Colombia
Rainforest, desert, Caribbean coast and three mountain ranges, in one country. Cartagena for the colour, Medellín for the energy, and a coffee region where the entire point is doing nothing
Where to stay
Hotel Casa San Agustín
Cartagena · walled city · three 17th-century mansions
Three seventeenth-century mansions with an aqueduct running through the courtyard.
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Three connected seventeenth-century whitewashed mansions in Cartagena's walled city, with a restored colonial aqueduct framing the courtyard and pool. There's the Aurum Spa, the Alma restaurant doing Colombian-Caribbean cooking, a rooftop terrace and a library where the cocktails are complimentary. Breakfast is included and private beach excursions can be arranged. It's a Leading Hotels of the World property.
Three connected 17th-century mansions
Historic aqueduct framing the courtyard and pool
Aurum Spa and the Alma restaurant
Rooftop terrace and library with complimentary cocktails
Leading Hotels of the World
The Click Clack Hotel Medellín
Medellín · El Poblado · near Lleras Park
A rooftop pool over El Poblado, in a hotel designed like a rainforest
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One hundred and twenty-three rooms in El Poblado near Lleras Park and Provenza, with rainforest-inspired design, a rooftop pool over the city, three restaurants, a rooftop lounge with live music and a poolside bar. Medellín sits at around 1,500 metres, which is why they call it the city of eternal spring — it hovers near 22°C more or less permanently.
123 rooms in El Poblado
Rooftop pool with city views
Rooftop lounge with live music
Three restaurants and a poolside bar
Walk to Lleras Park and Provenza
Four Seasons Hotel Bogotá Casa Medina
Bogotá · historic building
Sixty-two rooms in a historic building, in the middle of Bogotá's restaurant district.
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Sixty-two rooms in a historic property in Zona G, Bogotá's restaurant district, sitting between the old city and the modern neighbourhoods. There's a full spa doing body wraps and aromatherapy, the Castanyoles Spanish restaurant, a garden and a library. One practical note: Bogotá is at 2,640 metres, so give yourself a gentle first day before doing anything strenuous.
62 rooms in a historic building
Zona G, Bogotá's restaurant district
Full-service spa
Castanyoles restaurant, garden and library
Between the historic old city and the modern districts
8 Bucket List things to do in Colombia
10 of the best Colombian Tours
The best places to stay in Colombia
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Colombia has more bird species than any other country on earth — over 1,900 — and the second-greatest biodiversity after Brazil.
The Coffee Cultural Landscape is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Bogotá sits at 2,640 metres. High enough that altitude is worth taking seriously on your first day.
Medellín is the city of eternal spring — around 1,500m, and roughly 22°C all year.
Colombia has both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines, and they are nothing like one another.
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Best time — December to March and July to August are the driest months across most of the country. Cartagena and the Caribbean coast are hot year-round; Bogotá is cool and changeable whatever the season, so pack a layer regardless.
Getting around — Domestic flights are cheap and the practical way between regions — the mountains make road journeys far longer than the map suggests. In cities, use Uber, DiDi or Cabify rather than hailing on the street.
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Colombia has changed enormously, and the cities on this page — Cartagena, Medellín, Bogotá — are well used to independent travellers. The sensible approach is ordinary city sense applied a little more firmly: book cars through an app rather than hailing them, don't walk unfamiliar areas after dark, and keep your phone out of sight on the street. Locals have a phrase for it — no dar papaya, roughly “don't give anyone the opportunity”. Follow it and Colombia is one of the most rewarding countries in South America to travel alone.
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