Why colombia is the best

To allow us to provide a better and more tailored experience please click "OK". Sign Up. Travel Guides. Videos Beyond Hollywood Hungerlust Pioneers of love. Anny Wooldridge. Biodiverse landscapes. Altitude climate. Once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Friendly people. Delicious food. National parks. Unique wildlife. Hiking trails. Indigenous culture. Stunning architecture. Metropolitan cities. Give us feedback. Read Next View. Hotel Casa San Agustin.

Placita Vieja Hotel Boutique Spa. If you are curious to learn more, read our blog post about the Colombian Amazon. The Desert The Tatacoa Desert is actually not a desert: It is a dry tropical forest with a rich, colorful terrain.

Millions of years ago, it was a lush forest full of vegetation and animals. Today, earth and rock stand where trees and flowers once stood. The land is not covered with dunes, as you might expect, but with rocky canyons that form dry labyrinths whose red and grey colors are interrupted by the occasional green bush.

Read our blog post to find out how to visit and what to do in the Tatacoa Desert. Spanning across the Guaitara River, the Gothic-style church has a breathtaking structure.

It was built between and The legend says that the Virgin Mary visited a mother and her deaf-mute daughter during a fierce storm. It is believed that years later after the daughter died the mother re-visited the site and the daughter was then revived by the Virgin Mary.

The area is said to have healing powers and many reports of this have been made over the years. The Nature and the National- Parks If you like getting lost in nature on your vacations - this country is the place for you.

There are plenty of hiking and trekking opportunities. There are as well a lot of easily accessible parks in the cities. The opportunities to escape into nature here are endless. The country has 59 national natural parks, which vary in landscape, climate, and ecosystems.

Many of them offer unique experiences for visitors. All national parks are designed to protect the wildlife, ecosystems, culture and architectural heritage of the area. You can visit the rainforest as well as the mountains which both have a rare species of wild animals. The Andean mountains bring about some of the highest points in Colombia and some of the nicest scenery as well. The History You have probably already heard something about the Colombian history - it is quite fascinating.

The history dates back for centuries, with Pre-Colombian communities creating many of the towns and cities. The country has been heavily influenced by its natives as well as by the Spanish, French and British. It strongly reflects its history as a colony of Spain. Colombia is often referred to as the most Roman Catholic of the South American countries, and most of its people are proud of the relative purity of their Spanish language. The country is now turning a corner from its history of the last 50 years.

Civil war has torn through the country, but a peace agreement was signed. The music and rhythms Dancing and music have been an integral aspect of the culture for centuries. They represent the various influences, being a very important part of it. The music from the Andean region has indigenous as well as Spanish influence, played mainly with string and wind instruments.

In contrast, the music from the coasts has a clear African influence, with drum rhythms predominantly Salsa, Cumbia and Vallenato are very popular styles in the whole country, and have now reached global audiences. Both have lovely old quarters with Spanish architecture, pretty churches, statues and squares.

For a smaller alternative, Villa de Leyva is a three-hour drive north of Bogota. Offering pretty cobblestone streets, Villa de Leyva is located near to a desert area with dinosaur fossils and remnants of a previous empire.

The cathedral is located within the tunnels of a salt mine meters deep, it was built using , tons of rock salt and is 75 meters long and 18 meters high. The mine is the largest deposit of rock salt in the world. Today it is a pilgrimage site for many Catholics. They are an extremely proud nation whose love of their country is quite possibly only matched by love of their music, food and of course favourite football team!

With more pubic holidays than almost everywhere in the world, Colombians know exactly how the kick back and chill. Actually, scrap that. They know exactly how to throw the biggest and best parties. Here you can expect to find everything from laid back taverns, hot and sweaty salsa bars, grungy rock bars, hipster warehouse parties, to chic and sophisticated nightclubs filled with the rich and beautiful.

Colombia has a ridiculous number of festivals, many of them well worth making the trip alone just to experience their awesomeness. It includes colorful dancers, traditional music and gigantic circus like figures parading through the streets, culminating in the final 2 days where locals paint their face black 1 day and white the next to symbolise equality and integration in this massively multicultural country.

Think Rio Carnival but less commercialised, less touristy and with a Caribbean twist! For what is proclaimed as the 2nd largest carnival in the World the whole city of Barranquilla shuts down for 4 days of non-stop partying.

During this festival that the people of Barranquilla have even managed to get two extra days of public holiday. The worlds most important theatre companies congregate to give the most exquisite performances and the city becomes awash with street theatre, concerts, dance and circus.

Starting in , the Flower Festival has become known as the most important social event for the people of Medellin. The 10 day event, famous for its parties, gatherings and cultural activities attracts people from all over Colombia and from around the world.

Cali is famed internationally for being the salsa capital of the world and every year between Christmas and New Year the city throws its biggest party. To officially kick off the festive period the people of Medellin adorn almost everything in bright neon lights.

From important building, public squares, river walks, treetops to iconic hillsides and lookouts, almost no place is left untouched and it looks spectacular. Medellin does Christmas like nowhere else. Did we mention that Colombia is stacked with natural beautiful? There are way too many places of list individually but here are some that you absolutely must see:. The sheer variety on offer is impressive.

Colombia has a huge influence on the Latin music scene worldwide and are regarded by many other countries within the region as being some of the best dancers around. But that is changing quickly and tourism is starting to take off big time. For many years Colombia has struggled with a bad reputation as a place only of war, crime and cocaine.

But as the country slows re-emerges from its dark past many are being enlightened by everything it truly has to offer beyond this rather shallow label. Because we think there is no place in the world that can quite match its combination of vast diversity, stunning and colorful scenery, inherent charm, sense of adventure, delicious food and energetic cities — making it one of the best holiday destinations.

And remember, if you want to experience the REAL and authentic Colombia that we know and love then go check out our tour offers. Alternatively if you have any questions about Colombia then drop us a comment or an email. Want to see an OWR trip in action?

Your email address will not be published. But what I experienced in that first trip blew my mind.