Colombia

Spanish is Colombia's official language. Outside hotels, tour operators, and higher-end restaurants in Bogotá, Medellín, and Cartagena, English is not widely spoken. Learning a few basic Spanish phrases helps a lot, especially in smaller towns and rural areas.

Prepaid SIM cards (Claro, Movistar, Tigo) are sold at the airport and in shopping malls; buying one requires your passport for registration. Coverage is strong in cities, the coffee region, and along the Caribbean coast, but drops in remote parts of the Amazon, the Pacific coast, and high mountain areas. An eSIM from an international provider is a simpler option if you don't need a local number.

Tap water is treated to safe standards in Bogotá and other major cities, but stick to bottled or filtered water in smaller towns, rural areas, and the Amazon. Pharmacies are common in every city, and pharmacists can often help with minor ailments without a doctor visit. Bogotá sits 2,640 meters above sea level, and some visitors feel mild shortness of breath or fatigue for the first day or two. Travelers heading to the Amazon or the Pacific coast should check with a doctor about yellow fever vaccination and malaria precautions before the trip.

Citizens of the United States, Canada, the UK, the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, and most Latin American countries can enter Colombia without a visa. They receive up to 90 days on arrival, extendable once for a total of 180 days within a calendar year. Travelers from countries without a visa-free agreement, including China, India, and Russia, need to apply for a tourist visa online in advance.

Visa and entry requirements change frequently. Verify current requirements with the official immigration authority or your country's embassy before travel.

Colombians are generally warm and informal, but a handshake or a light cheek kiss on one cheek is the standard greeting, even between new acquaintances. Dress modestly when visiting churches: no shorts, and cover your shoulders. Bargaining is expected in craft markets and with street vendors, but not in shops with marked prices. Ask before photographing people, especially in indigenous communities such as those encountered on the Ciudad Perdida trek or in the Amazon.

Colombia observes many public holidays, and several are shifted to the following Monday to create a long weekend even when the original date falls elsewhere in the week. Expect banks, offices, and many shops to close on these days, though malls and restaurants in tourist areas usually stay open. Shops generally open Monday to Saturday from around 9:00 to 19:00, with many closing for lunch in smaller towns; Sunday hours are shorter, especially outside the big cities.

• By air: distances and mountain terrain make flying the fastest way between distant regions — Bogotá to Cartagena, San Andrés, or Leticia in the Amazon can take a full day by road but only around two hours by air. Avianca, LATAM, and budget carriers Wingo and JetSmart cover most routes.
• By bus: an extensive intercity coach network connects almost every town, and it is the most common way to travel between nearby cities. Mountain roads mean journeys take longer than the distance suggests — Bogotá to Medellín is around 400 km by road but takes 8–9 hours to drive.
• By taxi and ride-hailing: Uber, InDriver, and Cabify all operate in Colombian cities and are the easiest way to get a fair-priced ride; in Bogotá, Uber trips are arranged in-app rather than flagged down on the street.

Colombians eat their largest meal at lunch, typically a set menu called ejecutivo or corrientazo: soup, a main with rice, beans, and salad, and juice, all for a fixed, low price. Breakfast is light, often just arepas or bread with coffee, and dinner tends to be smaller than lunch. Meal times run later than much of Europe, with lunch from around 12:00 to 14:00 and dinner rarely before 19:00.

Each region has its own specialties. The Andean interior favors hearty, meat-heavy dishes built around rice, beans, and plantain, while the Caribbean coast leans toward coconut rice, fish, and seafood. Street food is common in every city: roasted corn, empanadas, and skewered meats from carts are a normal part of daily eating, not just a tourist experience.

Coffee culture runs deep, though the best export-grade beans have traditionally been sold abroad — look for a specialty café in Bogotá, Medellín, or the coffee region to try Colombia's own high-grade coffee. Fresh tropical fruit juices, made from fruits with no direct English name like lulo, guanábana, and maracuyá, are a highlight worth trying wherever you see a juice stand.

Colombia's essential stops fall into a few clusters. In the Andean interior, Bogotá is the high-altitude capital with the country's best museums, Medellín pairs a mild climate with cable-car transit and a booming food scene, and Cali is known across the country as its salsa capital.

On the Caribbean coast, walled Cartagena is a UNESCO World Heritage city and the country's top Caribbean draw, Santa Marta is the gateway to Tayrona National Park and the Ciudad Perdida trek, and Barranquilla hosts one of the world's largest carnivals every February. The islands of San Andrés add a Caribbean beach escape with a distinct Creole culture.

For a slower pace, coffee-region town Salento is the base for visiting the wax palms of the Cocora Valley. Guatapé is known for its brightly painted houses and a nearby rock formation with sweeping views. Colonial Villa de Leyva centers on one of South America's largest cobblestone squares. Whitewashed Popayán is known for its Holy Week processions.