Area: 1,141,748
Population: 44,087,000
Population density: 40
Capital: Bogotá
Visa Required? | |
---|---|
British | No |
Australian | No |
Canadian | No |
USA | No |
Other EU | No/1 |
Passports
Passport valid for at least
six months required by all nationals referred
to in the chart above.
Visas
Not required by nationals
referred to in the chart above for stays of
up to 180 days except the following:
a) 1. nationals of Bulgaria,
Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia.
Note: Nationals not referred
to in the chart above are advised to contact
the embassy to check visa requirements.
Nationals
will be issued with an entry stamp on arrival
which will be valid for up to 90 days (nationals
are often only given 30 or 60 days); extensions
for up to a further 120 days are available from
the Department of Administration and Security
in Colombia; all nationals are permitted to stay
for a maximum of 180 days in any 12-month period.
Validity
Tourist and Temporary Visitor: Valid six
months (multiple entry). Business: Valid
four years for multiple entries with maximum stays
of six months each. Student: Valid five
years with multiple entry.
Applications to:
Consulate
(or consular section at embassy).
Working Days Required
Depends on
the visa issued. Five for Tourist and Business
visas; one week for Temporary Visitors Visas.
It is generally advised to allow plenty of time
for applications.
Main (international) airports
Colombia can not be reached
from Panama by road, only by boat. There
are road links with Ecuador and Venezuela.
Coach: Ormeño (website:
www.grupo-ormeno.com
.pe
) runs coach services to Venezuela, Ecuador
and Peru.
AROUND THE (DARIEN) GAP !
If you are planning to go to Panama from Colombia,
there are a few option:
Fly... easy option and can
be quite cheap if you book early.
Aires
is by far the cheapest airline on this strech,
so check out their website for more details.
Float... that is to say, if
there is no wind... There are tonnes of sail
boats crossing from Cartagena to the Panama
coast, for example to San Blas or Portobello.
Ask at your hostel in Cartagena and they will
know who to contact. All boats charge the same
($375 per person for a 5 day trip, including
stopover in San Blas islands, and including
meals and drinks (non-alcoholic))
Cycling in Colombia Out on the highway, a shoulder is not always present but since there is a strong cycling culture in Colombia, traffic is more often than not, respectful of your space. You'll get plenty of welcoming toots and thumbs up from professional drivers with the odd exception from the impatient tour bus. On smaller, windy mountain paths however, any urgent honk will mean "get out of the way quick, I'm coming through". And be well assured, they will too! Military check points are widespread throughout the entire country, though the police will rarely stop cyclists. If they do, it is generally more out of curiosity than anything else. The questioning usually goes along the lines of: "where have you come from?" and "where are you going to?" Ask them how far it is to your destination and you'll get everyone in on a lengthy debate. Stands to reason since road signage can be contradictory in Colombia. As a rule, the white kilometre markers are the most reliable, though you are never quite sure if the distance is a maeasurement to the outskirts of, the centre of or the turnoff to the town. Street names are also infrequently displayed, which can make travelling through the larger cities a bit of a nightmare, if you don't know exactly where you are going. Nearly all of them are structured on a numbered grid system with the Calles running in one direction and the Carreras perpendicular. The Mapas de Ruta, a bundle of 12 Colombian highway routes, obtainable from the Geographical Institute Agustin Codazzi in (among others) Cartagena, are about the best maps you'll find (see above for details). If you do decide to get off the beaten track and tackle the unpaved roads then expect all types of surfacing including rock quarry status. The Andes mountain range runs north-south in Colombia and has many high altitude passes. It is not uncommon to rise above 4000 metres, so it pays to take along some warm weather gear along with you. While the going is considerably tough in the out of the way places, the magnificent scenery and quiet roads are worth every single push of the pedal. |
