5 Reasons to visit Colombia in 2016

PUBLISHED February 22nd, 2016 03:44 pm | UPDATED June 2nd, 2020 06:49 pm

Colombia doesn’t just boast of soccer players like Radamel Falcao, Carlos Bacca and James Rodriguez, and beauty queens. Here are five more reasons to visit this beautiful country located on the northern cusp of South America.

The People

If you want to visit a place where people are going to receive you with a huge smile and a big hug, you have to visit Colombia. This country has a mix of ethnic cultures as the current population are descendants of the original inhabitants, Spanish colonists, Africans, immigrants from Europe and the Middle East. Regardless of skin colour or accent, most of them receive visitors with such hospitality that makes them feel right at home. These friendly people would be always available to help you and make you enjoy your trip.

The Food

Thanks to the variety of regions in Colombia, you can find strange but delicious dishes to try. If your trip starts in the capital of Bogotá, you´ll find an amazing soup called ajiaco. A potato soup that includes corn, chicken and a native vegetable called guasca that’s similar to spinach, this exquisite potage is perfect for warming up in cold weather.

Moving east to the region of Antioquia, a must-try is the Bandeja Paisa, an enormous plate made of beans, rice, sausage, avocado, pork, eggs, and meat. I know it sounds kind of impressive, and it actually is, so I recommend you to avoid having breakfast the day that you decide to go for it.

In the north of Colombia, the coastal region of Costa Atlántica has a diet that comprises mainly of fish. While their Caribbean specialty doesn’t have a name, the typical example has 3 main ingredients: fried fish, coconut rice, and fried platains.

The Scenery

Want to visit a country where you can find the sea, forests, jungle, snowy mountains, volcanoes, rivers, plains, beaches, and an innumerable amount of wildlife? Well, few places make the list, and Colombia is definitely one of them.

The Nevado Del Ruiz, Parque Tayrona, and Amazonas region are some of the most representative places in Colombia. Located in a nature park that receives thousands of tourists during the year, The Nevado Del Ruiz is an active volcano, covered by large glaciers and snow.

For amazing beaches mixed up with tropical jungle, the Tayrona National Natural Park, easily accessible from the Magdalena capital city of Santa Marta. This famous park is huge, and includes the world’s tallest coastal mountain range Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. Here you’ll find active wildlife, clean beaches, and nature all around.

For a jungle experience, you need to visit the Amazonas region, whose capital is Leticia. This place is located between Peru, Brazil and Colombian borders so you are going to find a charming ethnic mixture with the best of the three countries.

Colombia has so many places worthy of visiting during your visit. It’s important to consider that you can visit any of these places because actually Colombia has air and road coverage all around the country.

The Carnivals

On top of ecological expeditions, consider heading to Colombia for one of their colourful, riotous carnivals. Most of them take place between December and February. Some of the most popular are the Carnaval de Barranquilla and the Feria de Manizales. These carnivals are cultural events that include concerts, dances and parades all around the cities of Barranquilla and Manizales. Being part of these events is one of the most incredible experiences you can have. It is also a perfect moment to try traditional Colombian food and drinks like aguardiente.

Investment Opportunity

After visiting carnivals, enjoying the scenery, meeting the locals, and trying the food, it may strike you that Colombia has loads of potential to grow. The country is going through a development process that makes it one of the most stable economies of the region. Big companies are investing in this country, thanks to the benefits afforded by the government and opportunities that the country presents. In the short term, Colombia is going to be one of the most attractive places to invest.

Editor’s note: If this isn’t an invitation from our guest contributor to visit beautiful Colombia, we don’t know what is!