Find places in Colombia

Must-Haves

• Museo del Oro (La Candelaria)
  The world famous collection of pre-Hispanic gold, including the Muisca raft of the El Dorado legend.
• Museo Botero (La Candelaria)
  Botero's rounded figures and his personal collection of European masters, free to enter.

Fun for Everyone

• Bogotá Graffiti Tour (La Candelaria)
  A walking tour of the city's murals that doubles as a lesson in modern Colombian history.

Off the Beaten Path

• Museo Santa Clara (La Candelaria)
  A former convent church whose walls are completely covered in colonial paintings and gold leaf.

Must-Haves

• Monserrate (Cerros Orientales)
  Ride the cable car or funicular to the mountain top church for the classic view over the city.
• Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá (Zipaquirá)
  An underground cathedral carved into a salt mine, an easy day trip north of the capital.

Fun for Everyone

• Ciclovía (City wide)
  On Sundays and holidays, main roads close to cars for cyclists, runners and skaters.

Off the Beaten Path

• Quebrada La Vieja (Chapinero Alto)
  A forested hiking trail up the eastern hills, popular with locals early on weekend mornings.

Must-Haves

• Plaza de Mercado de Paloquemao (Paloquemao)
  A huge market of exotic fruit, flowers and breakfast stalls, best early in the morning.

Fun for Everyone

• Mercado de las Pulgas de Usaquén (Usaquén)
  A Sunday flea market of crafts, street food and live music around the old village square.

Must-Haves

• La Puerta Falsa (La Candelaria)
  A tiny centuries old eatery near Plaza de Bolívar serving tamales, ajiaco and hot chocolate with cheese.

Great for Date Night

• Leo (Chapinero)
  Chef Leonor Espinosa's tasting menus built on ingredients from across Colombia's regions.
• El Chato (Chapinero)
  A relaxed but refined kitchen celebrating Colombian produce in creative small plates.

Fun for Everyone

• Andrés D.C. (Zona Rosa)
  A multi-floor carnival of a restaurant with huge menus, music and dancing late into the night.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ajiacos y Mondongos (Chapinero)
  A no frills local favourite for big bowls of ajiaco and mondongo tripe soup.

Must-Haves

• Café San Alberto (La Candelaria)
  Speciality coffee from a celebrated Quindío farm, with guided tastings near Plaza de Bolívar.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Amor Perfecto (Chapinero)
  One of Bogotá's pioneering speciality roasters, with cupping sessions and brewing classes.

Great for Date Night

• Gaira Café Cumbia House (Chapinero)
  A bar and restaurant tied to the Vives family, with live cumbia and vallenato on weekend nights.

Fun for Everyone

• Theatron (Chapinero)
  A vast LGBTQ friendly club complex with many rooms of different music under one roof.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bogotá Beer Company Usaquén (Usaquén)
  Colombia's best known craft brewery, in a relaxed pub near the Usaquén square.

Fun for Everyone

• Jardín Botánico de Bogotá (Engativá)
  Gardens of Andean and páramo plants, with a tropical glasshouse and quiet trails.

Must-Haves

• Rock al Parque (Parque Simón Bolívar)
  A huge free rock festival held over several days, one of the largest in Latin America.

Must-Haves

• Hotel de la Ópera (La Candelaria)
  A historic hotel in colonial buildings beside the Colón Theatre, with a rooftop view of the old town.

Must-Haves

• Comuna 13 (San Javier)
  Outdoor escalators, murals and hip hop on a guided walk with local residents.
• Metrocable Line K and Line L (Santo Domingo)
  Cable cars over the hillside neighbourhoods up to the forests of Parque Arví.
• Guatapé and El Peñol (Guatapé)
  Climb the giant granite rock for lake views, then explore the painted streets of the town.

Off the Beaten Path

• Jardín (Jardín, Antioquia)
  A colourful coffee town with a grand basilica and a cable car up to a viewpoint.

Must-Haves

• Plaza Botero (Centro)
  More than twenty bronze Botero sculptures in an open square downtown.
• Museo de Antioquia (Centro)
  The largest collection of Botero's work alongside Antioquian art and history.

Off the Beaten Path

• Casa de la Memoria Museum (Boston)
  A moving museum about the city's years of conflict and how its people rebuilt.

Fun for Everyone

• Jardín Botánico de Medellín (Aranjuez)
  Free gardens with an orchid house and a striking wooden canopy called the Orquideorama.

Off the Beaten Path

• Parque Arví (Santa Elena)
  A mountain nature reserve with trails, a farmers' market and cool fresh air above the city.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado del Río (El Poblado)
  A food hall of stalls covering Colombian and international dishes under one roof.

