Forget Narcos – these are the real reasons you should visit Colombia

November 30, 2021 marks exactly five years since the signing of the landmark peace agreement between the Colombian government and the infamous Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerrilla group which had wrought havoc across the country for decades. With the deal ratified, a renewed sense of hope surged in Colombia, as the much-maligned South American nation left its traumatic history behind, ushering in a new era of development, prosperity and hope. 

In the years since, Colombia has truly blossomed, leaping headlong into the 21st century with boutique hotels, a booming contemporary art scene, vibrant culinary movement and thriving tourist industry, its arms now open to curious travellers from around the globe. It may not yet have reached its zenith, but with a wonderful balance of old and new Colombia on offer, now is the ideal time to experience a country in glorious transition, rising phoenix-like from its darker days. So forget the Netflix hit drama Narcos: these are the real reasons to visit Colombia in 2022.

Medellín’s blooming hotel scene 

Once dubbed the most dangerous city in the world by a 1988 edition of Time Magazine, Medellín, known as The City of Eternal Spring, is now a hub for innovation, creativity, and increasingly upscale hospitality offerings. Despite the pandemic and ever-changing international travel restrictions theoretically hindering tourism, 2021 has seen the opening of a string of design-forward, debonair hotels such as Elcielo, 23 Hotel and Lettera in the city’s bustling and upmarket El Poblado neighbourhood. Pair these with the boutique offerings of carefully curated Patio del Mundo and Quinta Ladera and you’ll soon see you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to stylish stays in Medellín. A city littered with lush foliage, blessed with a year-round temperate climate and the unavoidable charisma of its paisa people, it’s not hard to see why visitors here often end up extending their stay. 

Stargazing in Tatacoa Desert

Technically not a desert, Tatacoa is a tropical dry forest with undulating red clay scenery so unique, you’d be forgiven for temporarily questioning whether you’d landed on Mars. Hiking should be done early in the morning to avoid the searing midday heat and in the afternoon a gentle float down the mighty Magdalena river from nearby town Villavieja, accompanied by local fishermen who know this spot like the back of their hand, is a recommended way to cool off and observe local fauna such as eagles, iguanas and turtles. The real show-stopper in Tatacoa, though, is the opportunity to stargaze long after the sun has set. Observatories such as Star Light will have you peep through giant telescopes to see Jupiter and Saturn before you lie back and learn about astronomy and the zodiac signs as they’re mapped out in the pristine sky above. 

Bogotá’s ever-expanding art gallery scene 

Colombia’s capital, while perhaps not initially enamouring visitors, is a place that grows on you. Wandering the streets of neighborhoods like the historic La Candelaria, chic Chapinero and laid-back Usaquén will give you a good feel of the city’s urban idiosyncrasies. But it’s the flair of Bogotá’s art galleries that will solidify your stamp of approval. From old staples like the impressive Gold Museum showcasing an array of glistening pre-Columbian artefacts to the Botero Museum set in a historic house complete with flowered courtyard, you’ll get a feel for Colombia’s rich history and its most famous painter, Fernando Botero’s penchant for rotund human forms. For some more contemporary Colombian creations, there’s the elegant La Cometa Gallery, luminous La Balsa and the impressive space of family-run Colombian textile studio Verdi Design, whose intricate intertwining of natural fibres make it hard to leave empty-handed.  

Cartagena’s indulgent gastronomy 

Colourful Cartagena is likely to make its way onto any Colombian itinerary, given its proximity to the Caribbean Sea (it’s perched on its shores), its bougainvillea-smothered historical buildings and its elegant boutiques. What you absolutely must do in Cartagena, though, is indulge your senses in the city’s gastronomy. This glamorous Caribbean hotspot is home to the likes of modest Celele, a celebration of Colombian-Caribbean cuisine set in the bustling bohemian neighbourhood of Getsemaní. Other notable restaurants include the exquisite Alma and discerning Carmen, both serving up fresh, carefully considered dishes inspired by the sea. For a night-cap and a chance to sample the fine work of Cartagena’s mixologists, there’s the vibrant Alquímico set in a three-storey historic mansion.  