|
Xinhan Shen and Emilien di Gennaro published an extensive Colombia cycling guide with detailed GPS routes for free download. |
|
Mapas de Ruta Price (July 2009): 13,000 Colombian Pesos available at: |
|
Colombia Map waterproof
|
drinks and snacks | food: local markets; restaurants; and stores |
||||
water (drinking)
|
350ml
1.5 litre 5 litre bag 200ml 1 litre 300ml 600ml 1.365 litre |
200-400
2,000+ 1,300-1,700 500+ 3,000 1,150 1,500 2,260 |
bread loaf-white
|
500g
430g 500g - 6 piece large each each |
1,950
3,200 4,150 1,000+ 500 300+ |
market-arepas + queso
|
each
one serving one serving 3 course meal med |
1200
2-3,500+ 4,500+ 7,000 20,000+ |
|||
beer - local
wine wine |
330ml
750ml 1 litre tetrapak |
1,350
10,600+ 10,200 |
|||
tea
coffee (cafe / bar) Nescafe instant coffee - ground |
20 bags
per cup 125g 250g |
2,400
500+ 3,450 3,000 |
rice (white)
pasta eggs tomato paste |
kg
|
2,000
700 3,550 2,000 |
milk
yoghurt / curd cheese Magnum icecream |
900ml pack
150g kg each |
1,800
|
potatoes
onions tomatoes red peppers-large |
kg
kg kg each |
900
800 800 500 |
chips
salted peanuts brazil nuts sultanas |
115g packet
400g 200g 200g |
2,000+
2,500 4,750 1,550 |
avocado-medium
apples oranges bananas |
each
each kg kg |
1,000+
500+ 2,000 1,000+ |
cornflakes
|
200g packet
2x100g block 6x40g 225g 200g packet 270g packet |
3,950
5,950 4,700 1,600+ 2,100 4,100 |
pineapple (can)
oil (corn) |
280g can
500ml |
3,500
3,150 |
peanut paste
jam honey |
510g jar
200g pack 360g |
8,500
1,400 2,400 |
|||
* Majority of prices obtained from the Exito and Olimpica Supermarket Chains. Street and market prices can be a bit cheaper. | |||||
accommodation | personal | ||||
budget city hostel
budget city hotel budget hotel |
18,000+ per dorm bed
35,000+ double share bathroom 25,000+ double with ensuite 15,000+ double with ensuite |
deodorant - roll-on
soap shampoo toothbrush toothpaste disposable razor toilet paper |
50ml
150g bar 200ml each 100ml 2 pack each |
5,500
1,400 5,500 4,150 2,700 3,200 370 |
|
camping | Some national parks and recreational areas have camp areas for approximately 10,000 COP per person. Difficult to find wild camping spots. |
||||
internet | 1,000-2,000 per hour |
*
tba = price to be announced
* June 2009: at time of writing 1.00 USD = 2,155 COP all prices have been taken from internet resources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of course our own travel experiences and purchases of everyday products in food markets, bazaars and local shopping facilities. They are only an indication and designed to give you a general impression of the cost of living in Colombia. Items are geared towards the budget conscious traveller with an occasional craving for a bit of luxury. |
* | Bargaining
at markets when buying in bulk is commonly accepted.
You can also try your haggling skills when purchasing
souvenirs or cottage industry food products at
roadside stalls. |
* | To give
a tip [propina] is not common practice in Colombia,
except in upmarket hospitality establishments,
where a suggested tip may be added to the bill. |
* | Taxi drivers
do not expect tips and price is normally negotiated
before you step in. |
* | Watch out
for money changers in Cartagena They are not called
magicians for nothing. The rate they offer will
appear good, but their slight of hand trickery
will undoubtedly leave you short-changed. Their
method is simple: you'll be short-changed initially
and as soon as you complain they will place the
missing amount on top of the pile, while removing
some of the larger notes from underneath. Deal
is this: always count your money each time they
have handled it and don't hand over your foreign
notes until you are satisfied you have your full
compliment of Colombian bills. |
* | Apart from
large supermarket chains and a few bakeries, most
businesses shut down on Sunday. |
* |
Toiletries
are relatively expensive in supermarkets and drogas
[drug stores]. You are more likely to find cheaper
prices in the bargain - dollar discount shops. |
Finding accommodation in Colombia will probably end up being the easiest task in your travelling day. Every pokey little village on the highway network has at least one hospedaje or residencias. These places are generally the more budget option compared with a pension or hotel, though the distinction applies more in the bigger cities than in the countryside.
