Tourism in Colombia
Encyclopedia
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
(Spanish: Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo) is the Colombia
n ministry in charge of tourism affairs. During the most famous festivals such as the Cali's Fair, the Barranquilla's Carnival
, the Bogota Summer Festival
, the Ibero-American Theater Festival and the Flower Festival
is when the most foreign tourists go to Colombia. Many people visit Colombia during Christmas time and the celebrations surrounding the Independence of Colombia.
The Ministry of Tourism considers high seasons the Holy Week
, summer (June, July and August) and Christmas season. During the holy week many travel to the Caribbean Region of Colombia or visit religious landmarks like Las Lajas Cathedral
, Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, the towns of Santa Cruz de Mompox
, Guamal
or Popayán
where Roman Catholic traditions and rituals are performed, among others.
There are a number of UN World Heritage Site
s located in Colombia:
Colombia has coastline, mountainous areas, and tropical jungle. There are volcanoes and waterfalls.
Security in Colombia is stipulated by the Colombian armed conflict
. As of 2011 actors in this conflict includes leftist guerrilla groups like FARC, ELN
, right-leaning paramilitary goups like Los Rastrojos
and Águilas Negras, in addition to the Colombian armed foces and national police. According to the Colombian army FARC has an estimated 18,000 members in 2011, while ELN and the new paramilitary groups are thought to be numerically weaker. According to the Colombian congress FARC has a 'strong presence' in roughly 1/3 of Colombia as of 2011, with the largest concentration of Guerrillas located in the Andean zone between Valle del Cauca and Meta Department
. Other security concerns include 'very high' murder rates, with more 16,000 intentional homicides in 2010, in addition to high levels of street crime. According to UNICEF Colombia has the highest amount of planted landmines in the world. Due to the armed conflict, cocaine trade and other security issues Colombia has long been the subject of travel advisories. In November of 2010 the U.S. State department updated their travel warning for the country, stating that 2010 saw an increase in crime, insecurity and 'terrorist activity' compared to previous years. The state department report was dismissed by the Colombian government, who asked the state department to review the update.
Lonely Planet
, a world travel publisher, picked Colombia as one of their top 10 world destinations for 2006. The World Tourism Organization reported in 2004 that Colombia achieved the third highest percentage increase of tourist arrivals in South America between 2000 and 2004 (9.2%). Only Peru
and Suriname
had higher increases during the same period. In 2010 Colombia received less than 1,5 million foreign visitors, with the majority of them coming from Venezuela
, the United States and Brazil.
along coast and eastern plains; cold in the highlands; periodic droughts. Colombia is an equator
ial country, so there are no seasons in the usual sense of the word; temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. What Colombians normally refer to as the winter is the rainy season.
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism or MCIT, is the national executive ministry of the Government of Colombia concerned with promoting economic growth though trade, tourism and industrial growth.-Ministers:...
(Spanish: Ministerio de Comercio, Industria y Turismo) is the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n ministry in charge of tourism affairs. During the most famous festivals such as the Cali's Fair, the Barranquilla's Carnival
Barranquilla's Carnival
Barranquilla's Carnaval is Colombia's most important folklore celebration, one of the biggest carnivals in the world. The carnival has traditions that date back to the 19th century...
, the Bogota Summer Festival
Bogota's Carnival
Bogotá's Carnival or Carnival of Bogotá is celebrated in Bogotá every year on August 5 and August 6 for the city's anniversary of its Hispanic foundation. Most of the cultural events take place in the heart of Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar The festivities also include pre-carnival...
, the Ibero-American Theater Festival and the Flower Festival
Festival of the Flowers
Festival of the Flowers is a festival that takes place in Medellín, Colombia. The festival is the most important social event for the city and there is a pageant, automobiles, a Paso Fino horse parade and many musical concerts.-History:...
is when the most foreign tourists go to Colombia. Many people visit Colombia during Christmas time and the celebrations surrounding the Independence of Colombia.
The Ministry of Tourism considers high seasons the Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
, summer (June, July and August) and Christmas season. During the holy week many travel to the Caribbean Region of Colombia or visit religious landmarks like Las Lajas Cathedral
Las Lajas Cathedral
Las Lajas Sanctuary is a basilica church located in the southern Colombian Department of Nariño, municipality of Ipiales and built inside the canyon of the Guáitara River....
, Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá, the towns of Santa Cruz de Mompox
Santa Cruz de Mompox
Mompox or Mompós, officially Santa Cruz de Mompox, is a town and municipality in northern Colombia, in the Bolívar Department, which has preserved its colonial character. Located on an island in the Magdalena River where it joins the Cauca River, 249 kilometers from Cartagena. Mompox depends upon...
, Guamal
Guamal
Guamal is a town and municipality of the Colombian Department of Magdalena.-Politics:El Municipio de Guamal se localiza al sur del Departamento del Magdalena dista de Santa Marta a 330 km. El territorio en general es plano y de altas temperatura, bañado al occidente por el brazo de mompós del...
or Popayán
Popayán
Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia's Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range...
where Roman Catholic traditions and rituals are performed, among others.
World Heritage Sites
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
s located in Colombia:
- CartagenaCartagena, ColombiaCartagena de Indias , is a large Caribbean beach resort city on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region and capital of Bolívar Department...
- Los Katíos National ParkLos Katíos National ParkLos Katíos National Park is a national park located in northwest Colombia which covers 278 square miles . It is a part of the Darién Gap, shared by Panama and Colombia and is contiguous to Darién National Park in Panama. The Pan-American Highway when completed as proposed will pass near or through...
- Malpelo IslandMalpelo IslandMalpelo Island is an island located from Colombia's Pacific coast, and approximately from Panama's coast. It has a land area of . It is uninhabited except for a small military post manned by the Colombian Army, which was established in 1986. Visitors need a written permit from the Colombian...
- Santa Cruz de MompoxSanta Cruz de MompoxMompox or Mompós, officially Santa Cruz de Mompox, is a town and municipality in northern Colombia, in the Bolívar Department, which has preserved its colonial character. Located on an island in the Magdalena River where it joins the Cauca River, 249 kilometers from Cartagena. Mompox depends upon...
- San Agustín, HuilaSan Agustín, HuilaSan Agustín is a town and municipality in the southern Colombian Department of Huila. The town is located 227 km away from the capital of the Department, Neiva. Population is around 30,000. The village was originally founded in 1752 by Alejo Astudillo but attacks by indigenous people destroyed...
- TierradentroTierradentroTierradentro is a National archeological park in the jurisdiction of the municipality of Inza, Department of Cauca, Colombia. The park is located 100 km away from the capital of the Department, Popayán....
- The Cannon Museum
- Taganga
Attractions in Bogotá
- Bogotá Botanical GardenBogotá Botanical GardenThe Bogotá Botanical Garden, aka José Celestino Mutis Botanical Garden , is Colombia's biggest botanical garden, located in Bogotá. It features greenhouses in which plants from every Colombian region, altitude, and climate are exhibited...
- Bolívar SquareBolívar SquareThe Bolívar Square is located in the heart of the historical area of Bogotá. It has a statue of Simón Bolívar sculpted in 1846 by the Italian Pietro Tenerani, which was the first ever public monument in the city...
- Capitolio NacionalCapitolio NacionalCapitolio Nacional is a building on Bolivar Square in central Bogotá, the construction of which began in 1876, by order of president Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera, and was not concluded until 1926. It houses both houses of the Congress of Colombia...
- Gold MuseumGold MuseumThe Gold Museum is a museum located in Bogotá, Colombia. It displays an extraordinary selection of its pre-Hispanic gold work collection - the biggest in the world - in its exhibition rooms on the second and third floors...
- La CandelariaLa CandelariaLa Candelaria is a historic neighborhood in downtown Bogotá, Colombia. It is the equivalent to the Old City in other cities. The architecture of the old houses, churches and buildings has Spanish Colonial and Baroque styles...
- Luís Ángel Arango LibraryLuís Ángel Arango LibraryLuis Ángel Arango Library, is a public library located in Bogotá, Colombia. It was founded in 1923 as a small library with a few books on economics. It is currently under the administration of the Bank of the Republic...
- Maloka MuseumMaloka MuseumThe Maloka Museum is an interactive science museum located in Bogotá, Colombia. Visitors interact with a wide variety of exhibits that explore topics in Science and Technology....
- MonserrateMonserrateMonserrate is a mountain that dominates the city center of Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It rises to above the sea level, where there is a church with a shrine, devoted to "El Señor Caído" .The hill is a pilgrim destination, as well as a tourist attraction...
- UsaquénUsaquénUsaquén is a residential and commercial locality in northern Bogotá, capital of Colombia. Although it is designated on maps as Bogotá's #1 locality, it was a separate municipality of Cundinamarca until 1954, when it was annexed into the city. Today, Usaquén is home of more than 480.000 inhabitants...
