Colombia Guide

Colombia is a land of astonishing natural beauty, inhabited by hospitable and open people. The country's principal novelist, Gabriel García Márquez, captures this magic perfectly in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Don't let Colombia's well-documented problems put you off.

Bogotá's urban mishmash spreads out from the Plaza de Bolívar, a short stroll from the red-tiled roofs of the old colonial district of La Candelaria. Head north to the Caribbean for the churches and plazas of Cartagena's walled old town, or west for Medellín's modern skyscrapers and sculpture park.

Wonder at enigmatic, stone statues in San Augustín's verdant countryside. Ride horses through lush valleys in the Zona Cafetera. Get a taste of the Amazon on a jungle trek in Leticia. Hike to the Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) through the Sierra Nevada mountains, or dive the coral reefs off the Santa Marta Caribbean coast.

Find rich, smooth and aromatic Colombian coffee nationwide. Seek out the best emeralds, for the most reasonable prices, in Bogotá and track down the finest filigree gold jewellery in Mompós. Go artisanal in Boyacá, where basketry and pottery are specialities. Snap up fashion bargains and luxury leather bags and boots in Medellín.

Try Bogotano speciality, ajiaco in the capital's restaurants. A hearty chicken and potato soup, it is served with corn on the cob, cream and avocado. For the seriously hungry, bandeja paisa comes with minced beef, blood sausage, pork crackling and beans. Caribbean coastal favourites include savoury coconut rice with sizzling fried red snapper.

An efficient, high-speed bus line, the TransMilenio, has revolutionised public transport in Bogotá. Modern, articulated buses zip down dedicated lanes with numerous elevated stations.