Another wonderful blessing for off the beaten track travellers is the highway petrol station hotel. In 2009, the price in these establishments ranged from 11,000 through to 24,000 COP for a double room with ensuite, fan and cable tv. They are safe, clean with modern facilities (private bathroom, cable tv) and much cheaper than heading to the town plaza or bus station where accommodation is generally pricier. Most of them are called Hotel La Bomba, after the same petrol station.
Always check your room first before paying and unless the hotel advertises agua caliente [hot water], you can be pretty well assured that one of the double taps doesn't work. Housing is constructed of thick cement and brick walls, so beware of choosing a room without a window: it can get almost unbearable on a hot balmy night. Mosquitoes and bugs can be a problem in some areas too and screens on windows are not a common commodity.
If you are on the lookout for an apartment it is better to just wander the streets and apply at any place where a "to let" sign is displayed, than try the classified section of the newspaper. Choose your area well and don't be afraid to ask locals for advice.
Hostel Trail is a Latin American hostel network which has a user friendly website listing many accommodation options for the budget traveller. Price information on the Hostel Trail site is not always kept up-to-date therefore it is wiser to visit the hostel's own website for a true indication of facilities and fees.
Camping is not a particularly big past time in Colombia, though there are a handful of official sites available, mostly in or close to National Parks or well frequented recreation spots. Wild camping is possible, though a large percentage of the land is owned and fenced off with barbed wire, which makes it difficult to find something suitable. Considering the inexpensive nature of official accommodation, it is not really necessary to go to the trouble of asking at a local village. They are bound to point you in the direction of a hospedaje down the road. Well off the beaten track and in mountain areas with few available facilities, it would pay to get permission to pitch your tent near a farmers house or village.
Useful links:
Colombia
official tourism portal
Colombia
Travel Guide
Acommodation we used while in Colombia (July 2009): (prices based on two people sharing) | ||||
Star system explained: from 0 to ***** where 0 is a total disaster and ***** is luxurious (and out of our price range) | ||||
City / town: | Name accommodation: | Our experience: | Price: | Stars: |
El Bordo | Hotel Juancho | mini room, but cheap as chips | COP 12,000 | **½ |
Buga | Hotel Avenida Real | way too expensive for a box | COP 40,000 | *½ |
Cajamarca | Hotel El Nevado | little box, clean though | COP 20,000 | ** |
Cali | Iguana Guesthouse | ok room, use of kitchen, WiFi | COP 38,000 | **½ |
Cano | Hotel Oro Negro | huge petrol station room | COP 17,000 | ** |
Cartagena | Hotel Holiday | friendly and accurate | COP 30,000 | *** |
El Carmen de Bolivar | Hotel Jhosan | clean, friendly, expensive, aircon | COP 40,000 | *** |
Caucasia | Hotel El Remanso | old, but clean and helpful | COP 20,000 | *** |
El Crucero | Hotel La Estacion | adequate, but basic | COP 19,000 | ** |
Ibagué | Hotel Vaticano | big room, but old amenities | COP 30,000 | ** |
Ipiales | Hotel Pasviveros | beautifull & old & what a service | COP 26,000 | *** |
Irrá | Hospedaje El Bomba | cheap, cheap, cheap | COP 11,000 | ** |
Lago Calima | Camping Berlin | everything on a slope... | COP 20,000 | *½ |
Manizales | Hotel Camelot | grand room, grand price | COP 40,000 | ** |
Medellín | Hotel Mageba | right in the centre, very friendly | COP 24,000 | ***½ |
Murillo | Hotel Posada del Turistica | clean, weird set-up of rooms | COP 16,000 | **½ |
Pasto | Hotel Atenas | good room, city centre | COP 30,000 | *** |
El Pedregal | Hotel Esmeralda | small bed, small price | COP 15,000 | ** |
