According to mathgeneral, Colombia is a country in South America bordering Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Panama. The capital of Colombia is Bogota. A number of large cities in Colombia are: Medellín and Cali.
Colombia is a country with many faces. After years of a drug war, it has been relatively quiet and safe in Colombia in recent years. In recent years, Colombia has become increasingly popular as a holiday destination because of the great diversity that the country has to offer. You will find snowy mountain peaks, a desert, jungles, mangroves, small mountain villages and lots of colorful art. According to internetsailors, Colombia also has a long coastline with clear blue water and beautiful sandy beaches. You can practice various water sports there, such as diving. Colombia is also known for the production of coffee beans, bananas, cigars and unfortunately also cocaine.
Where is Colombia located?
Travel information of Colombia
Official name: Republic of Colombia
Continent: South America
Area: 1,138,914 km²
Capital: Bogota
Country code: CO, COL
Population: 50,372,424 inhabitants (2020)
Form of government: Republic
Highest point: 5,700 m (Pico Cristóbal Colón and Pico Simón Bolívar)
Distance (Amsterdam – Bogota): 8,858 km
Flight time: approximately 11 hours and 15 minutes
Travel advice
Current status: All travel to certain areas in Colombia is discouraged.
Current color code: Yellow, orange and red. Due to this status, a partial negative travel advice
is in effect for Colombia.
Corona
Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19), there may be (temporary) measures in place in Colombia that you as a tourist may have to deal with. For the most up-to-date corona travel advice, please refer to our special coronavirus travel advice page. For the number of current corona infections, number of deaths and various corona-related graphs of Colombia, please visit Countryaah.
Travel offer
On our travel offer page you will find an overview of reliable travel organizations that offer complete trips and holidays to Colombia. In addition, you will find an overview of separate travel components (car rental, hotels and airline tickets) with which you can compose your ideal trip yourself.
Travel guides and maps
Are you looking for a travel guide, map, walking map, cycling map, book or DVD about Colombia?
Excursions, activities and day trips
With the help of Countryaah you can reserve an excursion, activity, guided tour, entrance ticket and/or day trip for your stay in Colombia at a discount. This way you are assured of a place, in some cases you can skip the queue and you can already plan your travel program.
Weather and climate
Colombia has a temperate climate with a tropical climate on the coast. You can see the climate as follows:
Up to 1,000 meters, an average of 24 degrees (83% of the country).
1,000 to 2,000 meters, an average of 17-24 degrees (9% of the country).
2,000 to 3,000 meters, an average of 12-17 degrees (6% of the country).
3,000 meters and above (peaks of the Andes).
The current weather (weather forecast) and a weather forecast for Colombia can be found on our extensive weather page.
Detailed information about the climate of Colombia can be found at Climate info.
Best time
January, February, July, August and September are the best months to travel to Colombia. This avoids the months with the greatest chance of precipitation.
Language
Spanish is the official language in Colombia. In addition, there are several local languages (about 60).
Would you like to translate from or into Spanish for free? Use the Google translator for this.
Travel documents
You must have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon arrival in Colombia.
A visa is not necessary if you stay in Colombia for less than 90 days.
Embassies and consulates
Below is an overview of relevant diplomatic representations, including addresses and contact details.
Netherlands Embassy in Colombia: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Dutch consulates in Colombia: netherlandsworldwide.nl.
Colombian Embassy and Consulate in the Netherlands: rijksoverheid.nl.
For urgent assistance, you can contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 24/7 on +31247247247.
Vaccination (inoculation)
Before visiting Colombia it is advisable to get one or more vaccinations.
For extensive vaccination advice and to make a vaccination appointment at home, please visit Thuisvaccinatie.nl. You can also see here whether your health insurance reimburses the vaccination(s).
Malaria Malaria
occurs in Colombia (with the exception of Bogota, Cartagena, Manizales, Pasto and San Andrès Island). Malaria is an infectious disease transmitted by malaria mosquitoes. This infectious disease can lead to death if not treated in time and/or incorrectly.
For prevention and control of malaria, please visit our malaria page.
Money and Currency
In Colombia, people pay with the Colombian peso (COP).
The current position of this currency (currency, currency) can be found on our exchange rate page.
An overview of all ATMs in Colombia can be found on our ATMs page.
Price level
Prices in Colombia are much lower than in the Netherlands. The price difference with the Netherlands is -52% on average. Some examples are: restaurants (69% cheaper), food (47% cheaper), imported beer in catering (50% cheaper), cigarettes (79% cheaper) and public transport (77% cheaper). Please note that the price difference in tourist areas, especially during high season, may vary.
