You already know the must-see places on a trip to Colombia: Cartagena de Indias, Tayrona National Natural Park, Medellin, etc. (if you don’t, read our article What to do in Colombia: Must-sees). But now you want to discover Colombia off the beaten track, all those places that are recommended but little-known by tourists?
A trip to Colombia is, above all, a very varied trip. Colombia offers an enormous number of things to do, see and visit, all adapted to the different profiles of travellers: from trekking in the highlands to the Lost City, From observing exotic animals and plants to discovering multicoloured rivers and centuries-old archaeological remains, there’s something for everyone! Here’s our list of 8 places not to be missed on a trip to Colombia off the beaten track.
A trip to colombia off the beaten track
Amazonia
Located in the far south, the Amazon covers a third of the country. This is the off-the-beaten-track trip to Colombia par excellence. We offer you a magnificent opportunity to discover an abundance of flora, playful monkeys, colourful birds, pink dolphins and caimans, as well as Amerindian peoples faithful to their ancestral traditions. The starting point is Leticia, a port city with incredible surroundings. Do you have an idea for a trip to the Amazon? Click here to find out.
San AgustÃn
The town of San AgustÃn in south-west Colombia is home to the San AgustÃn Archaeological Park, the largest necropolis in the world. Included on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1995, it is a collection of more than 300 monumental sculptures bearing witness to the art of a mysterious civilisation. Their dating is still a matter of debate among researchers, some of whom date them from the 11th century BC, while others believe they date from just before the Spanish conquest. To add further mystery to this virtually unknown civilisation, some of the sculptures depict gorillas, African elephants and turbaned men. If you’re interested in discovering this fascinating culture, we’ve got a great idea for a trip by clicking here.
Chicamocha Canyon
Located in the department of Santander in the east of the country, the Chicamocha Canyon is a geographical accident in the Cordillera Oriental de los Andes. It is the largest canyon in Latin America and one of the largest in the world. Panachi National Park offers a spectacular view of the canyon, and the cable car in the same park takes you down to the river Sogamoso at its lowest point, and then up one of its cliffs. If you’re looking for breathtaking scenery on your trip to Colombia off the beaten track, the Santander region, and in particular the Chicamocha Canyon and the colonial village of Barichara, should be on your list.
Nuquà and Bahia Solano
Humpback whales are one of the largest mammals in the world. They can make spectacular leaps out of the water and their elaborate song is fascinating. Every year, between June and October, they make their annual passage through Colombia’s Pacific zone. Nuquà and Bahia Solano are the two best places to see them. But that’s not all! These two towns are located on the outskirts of the UtrÃa National Natural Park, one of the most biodiverse parks in the world. Colombia off the beaten track includes tropical rainforest, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, etc., and you’ll find it all here! It’s worth noting that the Pacific region of Colombia is one of the wettest in the world, meaning that it rains very often. That’s why biodiversity is so important.
The Guajira desert
We’re real fans of this desert. Located in the far north of Colombia, the contrasting landscape of orange sand and lush green oases flowing into an intense blue sea is breathtaking. It takes several hours of overland desert driving in a 4×4 car to reach the first places of interest. This desert is home to an Amerindian people never conquered by the Spanish, known as the indigenous Wayuu, as well as magnificent pink flamingos as far as the eye can see and spectacular salt flats. Would you like to discover this part of Colombia off the beaten track? We’ve got the perfect idea for your stay by clicking here.
Pasto and the sanctuary of las Lajas
Its real name is San Juan de Pasto and it is an important agricultural and commercial crossroads thanks to its proximity to Ecuador. It lies at the foot of the Galéras volcano, which is still active. The White and Black Carnival is a very famous event that shows the town’s past, where white and black ethnic groups mixed to live in peace. 2 hours from Pasto is the impressive Lajas Sanctuary, a place of worship and pilgrimage since the 18th century. Set in the canyon of the River Guáitara, the neo-Gothic church is built into the gorge. The access path is covered with thousands of votive offerings.
Cali
Known by Colombians as ‘the capital of salsa and the branch of heaven’, Santiago de Cali is the country’s 3rd largest city, with a population of over 2,500,000. Salsa is one of the mainstays of the city’s culture, and every year it hosts the World Salsa Festival, as well as numerous other events linked to this tropical dance. The Feria de Cali, which takes place in the last week of December, is the city’s major event and one of the most important in Colombia.
Boyacá
The department of Boyacá is full of surprises and is one of the regions to visit on a trip to Colombia off the beaten track. Located in the Cundiboyacense Altiplano (Andean highlands) just a few hours from Bogotá, its landscape is characterised by a multitude of shades of green. There are several places of interest to visit: Lake Guatavita is the origin of the famous legend of El Dorado. The Indian chief and the villagers would go there to offer the gods gold objects encrusted with precious stones, which they would then throw into the lake. Lake Tota, at an altitude of 3,105 metres, is Colombia’s largest freshwater lake. Its white sandy beaches are magnificent. The villages of Raquira and Mongui feature on the list of Colombia’s most beautiful villages. El páramo de Oceta is considered to be the most beautiful and best preserved in the country. A páramo is a tropical mountain ecosystem located between 3,000 and 4,000 metres above sea level, just before the eternal snows. The plants found here are unique in the world.
Caño Cristales
Known as the river of 5 colours or the most beautiful river in the world, it is located in central Colombia, in the department of Meta. Accessible by light aircraft from Bogota and Villavicencio airports and only from June to November, this river is home to endemic algae, i.e. algae that grows only here, with magnificent colours of yellow, blue, green, black and red.
Do you have any other ideas for a trip to Colombia off the beaten track? Let us know in the comments.
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