El Pital | Hospedaje Juliana | adequate petrol station hotel | COP 18,000 | **½ |
Planeta Rica | Hotel Bochico | mediocre, rip-off restaurant | COP 25,000 | ** |
Popayan | Hotel Cacique Real | nice and safe, shared bath | COP 22,000 | ** |
El Remolino | Hotel Oasis | dirty grot box | COP 15,000 | * |
Sahagun | Hotel Emperador | breath of fresh air | COP 30,000 | ***½ |
S Juan Nepomuceno | Hotel Virgen del Carmen | electricity? cleaning? maybe? | COP 20,000 | * |
Santa Rosa de Osos | Hotel Estacion del Rio | best bet in town; wooden box | COP 24,000 | **½ |
Sincelejo | Hostal Cattleya | basic, loud, open air, but friendly | COP 22,000 | *½ |
Tarazá | Hotel La Bomba | typical petrol station hotel | COP 15,000 | **½ |
Valdivia | Hotel La Bomba | basic, but sufficient | COP 15,000 | ** |
Venadillo | Hotel Rest. Venadillo | tiny sweatbox, swimming pool! | COP 17,000 | *½ |
Yarumal | Hotel Balcon del Paraiso | hot shower, big room, WiFi | COP 32,000 | ***½ |
Though the Colombian kitchen utilises its fair share of potatoes, yuca [cassava], platano, beans, corn and rice it is one with a distinct preference for meat. Finding vegetarian options on any local menu, besides asking for the Bandeja Corrientes (see below for more details), without the animal elements is difficult. The non-meat eater looking to dine out will either have to fall back on the trusty Chinese Restaurant or Pizzeria: though both will only be available in larger townships. Hare-Krishna canteens are also another option in major cities and HappyCow has a list of these as well as other vegetarian restaurants scattered across Colombia. The unfortunate trend with these eating establishments is that they are generally only open for lunch. There are a couple of bonuses when coming to Colombia from Central America: firstly, the availability of vegetable stock cubes in supermarkets and secondly, the bakery finesse. However, vegans can start pulling their hair out now, because literally every bakery product, has at least one, if not a combination of the main dairy products. The two most common bread types are pandeyuca [cassava bread]: often baked with cheese; and almojábana: the corn-flour bread staple of Colombia. And, if you happen past a panaderia [bakery] and see freshly baked trays of round balls the size of a fist, then don't hesitate to try one. Technically, pandebono [good bread] should be consumed direct from the oven with a cup of hot chocolate, so it is maybe worth sitting down in the adjoining cafe to enjoy this morning treat in traditional style. |
|
Mantequilla [butter] is also readily used to cook street snack foods. So, again the strict vegan is going to have a hard time finding a suitable meal outside of self catering. Luckily, the larger supermarkets stock a generous variety of fresh and packaged products and organic-herbal health shops are a fast growing industry in Colombia.
Furthermore, the variety of exotic fruit available is simply staggering. You'll find all sorts of weird and wonderful tastes and textures and if you can eat them, then it stands to reason that you can juice them too. Colombian cities have an abundance of juice shops serving delicious fresh fruit drinks all day long. In fact, blended fruit juice is so fashionable, that every kitchen is not complete without a liquidiser.
Water from the tap in cities and towns is safe to drink and as a rule, restaurants and eateries serve bags or bottles of water to their customers. You'll even see the raspado man using frozen bagged water for his sweet icy treats. You might want to be a little wary of street juice vendors in smaller villages, but those in the city usually prepare their beverage with purified water. The only areas where you have to be careful are in the more remote regions, where locals use water direct from the mountain. Here, you will definitely need to boil, purify it or purchase bottled water only.