Tipping
In Colombia it is customary to tip. If no service costs have been calculated yet, a tip of approximately 10% is given. Sometimes restaurant owners themselves deduct tips from the change. Cheap restaurants don’t expect a tip.
Time difference
During our summer time it is 7 hours earlier in Colombia.
During our winter time it is 6 hours earlier in Colombia.
Colombia has no difference in winter time and summer time.
The local time, date and time zone for Colombia can be found on our time difference page.
Traffic and route
In Colombia you have to drive on the right. You must have an international driver’s license
to drive and/or rent a motor vehicle in Colombia. The international driver’s license is available at an ANWB shop. With the Google route planner you can compile a route description from, to or within Colombia.
Electricity
In Colombia you need a travel plug. In addition, in some cases you need an inverter.
More information about common plugs and sockets in Colombia can be found on our electricity page.
Emergency services
If you need help from the police, fire brigade and/or ambulance in an emergency, you can use the emergency numbers below.
– Police: 156
– Fire: 119
– Ambulance: 132
The international number 112 can also be used here.
Tap water
It is not recommended to drink water from the tap.
If you are unable to buy bottled water, use a water purifier to purify the water or boil the water for 5 minutes. After this you can safely use it as drinking water and for things like brushing teeth, cleaning lenses and washing vegetables and / or fruit. More information about drinking water and/or the purchase of water purification products can be found on our drinking water page.
News and newspapers
The latest news related to Colombia can be found on Google news.
An overview of the newspapers from Colombia can be found on Abyznewslinks.
Internet
Websites from Colombia end in.co.
Colombia’s official website: presidencia.gov.co and colombia.travel.
Telephony
The country code (international access code) to call someone in Colombia is 0057 or +57.
Do you want to call the Netherlands from Colombia? Then use the Dutch country code: 0044431 if you call Comcel, 00531 with Orbitel, 00731 with ETB and 00931 with Telefonica.
(If using a country code, omit the leading 0 of the number to be called.)
Phone numbers can be found in the Colombia Telephone Directory.
Company details can be found in the Yellow Pages of Colombia.
Photos and videos
On Flickr you will find a nice collection of photos of Colombia.
On Youtube you will find a nice collection of videos from Colombia.
Public holidays
An overview of all public holidays in Colombia can be found on Beleven.org.
Reviews and travel experiences
On Zoover and TripAdvisor you will find reviews from travelers about accommodations (eg hotels and holiday homes), restaurants and destinations in Colombia, supplemented with photos, videos and points of interest.
Travelogues
Are you looking for a travelogue about Colombia?
Here you will find travel reports and experiences of travelers who have visited Colombia before. It is also possible to keep a free diary of your trip for family and/or friends.
Nature and world heritage
An overview of the protected nature areas (including national parks, reserves and wildlife parks) in Colombia can be found on Protected Planet.
An overview of the world heritage sites in Colombia can be found on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Customs rules
Do you want to know how much you are allowed to import and export when traveling to Colombia? On the IATA website you will find an overview with the maximum quantities of cigarettes, alcohol, perfume and money, among other things. If you stick to these quantities, you don’t have to declare anything to customs. In addition, on this website you will find the laws and regulations regarding the importation of pets and a list of everything that may not be imported and/or exported to Colombia.
Entrepreneurship and doing business
If you are planning to do business in or do business with Colombia, it is wise to prepare well. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can help you with this. On PaulSourcing.com you will find a large amount of information about Colombia, including: opportunities, import and export regulations, trade figures, do’s and don’ts, product requirements, business partners and subsidies.
Relevant legislation
Below you will find relevant legislation and regulations that you may encounter during your visit to Colombia.
– Alcohol: Buying and/or drinking from the age of 18.
– Alcohol and traffic: The maximum permitted blood alcohol level is 0.4.
– Tobacco: Buy from the age of 18, smoking at all ages.
– Smoking ban: In public places.
– Homosexuality: Allowed
Did you know that…
…Colombia is the world leader in sugar production?
…20% of all bird species live in Colombia?
…Colombian women have only had the right to vote since 1975?
…Colombia is exactly on the equator?
…The singer Shakira is of Colombian descent?
…Colombia mines 60% of the world’s emeralds?
Our verdict on Colombia as a travel destination
Colombia has long been known for the drug war that raged there. In the meantime, this war has almost completely been suppressed and most of Colombia is safe to visit. Tourism has been booming in recent years. Because of the diversity of the country and the hospitable, friendly people, it is ideal for a tour. Large colonial cities full of history and vast beaches, but also tropical rainforests and snowy mountain peaks. You can discover this yourself by rental car on the many good roads or by means of the well-organized and cheap public transport. Even domestic flights will only cost you a few tenners. In 2019, Colombia formed the backdrop for the popular TV series ‘Wie is de mol?’.