Archaeological enigma in San Agustín 

Tucked into the Andes mountains in Colombia’s southwest lies the humble yet beguiling town of San Agustín. Perhaps the most intriguing part of this town is its Unesco World Heritage Site neighbour, the San Agustín Archaeological Park, home to Latin America’s largest collection of megalithic sculptures. To this day, it is unclear exactly when these sculptures were created (the best estimate is sometime between 5-400 A.D.) and who their creators even were, making for a fascinating visit. The stone statues present various features and creatures including crocodiles, frogs, snakes and jaguars, allegedly created for various purposes such as standing guard and providing protection in the afterlife. To wind down after a day contemplating the statues and their origins, Masaya, set atop a canyon overlooking the immense Magdalena River is an excellent place to stay. 

Salsa dancing in Cali 

There’s something in the air in Cali, and it’s more than just the humidity. A tropical buzz and infectious rhythms waft from bars, clubs and salsa schools, convincing even the most rigid of us that there is hope of transforming two left feet into something altogether more fluid. For structured lessons, there’s nowhere more pleasant to learn than at one of the many schools dotted around the quaint, sloping San Antonio Park with its picturesque whitewashed chapel and vistas over the city. For a less disciplined and more free-flowing salsa experience, head to Cali staples, La Topa Tolondra, Zaperoco or unassuming El Rincón de Heberth. To solidify Cali’s status as the world’s salsa capital, there is a host of festivals dedicated to the dance, including the Festival Mundial de Salsa taking place each September/October, the Salsa y Verano showcase every July and the festive Feria de Cali in December.  

Coffee sampling in the Andean Mountains 

What would a trip to Colombia be without sampling its world-renowned liquid treasure right in the heart of the Andes? Endearing pueblos (small towns) such as Jericó and Jardín in the department of Antioquia, and Filandia and Salento in Quindío, are home to lush fincas (farms) brimming with evergreen coffee shrubs. Colombia’s much adored arabica variety is transformed from rich, crimson berries to aromatic, pack-a-punch cups served with the most earnest desire for the sampler’s enjoyment, such is the Colombians’ fondness for care, hospitality and sharing the fruit of their labour. Hotel Plantación in Jardín and La Casa du Vélo just outside Filandia are ideal, aesthetic bases for exploring the surrounding landscapes. 

Alta Guajira, home to the northernmost point in South America 

In spectacular Punta Gallinas on the Guajira Peninsula, sloping desert dunes roll down into the Caribbean Sea thrashing about below. The area’s lighthouse proudly marks the northernmost point in South America and getting there is an adventure in itself; a desert-hardy 4x4 is a must-have companion when visiting this spectacularly remote area of Colombia. Home to the resilient and impressive Wayuu people, Alta Guajira offers one of the best windsurfing spots in the world (Cabo de la Vela), freshly farmed and fished dishes of goat and seafood (not necessarily on the same plate), and colourful mochila bags intricately woven by Wayuu women. Witnessing the very tip of a continent that combines the dramatically juxtaposing landscapes of arid desert and azure sea is a sight to behold. 

Nature, cocoa and emeralds in Boyacá 

A less frequented region of Colombia but arguably one of the most picturesque, Boyacá is home to national parks, cobblestone towns and emeralds as verdant as the surrounding Andes. Roughly 90% of the world’s emeralds are sourced in Colombia, most of which are mined in Boyacá, and while greed and notions of grandeur seized miners in the past, today the region is a haven for overlanders and roadtrippers. El Cocuy National Park, with its glacial lakes and snow-dusted summits, is a worthy trekking destination and the dainty, cobbled town of Villa de Leyva is an ideal spot for whiling the day away on its vast Plaza Mayor. Finca San Luis Borbur, just outside the miniature village of San Pablo de Borbur, is a picturesque farm that cultivates cocoa and offers captivating experiences showing the process of transforming cocoa from goo-covered pods to rich chocolate bars. 

How to do it

Jacada Travel (020 3514 0977; jacadatravel.com) offers a nine-day Colombian Art, Culture and Cuisine tour from £3,594 per person, including accommodation, transfers, internal flights, private art and food tours, and a Caribbean cooking class.