Top 10 Things to Do in Colombia on a Backpacker’s Budget
Photo by: Markham Photography
The comeback kid of Latin America, Colombia has come a long way from its blood and coke-ridden days. With its winning combination of beautiful beaches, exotic jungles, crazy nightlife, and sexy locals, Colombia had a prominent spot on our list of Top 10 Backpacking Destinations of 2010. In a country where you can trek across mountains, get scuba-certified and party your pants off without breaking the bank, finding cheap, crazy things to do won’t be a problem. The tricky part is narrowing it down and since we care about your sanity, OTP’s put together a list of top 10 must-do’s if you’re heading to this sizzling country.
Photo by: rdefatta
Like the rest of Latin America, Colombians are a pretty Catholic bunch. To show just how much they love the big man upstairs, they’ve built some extravagant cathedrals in the most outlandish locations. The Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá is a giant underground church built in the tunnels of a salt mine. All its decorations and statues are fashioned out of rock and marble straight from the mine itself. Sanctuary of the Virgin of Las Lajas, in Ipiales, is another equally impressive church, embedded in a canyon and set on a bridge over Río Guáitara. Pray to holy hay-sus that you don’t fall off.
Bogota is a modern-day thriving metropolis of congestion and high-rise buildings, but the Candelaria neighborhood is a throwback to simpler colonial times. Colorful houses, stone walls and street performers line the cobbled alleyways of this quaint, artsy neighborhood. A favorite among college kids and starving artists, there’s plenty to do, like visiting museums, checking out free theater shows, and kicking back Aguila in the park.
Photo by: umichbrett
The town itself is pretty petite but thanks to its location among 3 different rivers, San Gil has become practically synonymous with whitewater rafting in Colombia. Novices and experts alike can take their pick of raging rapids. The price of getting wet and wild starts at just $13 USD. If all that whitewater just doesn’t scare you enough, there are tons of other adventure alternatives, like bungee-jumping off canyons or rappelling down waterfalls.
Photo by: g_pertuzzy
Visiting this Caribbean paradise, you’ll be convinced Gabriel Garcia Marquez didn’t create magical realism—he just wrote about everyday life in his hometown of Cartagena. Minus the obese tourists and relentless street vendors, Cartagena has a mystical air to it. From the singers and dancers in the plaza to the horse-drawn carriages circling the cobblestoned streets of the Old City, there’s a certain charm about Cartagena. Whether you’re with a lover or just trolling for booty, this sensual seaside town is all the aphrodisiac you need.
The coast of Taganga has some real action. This little pueblo put itself on the map as the ultimate destination for scuba-diving in Colombia. The beaches are insanely gorgeous and getting certified to dive is super cheap. The equipment is kept slightly sub par to deter underwater drug trafficking (for serious, check it out), but that just adds more excitement to the mix.
Photo by: Felipe Mesa
Nestled deep in the jungles of Tayrona National Park are the ruins of la Ciudad Perdida, a.k.a. the Lost City, home to an ancient indigenous civilization. The 6-day trek to the ruins takes you through cloud forests, cascading waterfalls and illegal coca farms. The trip is pretty grueling but the amazing scenery, exotic wildlife, and native villagers you encounter along the way should numb the burning pain in your quads. Investing in a gym membership is strongly recommended a few months before hitting the trails.
Photo by: alle4minuten
If all that high altitude makes you sick, head for the caves of Tierradentro instead. This national archaeological park is home to a city of pre-Columbian underground tombs and temples. When the dead get you down, make your way to the adjacent town of San Andres de Pisimbala to mingle with the living. Sample some local flavors, while you’re at it; we hear San Andres’ is pretty well-known for its guarapo and psychedelic mushrooms.
Screw coke and Shakira—coffee is where it’s at in Colombia. Thousands of coffee farms, or fincas, cover the Colombian countryside, and most of them are open to the public. Backpackers burned out on all the adventuring and partying can take a break in Salento to refuel at the Plantation House, a coffee farm/hostel where sampling the produce, touring the facilities and spending the night runs just $15-$20 USD.
At nighttime, trade the jitters for a bottle of aguardiente, a potent sugarcane and anise-based spirit. It’s the rum of Colombia and locals drink it straight up.
Photo by: brosal1
Back in the day, rural Colombian villagers used these hand-painted, open-air buses to hop a ride to town and back. Today the iconic chiva has evolved into a drunk bus/disco on wheels, complete with strobe lights, live music and sometimes (for the clutch) even a stripper pole. Bus fare is pretty cheap and it’s a great way to score free liquor, meet other travelers, hitch a ride to the hottest bars in town and practice your upside-down scissor split. Its presence is somewhat of a controversy in Colombia, but these buses are so fun-looking, it’s hard not to want in on the party.
Photo by: Chris Smith Photography
Over-hyped media may have you thinking drug cartels and bloodthirsty guerillas run amok in the Amazon, but the jungles are really too vast for them to find kidnappees. So get your worry-free self to Leticia, gateway to the Amazon River, where you can book a trip on the cheap down the river. While you’re at it, catch some piranhas, frolic with pink dolphins and avoid getting yellow fever. Forget everything you learned playing the Amazon Trail as a kid; this is the real deal.
Over the last decade, Colombia has worked its ass off to reduce crime rates and improve its tourism industry. Now that it’s finally bounced back and showing the world it’s got way more to offer than stimulants and curvaceous ladies, the real danger is ditching your flight home and setting up camp.
A sassy, spunky, and spontaneous globetrottress taking the world, one passport stamp at a time.
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Great list of things to do in Colombia – we loved it there!
Paragliding is a good deal in San Gil too, about 33 bucks. Check it out: http://bohemiantraveler.com/2010/11/adventure-sports-in-san-gil-colombia/
Thank you for creating this site so easy to find info. good stuff. Saving this one for later.