Colombia Travel Guides, Advice & Resources | Charlie on Travel

Colombia Travel Costs

Charlie Marchant — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 12:00:24 +0000

Is Colombia expensive to travel? We backpacked Colombia for under $40 a day. Colombia isn’t the cheapest country to travel in South America, but it’s very reasonable for a backpacker. We consider ourselves mid-range backpackers these days — you’ll still see us on public buses with our backpacks strapped to us, but we don’t stay […]

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Crossing the Colombia/Ecuador Border at Rumichaca

Luke Nicholson — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 15:15:30 +0000

According to travel guides, the only safe place to cross the overland border between Colombia and Ecuador is Rumichaca. The closest Colombian town is Ipiales (but we recommend staying in Pasto) and the closest Ecuadorian town is Tulcan (but we’d go straight across to Otavalo). We’ve crossed many Central American borders in our time, so […]

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Stopover in Pasto — Colombia’s Unappealing Border City

Luke Nicholson — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 14:42:35 +0000

Pasto is a small city near the Colombia/Ecuador border and a frequent stopover for those making the long overland journey from Colombia to Ecuador. It’s an unappealing city and we wouldn’t recommend more than an overnight stop here, but it’s a better option than stopping in Ipiales. Pasto is one of the oldest cities in […]

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Popayán, Colombia’s White City

Luke Nicholson — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 01:49:49 +0000

Popayán is known by two names: the white city (la ciudad blanca) and the fertile city (la ciudad fecund). It’s known as the white city because the old town is whitewashed and the fertile city because no other town has contributed as many Colombian presidents. This traditional city is shaken up by a large student […]

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Salento & Hiking Cocora Valley

Luke Nicholson — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 23:15:12 +0000

Wax palm trees and coffee farms — those are the two things that Salento is famous for. The little Colombian town of Salento is nestled in the verdant green Andes mountains and is just a short ride from the Valle de Cocora hiking trail. Quite possibly one of the most beautiful spots in Colombia, this […]

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El Cocuy National Park Hiking Guide

Luke Nicholson — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 23:02:56 +0000

Adventurous souls can see can see glaciers, the mighty condor and the other-worldly fraijones in El Cocuy National Park. Snow-capped peaks and wide valleys make the hiking in this Andes mountain range spectacular. As the multi-day hikes are closed, most tourists stay in El Cocuy town and do one-day trips into El Cocuy National Park. […]

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A Practical Travel Guide to Bogota

Luke Nicholson — Sun, 01 Dec 2019 21:39:56 +0000

Is Bogota just “a big city with big city problems” as one Colombian told us, or is there more to Bogota than first meets the eye? We had originally planned to skip Bogota after hearing and reading that it’s gloomy and grey and there’s not a lot to do. As our travel planning got more […]

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Villa de Leyva, Our Favourite Colombian Town

Luke Nicholson — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 18:58:44 +0000

Villa de Leyva is paradise in Boyaca, according to one Colombian that we spoke to and we’d agree. With white-washed buildings, a warm mountain climate, cobblestone streets and picturesque plazas, there are plenty of reasons to fall in love with this charming colonial town. It’s rightfully popular with loved-up Colombian couples who make the three-to-five […]

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10 Things You’ll Love To Do in Cartagena, Colombia

Charlie and Luke — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 00:38:43 +0000

Cartagena is a charming colonial city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. The cobblestone streets are naturally lined with people taking Instagram-perfect selfies in front of beautiful churches, plazas or the old city walls. Those who don’t mind getting some dirt under their fingernails can swap the postcard-perfect beauty of the old town for the more worldly […]

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8 Best Things To Do on a Stopover in Santa Marta

Luke Nicholson — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 22:30:46 +0000

After our incredible weekend hiking in Tayrona National Park, like many tourists we hopped out into Santa Marta and based ourselves in the town for a few nights. Santa Marta is the next logical stop along the coast from Cartagena. It’s the gateway to Colombia’s north and the Caribbean coast where travellers can access the […]

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