtyard of the Museo Aquileo Parra, this collective of 24 senior citizens weaves bags and other artisanal products from fique fibers using…
Basilica Menor de la Inmaculada Concepción
Around Medellín
Towering over the central plaza, this imposing 20th-century neo-Gothic church seems more than a little out of place in such a small town. Its gray granite…
Museo Taminango de Artes y Tradiciones
Cali & Southwest Colombia
This museum has interesting displays on indigenous weaving techniques and barniz de Pasto alongside a hodgepodge of antiques. It's worth visiting since it…
Cali
One block east from Iglesia de la Merced, this excellent museum displays more than 600 pieces of intricate gold jewelry, as well as ceramics used in…
Minca
This lovely spot is a 1½ hour walk from Minca – or a 10-minute moto-taxi ride (COP$9000) – and is a surprisingly impressive set of two waterfalls, with…
Popayán
One of the best of its kind in the country, this museum on the grounds of Universidad del Cauca is noted for its extensive collection of insects,…
Cauca & Huila
With a focus on post-Tierradentro indigenous communities, the Museo Etnográfico displays the utensils and artifacts of the Páez people alongside exhibits…
Cauca & Huila
A 15-minute walk up from Segovia, this site (1850m) has 12 tombs in total, five of which are open to visitors, although their decoration hasn't been…
Barichara
Atop a hill at the north end of town, Barichara's oldest church was carefully reconstructed in the 1990s (only the facade survived). The floor has quite a…
Puerto Nariño
For a bird’s-eye view of the village and the surrounding jungle and Amazon, climb this impressive wooden tower ('nai-pata' means 'treehouse' in the Ticuna…
Minca
This small coffee, cacao and fruit farm is a family-run, organic business that visitors are welcome to tour to see the various stages of growth, harvest…
Caribbean Coast
Most of the tourism infrastructure if the Islas de San Bernardo is on Isla Múcura, where tours stop for three hours of free time. Here you can rent…
Medellín
This spectacular 14m-high, 975-tonne, concrete-and-bronze sculpture by Rodrigo Arenas Betancur symbolizes the circle of life. Look out for the corn husk…
