This new, fourth edition of Bradt's Colombia has been thoroughly updated to include the most recent developments in this emerging South American destination and to bring to the fore the country's fast-developing ecotourism offering. After decades of trouble, Colombia now offers one of South America's most exciting new travel experiences: following the 2016 peace accord, tourism is rapidly reviving as a key economic driver. Moreover, with direct flights from the US to several Colombian cities, including the Caribbean hotspot of Cartagena, accessibility is straightforward.
Ranked the world's third most beautiful country by Forbes Magazine, the country has nature at its heart. By some estimates, Colombia houses a staggering 10% of the planet's animal and plant species: pink river dolphins swim in the Amazon near Leticia, ocelots slip between the trees in vine-tangled rainforest and birdwatchers marvel at avian riches in the vast savannah of Los Llanos and various mountain ranges.
In historic Bogotá, the capital, you can gaze in awe at the shimmering pre-Columbian treasures in the Museo de Oro that eluded the gold-greedy conquistadors, enjoy fine dining at one of the Americas' best restaurants, and tour the city's street art. Elsewhere, discover Mompós, a colonial backwater undergoing a renaissance with its traditional silver jewellery shops and international jazz festival, and explore the UNESCO Seaflower Biosphere Reserve in the San Andrés Archipelago, plus Providencia, the least developed and visited island in the entire Caribbean.
Alternatively, why not go stargazing amid lunar landscapes in the Tatacoa Desert, cruise the Magdalena River from Cartagena to Barranquilla, watch humpback whales along the Pacific Coast, learn to wrangle cattle during the Coleo festival in Villavicencio, visit ancient rock paintings in unexplored Guaviare, try the traditional fermented tipple of the original Muisca people, admire the rainbow river of Caño Cristales or explore the untouched jungles of Chiribiquete National Park.
New elements of this edition - updated by Latin American specialists who have worked on dozens of guidebooks - include coverage of Yopal, San José del Guaviare, Caqueta, Vichada, Guainia and Palomino. Whatever floats your boat, Bradt's Colombia has you covered.
Sarah Woods is an award-winning travel writer who has spent extended periods in Central and South America. She writes about the region for newspapers, magazines and online publications, alongside lecturing regularly across Europe and the USA. She has also worked on TV documentaries about Colombia's former president Álvaro Uribe, Colombia's ancient tombs and the centenary of the Panama Canal. Her dozen travel books include Bradt's Panama guidebook and the travel narrative On a Wing and a Prayer, about her journey to the heart of the rainforest. She won the PSA award (2013) for broadcasting and the Kenneth Westcott Prize in both 2007 and 2008.
