Colombia Uncharted

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Stories, tips and honest takes on traveling in Colombia.

The whitewashed 18th-century chapel on the hilltop park in Barrio San Antonio, Cali

Latest · Aug 7, 2026

Cali This Week: A Presidential Inauguration, Then the Petronio

Colombia's new president is sworn in in Cali on August 7, two days before the Petronio Álvarez festival opens. The road closures, the dry law, the transport restrictions, and what the travel advisories say.

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The nose of an airliner on a taxiway at dusk, lit by ground lights

Tips · Aug 6, 2026

Getting Around Colombia: Flights vs. Buses

How to travel between Colombian cities: when a domestic flight beats the bus, what each really costs in COP and USD, the airlines and bus companies to know, and route-by-route advice.

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Silleteros carrying huge wooden frames stacked with flowers on their backs during a parade

Culture · Aug 3, 2026

Feria de las Flores: A Guide to Medellín's Flower Festival

Everything travelers need for Medellín's Feria de las Flores: 2026 dates, the Desfile de Silleteros, Santa Elena farm visits, and how to plan around the crowds.

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Bogotá's high-rise skyline with cloud spilling over the forested eastern hills behind it

Tips · Jul 30, 2026

Colombia Travel Myths, Debunked

Narcos reruns, wall-to-wall jungle, spicy food, coffee snobbery: a lot of what people think they know about Colombia is outdated or secondhand. Here is what the country is actually like.

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Tayrona National Park's coastline, where jungle meets a boulder-strewn Caribbean beach

Guides · Jul 29, 2026

Tayrona National Park: The 2026 Guide

Planning Tayrona in 2026: entry fees in COP and USD, the October 19 to November 2 closure, the yellow fever card rule, which entrance to use, and where you can and cannot swim.

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An aerial view across Cali, where the red tile roofs of the old center give way to the towers of the modern city

News · Jul 29, 2026

Cali's Petronio Álvarez Festival Turns 30 This August

The biggest celebration of Afro-Pacific music in the Americas runs August 9 to 17 in Cali, entry is free, and the thirtieth edition adds a global Afro-diaspora summit. What it is, and what to know before you go.

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Golden corn-dough empanadas in a bowl, one broken open beside a dish of green ají sauce

Food & Drink · Jul 27, 2026

Colombian Food for First-Time Visitors: What to Eat and Where

A first-timer's guide to Colombian food: bandeja paisa, ajiaco, arepas, empanadas, tropical fruits, coffee culture, and regional dishes worth seeking out.

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The Torre del Reloj gateway into Cartagena's walled city, with the cathedral dome rising behind it

News · Jul 26, 2026

Colombia's Record Tourism Year and What It Means for Your Trip

Arrivals are climbing, Colombian destinations are collecting nominations, and travel advisories are still in force for parts of the country. All of it is true at once. Here is what it changes about planning.

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An Avianca Boeing 787 climbing away after takeoff against a clear blue sky

News · Jul 25, 2026

New Flights to Colombia: What Is Changing in 2026

Fort Lauderdale to Barranquilla and Cali, Houston and Washington to Cartagena, Doha to Bogotá. The new routes reshaping how travelers reach Colombia, and what they mean for planning.

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A humpback whale surfacing in open ocean water

News · Jul 24, 2026

Whale Season Is Open on Colombia's Pacific Coast

Humpbacks are back in Colombian Pacific waters through October. Where people watch them, what a trip costs, the rules boats have to follow, and what the travel advisories say.

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