Off the Beaten Path

• Minorista Market (Centro)
  The city's big wholesale market for tropical fruit, flowers and local snacks.

Must-Haves

• Hacienda Junín (Centro)
  A long running restaurant for a classic bandeja paisa in the city centre.

Great for Date Night

• Carmen (El Poblado)
  Creative cooking in a stylish setting, one of the city's best known fine dining tables.
• El Cielo (El Poblado)
  Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos's playful multi-course tasting experiences.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mondongo's (El Poblado)
  A busy local favourite for tripe soup, bandeja paisa and Antioquian home cooking.

Must-Haves

• Pergamino Café (El Poblado)
  A leafy café serving coffee from its own farms, a speciality coffee landmark in the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Parque Lleras (El Poblado)
  The city's nightlife hub, packed with bars and clubs from early evening.

Off the Beaten Path

• Son Havana (Laureles)
  A small, sweaty, much loved salsa bar with live bands on weekends.

Low Cost and Authentic

• La 70 (Laureles)
  A long avenue of bars, food stalls and music that comes alive at weekends.

Must-Haves

• Feria de las Flores (City wide)
  The August flower festival with the famous silleteros parade of flower displays carried on their backs.

Fun for Everyone

• Alumbrados Navideños (Río Medellín)
  Millions of Christmas lights along the river and parks every December.

Great for Date Night

• The Charlee Hotel (El Poblado)
  A design hotel near Parque Lleras with a rooftop pool and lively bar.

Must-Haves

• Walled City walk (Centro Histórico)
  Wander the colonial streets, balconies and plazas, then watch sunset from the walls.

Fun for Everyone

• Plaza de la Trinidad (Getsemaní)
  The neighbourhood square where street performers, food carts and locals gather every evening.

Off the Beaten Path

• Palenque de San Basilio (San Basilio de Palenque)
  The first free African town in the Americas, with its own language and music.
• Volcán del Totumo (Santa Catalina)
  A small mud volcano where you float in warm mud, then wash off in the lagoon.

Must-Haves

• Castillo San Felipe de Barajas (San Lázaro)
  The largest Spanish fortress in the Americas, with tunnels to explore.
• Palacio de la Inquisición (Plaza de Bolívar)
  A colonial palace turned museum about the Inquisition and the city's history.

Fun for Everyone

• Iglesia de San Pedro Claver (Centro Histórico)
  A church and museum honouring the saint who served enslaved Africans arriving in the port.

Must-Haves

• Islas del Rosario (Rosario Islands)
  Coral islands within a national park, reached by boat for snorkelling and swimming.

Fun for Everyone

• Playa Blanca (Barú)
  A long white sand beach on the Barú peninsula, best visited on weekdays.

Must-Haves

• La Cevichería (San Diego)
  A small, famous spot for Caribbean ceviches and seafood.

Great for Date Night

• Carmen Cartagena (Centro Histórico)
  The coastal sister of Medellín's Carmen, serving creative Caribbean flavours.
• Celele (Getsemaní)
  A kitchen researching and reinventing the ingredients of Colombia's Caribbean.

Low Cost and Authentic

• La Mulata (San Diego)
  A local lunch spot for set meals of fried fish, coconut rice and stews.

Must-Haves

• Época Espresso Bar (San Diego)
  A cool, bright café with good coffee and breakfast in the old town.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ábaco Libros y Café (Centro Histórico)
  A bookshop café with shelves of literature and a calm break from the heat.

Must-Haves

• Café Havana (Getsemaní)
  Live salsa bands in a bar that feels like old Havana.

Great for Date Night

• Alquímico (Centro Histórico)
  A multi-level cocktail bar using ingredients from its own farm, with a rooftop.

Fun for Everyone

• Café del Mar (Baluarte de Santo Domingo)
  Sunset drinks on the ramparts of the old city walls.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Mercado de Bazurto (Bazurto)
  A chaotic, authentic market of fish, fruit and food stalls, best with a guide.

Fun for Everyone

• Las Bóvedas (San Diego)
  Old vaults in the city wall converted into craft and souvenir shops.

Must-Haves

• Hay Festival Cartagena (Centro Histórico)
  A literature and ideas festival held in the old town each year.

Fun for Everyone

• Fiestas de Independencia (City wide)
  November celebrations of the city's independence with parades and music.

Great for Date Night

• Sofitel Legend Santa Clara (San Diego)
  A former convent turned luxury hotel in the old town.

Must-Haves

• Valle de Cocora (Cocora)
  Hike among the world's tallest palm trees in a misty Andean valley.

Off the Beaten Path

• Acaime Hummingbird Reserve (Cocora)
  A rest stop on the Cocora trail where hummingbirds feed around you.