Home-made hot chocolate prepared with panela (dried sugar cane juice) and typically flavoured with cinnamon and cloves is often served for breakfast with arepas or pandebono bread. And as you would expect from a world player in coffee export, Colombian "tinto" is available far and wide: in cafes, restaurants, hotels, and on every street corner. Coffee plantations are spread across the Colombian highlands and if you get the chance to visit or stay at a finca cafetera [coffee plantation] you may also have the privilege to taste the farmers own special stash of beans. Adding to their delightfully unique aroma and taste, this coffee is hand-picked and traditionally prepared. A treasured experience you will not come across frequently. As well as a beverage, coffee is used to make many confectionary products including nougat, candy, ice-cream and cafe-arequipe [coffee-caramel spread].
On the alcoholic beverage side, Colombia's national drink is the fiery anise flavoured spirit derived from sugarcane: Aguardiente. Every region has its own variety and trade name, but all over the country it is commonly served in a shot glass with a generous squeeze of lime juice. Cerveza [beer] is sold literally everywhere and anywhere. Though nothing beyond the average lager, there are several brands to chose from: Aquila, Pilsen, Poker, Club Colombia and Costeña.
Why not try these
for starters? |
Sopa De Aguacate
y Papas [Avocado Vichyssoise]
|
Aborrajado
Perfectly sweet and ripened platano bananas topped with blushing pink guavas and melted cheese. Served with traditional vinegar coleslaw and freshly baked pandeyuca [cassava bread] and you've got yourself a perfect lunch. |
Papas Chorriadas
A hearty serve of baby boiled potatoes topped with a thick creamy cheese sauce flavoured with tomatoes, onion and cilantro. Great on its own or as a side dish for a more extensive meal. |
Ensalada de Papas
con Chimichurri [Chimichurri Potato
Salad]
Traditionally served with meat, this versatile sauce can also transform your vegetable dish too. Mixed with cream or mayonnaise the cilantro, parsley, oregano and garlic in the chimichurri take on a more melodious and sweeter flavour and can really add a unique zap to your pasta sauce or zest up the common potato salad to premium food status. |
Arepa Con Queso
Found from street vendors all over Colombia, this inch thick choclo [sweet corn] patty grilled with a coating of cheese until golden brown and crunchy on both sides is popular with young and old and at anytime of the day. Eat piping hot with a good swirl of honey on top. |
Bandeja Corrientes
|
Frutas Exoticas
Curuba: Also known as the banana passionfruit or banana poker: this fruit gets its name from its straight round-ended banana shape. When the fruit is yellow-orange in colour, it is ready to eat the pulp and crunchy black seeds: very similar to other passionfruit varieties such as the Granadillo and Maracuyá. Mamoncillo or Mamón: This perfectly round drupe, similar to that of a lychee has a tight green layer of skin easily opened by piercing it with your teeth. The creamy texture of the tangy white pulp inside is attached firmly to a large centre stone. The most effective way to remove the fruit is to suck on the whole fruit, but be careful not to let any juice drip on your clothes: this was often used by indigenous tribes to dye cloth a dark brown colour. Anón: Known in the west as the sugar apple, this green scaly skinned fruit is generally shaped like a large rounded pine cone. Inside a white to ivory coloured flesh covers long hard shiny black-brown seeds. The combination of a sweet smelling fragrance with a flavour similar to custard and a soft and gooey, but grainy texture make for a very unique and distinct taste sensation. Mamey Sapote: Peach shaped with a furry skin to match, this kiwi-coloured fruit on the outside has a vibrantly bright orange flesh. Taste and texture cross paths with pumpkin, mango and avocado. It is not only eaten raw but used to enhance milkshakes and ice creams with its creamy sweet texture. |
Hojuelas
Simple but mouthwatering delightful, these fried puff pastry squares are sugar-sweetened and drizzled with orange juice. |
Roscón
Arequipe O Bocadillo
