Pretty catchy for a tourism slogan isn’t it? The Colombian government knows the country’s reputation is an obstacle that needs to be overcome in order to increase tourism. So they’ve created Colombia.Travel (www.colombia.travel), a web portal with tons of info and photos showing the amazing diversity of the country.
“El riesgo es que te quieras quedar” or “The only risk is wanting to stay” is their slogan and after visiting for two weeks, I couldn’t agree more.
Colombia: The Only Risk is Wanting to Stay
I was excited when I first got invited to go to Colombia and when I told family and friends about my upcoming visit, I got some very interesting reactions. Most people were surprised and didn’t think Colombia was an ideal tourism destination
There’s no denying that Colombia has a bad reputation but like so many countries that have had conflicted pasts, Colombia is emerging as culturally fascinating and naturally beautiful place to visit.
Being one out of the lucky group of travel companies and journalists to be invited by the Colombian Government on a FAM or “familiarization” trip – a scuba diving trip no less, I was eager to see what it would be like.
San Andres & Providencia islands in Colombia
Our first week was spent in the Caribbean islands of San Andrés and Providencia, located closer to the coasts of Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but which belong to Colombia. These islands move to a reggae rhythm, with gorgeous turquoise waters and a mixed culture of warm and friendly people who speak Spanish, Creole and English. There are beachside reggae bars, tons of great restaurants serving up delicious fresh fish and seafood dishes, and lots of diving opportunities.
Colombia’s islands are a great place to learn to dive because of the warm, clear water, not to mention the friendly, helpful and knowledgeable instructors. We saw incredible stingrays, a nurse shark, lobsters, moray eels and lots of other tropical fish, corals and sponges. There are also sea turtles found along the islands, definitely a special treat to see. Although some other professional divers found the scenery to be only mildly impressive, for a new diver, diving in and around San Andres and Providencia was a wonderful and unforgettable experience. 
Cartagena de Indias, Tayrona National Park & Bogota, Colombia
The next week was spent exploring Cartagena de Indias, the incredible colonial city on the Caribbean coast, as well as other coastal towns, Tayrona National Park, and ending up in the capital city, Bogotá. Cartagena was a photographer’s (or just any old tourist’s) dream. The colourful buildings from hundreds of years ago with balconies overflowing with flowers as well as ancient forts and walls surrounding the city make it one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Bogota is another interesting city and the 3rd highest in the world at 2,640m (7920 ft). It is much cooler, like perpetual spring or fall, than the rest of the areas we visited which were around 27 degrees celsius (about 84 F) all day and night. It has beautiful shopping areas with long boulevards lined with cafes and the “old city” where the president’s home and Simon Bolivar plaza can be toured. This was the only area where there was a military presence and used mainly for prevention as there haven’t been any problems in Bogota for some time now.
While I was already impressed by the diversity in culture and landscape to be found in the country, I met some travel professionals at a trade show on the final day of the trip who spoke of their regions, each one vastly different than the next. The coffee highlands where the famous Colombian coffee is grown, the desert region, the Amazon region and the mountainous areas where you can find every type of adventure imaginable. They certainly peaked my interest in another trip some day!
Find out more details about this trip to Colombia and other destinations I’ve visited on GreenSpot.travel/blog where I kept a detailed travel journal!