Fun for Everyone

• Termales de Santa Rosa de Cabal (Santa Rosa de Cabal)
  Hot springs beneath waterfalls in a forested valley.
• Jardín Botánico del Quindío (Calarcá)
  Botanical gardens with a large butterfly house.

Must-Haves

• Finca El Ocaso (Salento)
  A working coffee farm offering tours from bean to cup.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Don Elías Coffee Farm (Salento)
  A small family farm giving simple, organic coffee tours.

Fun for Everyone

• Mirador de Salento (Salento)
  Climb the steps at the end of Calle Real for views over the green valley.
• Parque del Café (Montenegro)
  A theme park about coffee with rides, shows and gardens.

Off the Beaten Path

• Filandia (Filandia)
  A quieter coffee town with basket weavers and a wooden lookout tower.

Must-Haves

• Calle Real (Salento)
  The main street of painted balconies, craft shops and cafés.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Trout restaurants on the plaza (Salento)
  Local trout served with patacones is the classic Salento meal.

Great for Date Night

• Helena Adentro (Filandia)
  Creative Colombian cooking in a stylish small town setting.

Must-Haves

• Café Jesús Martín (Salento)
  A speciality coffee café with a roastery and tasting experiences.

Fun for Everyone

• Los Amigos (Salento)
  A bar where locals and travellers play tejo, the Colombian game of exploding targets.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mirador Colina Iluminada (Filandia)
  A tall wooden viewpoint over the coffee hills near Filandia.

Low Cost and Authentic

• La Serrana (Salento)
  A long running farm hostel with valley views just outside town.

Must-Haves

• Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona (Tayrona)
  Jungle beaches between giant boulders, reached by forest trails.
• Ciudad Perdida (Sierra Nevada)
  A multi-day trek to the ancient Tayrona city in the jungle.

Fun for Everyone

• Pozo Azul (Minca)
  A refreshing natural pool and waterfall near Minca.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Playa Cristal (Tayrona)
  A clear water beach good for snorkelling.

Must-Haves

• Minca (Minca)
  A cool hill village of waterfalls, coffee farms and birdwatching.

Fun for Everyone

• Parque de los Novios (Centro Histórico)
  A lively square surrounded by restaurants and bars.

Off the Beaten Path

• Palomino (Palomino)
  Float down the river on a tube to the Caribbean.
• La Victoria Coffee Farm (Minca)
  A historic coffee farm with original machinery still running on water power.

Must-Haves

• Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino (Mamatoco)
  The hacienda where Simón Bolívar died, with a museum and gardens.

Fun for Everyone

• Museo del Oro Tairona (Centro Histórico)
  A small Gold Museum in the old customs house.

Great for Date Night

• Ouzo (Parque de los Novios)
  Mediterranean cooking with a wood oven in the historic centre.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Lulo Café Bar (Centro Histórico)
  Arepas, juices and casual meals in the old town.
• Fried fish stalls at Taganga (Taganga)
  Fresh fried fish by the bay.

Fun for Everyone

• La Brisa Loca (Centro Histórico)
  A busy hostel rooftop bar.

Off the Beaten Path

• Casa Elemento (Minca)
  A mountain hostel famous for its giant hammock.

Great for Date Night

• Ecohabs Tayrona (Tayrona)
  Thatched cabins inside the national park.

Fun for Everyone

• Fiesta del Mar (Santa Marta)
  A July festival with water sports, parades and music.

Must-Haves

• La Topa Tolondra (San Antonio)
  The city's most popular salsa bar for dancing.

Great for Date Night

• Zaperoco Bar (Granada)
  A classic salsa bar with vinyl and live music.

Must-Haves

• Barrio San Antonio (San Antonio)
  A colonial hilltop neighbourhood with cafés and a church overlooking the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Delirio (Cali)
  A circus, salsa and music show, held monthly.
• Salsa class at Swing Latino (Cali)
  Learn salsa caleña from the dance school famous for its show.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Galería Alameda (Alameda)
  A market of Pacific fish, fruit and food stalls.

Must-Haves

• El Zaguán de San Antonio (San Antonio)
  A restaurant serving traditional dishes with a rooftop view.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Cholados in Parque del Perro (San Fernando)
  Try cholado, a fruit and shaved ice dessert.

Fun for Everyone

• Cristo Rey (Cali)
  A giant statue of Christ on the hills with a view.

Off the Beaten Path

• Zoológico de Cali (Santa Teresita)
  The city zoo, known for its Colombian species.

Fun for Everyone

• Museo La Tertulia (Centro)
  Modern art museum by the river.

Must-Haves

• Feria de Cali (City wide)
  Late December salsa parades and concerts.

Off the Beaten Path

• Festival Petronio Álvarez (Cali)
  A festival of Pacific music, food and culture held in August.