You'll be as hooked on this sweet pastry as the Colombians are, after you've tried it once. Soft croissant-like pastry in a giant ring form and filled with either arequipe: the Colombian version of dulce leche [caramel spread] or bocadillo: a sweet filling of ripened guavas. Its available at local supermarkets and of course the nearest panaderia [bakery]. |
Colombian Chocolate
No breakfast is complete without a big bowl of home-made hot chocolate. Made from milk, water, blocks of semi-sweet chocolate, panela and spiced with cinnamon and sometimes cloves, this traditional beverage is expertly prepared using a metal pitcher for pouring at height and a molinillo [frothing paddle]. |
Aguapanela con
Queso
A refreshing pick-me up drink at any time of day, aquapanela is derived from dissolving panela [dried sugarcane syrup] in water and adding a bit of zest in the form of lemon or lime juice. Native to basically all of southern Central America and northern South America, this beverage is consumed in copious amounts in Colombia. For a slightly different edge, try it served warm and with a piece of queso [cheese] allowed to melt in the liquid. And should you want to take it even one step further, why not indulge in the alcoholic version: Canelazo. Aguapanela is spiced up with both cinnamon and a shot of aniseed flavoured aguadiente. Presented in a glass rimmed with sugar it is the perfect aperitif for a bit of an afternoon kick. |
Armenia | The Bikehouse and Welcome stores are both on Av. Bolivar; Bikehouse at no. 10N-11 Local 101 (tel: 745 0593) and Welcome at 9N-03 (tel: 746 2531). They stock the usual standard western gear. A good alternative in Armenia is: |
Bicicletas Sprint **
Carrera 15, no. 9-43 Opposite the Social Security Office Armenia tel: 745 2498 |
|
Our experience: very friendly staff, good range of products (loads of tyres) and workshop at the back (August 2009) | |
Cali | There are several areas in
town that have bike shops. The easiest is probably
in the north of the city, on Avenida 8N between
Calle 17 and 22. Here you will find two
B.T.T.
shops
**, one
Welcome store
** and a
Bikehouse
outlet
**.
The B.T.T. shop at Av. 8N #17N-33 has probably the largest range in stock and rents out bicycles as well. |
Cartagena de Indias | Bicicletas Mountain-Bike
*
Av. Pedro de Heredia, La Castellana just up the road from Crossmoto Cartagena de Indias Tel: 6531174 ask for Juan |
Our experience:
shop with basic parts and friendly owner (July
2009) |
|
Cartagena de Indias | there are a few more bike
shops in this area, but most stock the same, basic,
products. The big bike store opposite the stadium
was closed for refurbishment when we visited... |
Ibagué | The bicycle area in Ibagué
is situated near and around the intersection of
Carrera 5 and Calle 20. A few blocks full of shops. |
Manizales | Welcome - expertos en ciclismo
**
Andrés Felipe Gómez Rodriguez Carrera 23 # 55-37 Manizales Tel: (6) 881 1301 Cel: 312 257 2688 Mail: felipegomez@todoterreno.com.co |
Our experience:
great little shop; modern, well stocked
with western parts (July 2009) |
|
Medellín | Colbic - Hernando Otalvaro L.
**
Carrera 52 no. 55 - 16/18 Medellín Tel: 231 5551 / 513 0747 Fax: 512 9030 |
Our experience:
best shop in the area; full Shimano range, great
choice of forks, bars and other components (July
2009) |
|
Medellín | María Eugenia Otalvaro R.
*
Carrera 52 no. 55 - 22/26 Medellín Tel: 513 0752 / 511 3478 |
Our experience:
sparsly decorated shop, basic parts, but occasional
high end gear (July 2009) |
|
Medellín | The area around the intersection
of Carrera 52 and Calle 55 is full of bicycle
shops. Some are better than others, but shopkeepers
will generaly send you to the shop where they
think you can find your much needed parts. Isn't
that great service?! |
Sincelejo | Ciclo Bike La Mulita *
Calle 20 #22-30 Centro Sincelejo Sucre Tel/fax: 274 1219 |
Our experience:
shop with basic parts, but very friendly and knowledgable
owner Ariel (former amateur cycling champion)
can find anything for you. Great workshop. (July
2009) |
|
Bikehouse
is a big brand in Colombia with many outlets throughout
the country
Welcome - expertos en ciclismo has several shops in bigger cities all over Colombia |
|