- Salt Cathedral Zipaquira
- Zona RosaZona RosaZona Rosa is a neighborhood in Mexico City which is known for its shopping, nightlife, gay community, and its recently established Korean community...
- National MuseumColombian National MuseumThe National Museum of Colombia is the National Museum of Colombia housing collections on its history, art, culture. Located in Bogotá downtown, is the biggest and oldest museum in Colombia. The National Museum of Colombia is a dependancy of the Colombian Ministry of Culture.The National Museum is...
- Botero Museum
- Jorge Eliecer Gaitan MuseumJorge Eliecer Gaitan Museum- History :The house Jorge Eliécer Gaitán Ayala lived in from the beginning of the 1930s until the day of his murder on April 9, 1948, is located on Calle 42 No. 15 , 52 of the Santa Teresita neighborhood in Bogotá. It was also part of the design planned in 1928 for this area by the “Davila Holguin...
- Zona G
- Modern Art Museum
Other attractions
- Colombian National Coffee ParkColombian National Coffee ParkThe Colombian National Coffee Park is a theme park located in the department of Quindío, Colombia, 4 km south-west of the town of Montenegro and 11 km west of the departmental capital city Armenia...
- Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá
- San Andrés, San Andrés y Providencia
Colombian Coffee-Growers Axis
The Colombian coffee-growers axis (Spanish: eje cafetero) is a part the Colombian Paisa region famous for the growing and production of most Colombian coffee, renowned as some of the best coffee in the world. The axis is composed of three departments: Caldas, Quindío and Risaralda. These departments are among the smallest departments in Colombia with a total combined area of 13873 km² (5356 mi²), this amounts to roughly 1.2% of the Colombian territory. The combined population is 2,291,195 (2007 census)- Amacayacu National ParkAmacayacu National ParkAmacayacu National Natural Park is a national park located along the Amazon River in the Amazonas Department in the south of Colombia. The park was created in 1975. The word "Amacayacu" means "River of the Hamocs" in the indigenous language Quechua. The Ticuna people currently inhabit a part of...
- Cabo de la VelaCabo de la VelaCabo de la Vela is a headland in the Guajira Peninsula in Colombia with an adjacent small fishing village. It is a popular ecotourism destination of the Caribbean Region of Colombia-History:...
- Cocora valleyCocora valleyThe Cocora valley is a valley in the department of Quindío in the country of Colombia. It is located in the Central Cordillera of the Andean mountains. "Cocora" was the name of a Quimbayan princess, daughter of the local chief Acaime, and means "star of water"...
- Los NevadosLos NevadosLos Nevados National Natural Park is a national park located in the Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes. The 5,300-meter high volcano Nevado del Ruiz is dominating Los Nevados. Out of the 55 protected areas in Colombia, Los Nevados National Natural Park was the third most visited in 2009,...
- Doña Juana-Cascabel Volcanic ComplexDoña Juana-Cascabel Volcanic ComplexDoña Juana-Cascabel Volcanic Complex National Natural Park is a Colombian National Natural Park. The park is located in the Southern Departments of Nariño and Cauca; The park is named after three volcanoes which are Doña Juana, Petacas and Animas...
- GorgonaGorgona, ColombiaGorgona is a Colombian island in the Pacific Ocean situated about 50 km off the Colombian Pacific coast and part of the municipality of Guapi in the Department of Cauca. The island is about 9 km long and 2.5 km wide, with a maximum height of 338 m ; with an area of 10 square miles...
and MalpeloMalpelo IslandMalpelo Island is an island located from Colombia's Pacific coast, and approximately from Panama's coast. It has a land area of . It is uninhabited except for a small military post manned by the Colombian Army, which was established in 1986. Visitors need a written permit from the Colombian...
islands - Los Katíos National ParkLos Katíos National ParkLos Katíos National Park is a national park located in northwest Colombia which covers 278 square miles . It is a part of the Darién Gap, shared by Panama and Colombia and is contiguous to Darién National Park in Panama. The Pan-American Highway when completed as proposed will pass near or through...
- Munchique National Park
- Serranía de la MacarenaSerranía de la MacarenaSerranía de la Macarena is a Colombian mountain range located east of the Andes in the Meta Department. The mountains are separated by about 40 kilometers at their northern extreme from the Cordillera Oriental . The range is orientated from north to south and is 120 kilometers in length and 30...
- Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National ParkSierra Nevada de Santa Marta National ParkThe Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Natural Park is Colombia's second oldest national park, established in 1964. It is located in the Cordillera Oriental range, between the departments of La Guajira, Magdalena and Cesar, in the mountain range of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta...
- PANACA ParkPANACAPANACA is a farming theme park that promotes contact between humans and nature, intended for those who live in the city and to create awareness about nature. The park was created in Colombia by a group of businessmen. There are three other parks under construction; one near Bogotá and two...
- Tayrona Park (Santa MartaSanta MartaSanta Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
) - Tatacoa DesertTatacoa DesertThe Tatacoa Desert, the second largest arid zone in Colombia after the Guajira Peninsula, is one of the most attractive scenery Colombia occupies 330 square kilometers of land in ocher and gray brushstrokes of green cactus...
- Chicamocha Canyon National Park
- MariposarioMariposarioEl Mariposario is a large outdoors vivarium which forms part of the Jardin Botánico del Quindío , located in the town of Calarcá in the department of Quindío, Colombia...
enthomologic display specialized in LepidopteraLepidopteraLepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies... - PeñasblancasPeñasblancasPeñas Blancas consists of a crag and three vertical rock faces located on the western slopes of the Central Cordillera of the Andes in the municipality of Calarcá, in the department of Quindío in Colombia....
rock climbingRock climbingRock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
site.
Safety
Colombian Armed Conflict
The Colombian armed conflict or Colombian Civil War are terms that are employed to refer to the current asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict in Colombia that has existed since approximately 1964 or 1966, between the Colombian government and peasant guerrillas such as the Revolutionary Armed...
. As of 2011 actors in this conflict includes leftist guerrilla groups like FARC, ELN
ELN
ELN may refer to:*Equity-linked note, a financial instrument*Elastin, a protein*Ejército de Liberación Nacional, see**National Liberation Army **National Liberation Army **National Liberation Army...
, right-leaning paramilitary goups like Los Rastrojos
Los Rastrojos
Los Rastrojos is a Colombian neo-paramilitary, armed group engaged in the Colombian armed conflict...
and Águilas Negras, in addition to the Colombian armed foces and national police. According to the Colombian army FARC has an estimated 18,000 members in 2011, while ELN and the new paramilitary groups are thought to be numerically weaker. According to the Colombian congress FARC has a 'strong presence' in roughly 1/3 of Colombia as of 2011, with the largest concentration of Guerrillas located in the Andean zone between Valle del Cauca and Meta Department
Meta Department
Meta is a department of Colombia. It is close to the geographic center of the country, to the east of the Andean mountains. A large portion of the department, which is also crossed by the Meta River, is covered by a grassland plain known as the Llanos. Its capital is Villavicencio...
. Other security concerns include 'very high' murder rates, with more 16,000 intentional homicides in 2010, in addition to high levels of street crime. According to UNICEF Colombia has the highest amount of planted landmines in the world. Due to the armed conflict, cocaine trade and other security issues Colombia has long been the subject of travel advisories. In November of 2010 the U.S. State department updated their travel warning for the country, stating that 2010 saw an increase in crime, insecurity and 'terrorist activity' compared to previous years. The state department report was dismissed by the Colombian government, who asked the state department to review the update.
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
, a world travel publisher, picked Colombia as one of their top 10 world destinations for 2006. The World Tourism Organization reported in 2004 that Colombia achieved the third highest percentage increase of tourist arrivals in South America between 2000 and 2004 (9.2%). Only Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
and Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
had higher increases during the same period. In 2010 Colombia received less than 1,5 million foreign visitors, with the majority of them coming from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, the United States and Brazil.
Transportation
There are regular international flights into major cities including Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cali, Medellin and Bogotá as well as to other smaller cities in the borders with Venezuela and Ecuador. There are daily direct flights to and from the U.S, Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Spain, France and South America. Domestic air transportation is inexpensive and readily available. Buses travel between cities, but may not be safe when traveling at night.Weather
The climate is tropicalTropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
along coast and eastern plains; cold in the highlands; periodic droughts. Colombia is an equator
Equator
An equator is the intersection of a sphere's surface with the plane perpendicular to the sphere's axis of rotation and containing the sphere's center of mass....
ial country, so there are no seasons in the usual sense of the word; temperatures do not vary much throughout the year. What Colombians normally refer to as the winter is the rainy season.