in the colombian part of a region many call amazonia; leticia is a hospitable and comfortable city, surrounded by paths that lead to fascinating places in the amazonas jungle, making it the main travel destination in the area. the path to tarapaca, a huitoto indian village, leads to the tanimboca reservation, part of which is a 45m high platform built amid trees. in tanimboca you can climb 35m high trees and slide 80m from one tree to another through the beautiful forest canopy. motor boats also set forth from the pier in leticia to the isla de los micos (monkey island), 450 hectares of primary forest full of birds, mammals and apes. along the way you will encounter the yabarí river, with its sites for nature lovers to admire pink dolphins, black caimans, and the victoria regia lily.

baru & rosario islands, san andres & providencia, gorgona and malpelo.

rosario islands: the corales del rosario y san bernardo national natural park is perfect for observing colorful coral reefs in shallow waters. located at 45 km from the bay of cartagena, the park protects underwater ecosystems, mainly the coral reefs, which are fragile ecosystems, inhabited by a multitude of invertebrate species and a variety of fish whose movements and colors resemble ballet choreography.

baru island: this is a 28 km long island south of cartagena, with fine, white sand and delightful underwater gardens. access to the island is possible by crossing the bay of cartagena on a boat or taking a ferry across the canal del dique which separates this peninsula from the main land. playa blanca is a 2 km long undeveloped beach and cholon is where some wealthy persons build their beach properties.

san andres island: the colombian archipelago is approximately 750 km (470 mi) from the colombian main land and about 230 km (140 mi) east of nicaragua. its beaches, bathed by a seven-color sea made placid and safe by coral barriers, are the main attraction. the following are worth mentioning: bahía sardina (spratt bight) located in the northern part of the island, near the main hotel and tourist sector. it is a city beach with white sand shaded by palms and a nice view of the johnny cay island.

providencia island: 72 kilometers north of san andrés is the island of providencia, a unique destination declared a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. on account of its geographical isolation, its primitive infrastructure, and a population of only 4.000 inhabitants, it is the ideal site for relaxing in an absolutely natural environment. thanks to its 20 km coral barrier, it offers splendid conditions for diving. its beaches are solitary, beautiful, and extremely peaceful. (foto from colombia.travel)

malpelo island: the malpelo sanctuary of flora and fauna is a rocky archipelago formed by the island of malpelo and eleven isolated crags in the colombian pacific ocean, 506 km west of the port of buenaventura. naked slopes, spattered with white from the blue masked boobies nesting colonies, determine the island’s appearance. the abundance and diversity of marine species in the surrounding waters is truly amazing. UNESCO declared the area a world natural heritage site by virtue of its marine biodiversity. (foto from malpelo foundation)







gorgona island: a small 25 km² island that is home to a natural paradise and a mecca for eco-tourism and fauna and flora research due to its coral reef and tropical rainforest ecosystems. UNESCO declared the island a world heritage site in 1984. the following year, the colombian government acknowledged it as a natural park. prior to this, from 1959 to 1982, it was a maximum security prison for the country’s most dangerous criminals. (foto from colombia.travel)

these are the most interesting island destinations of colombia. most of them are extraordinary and world famous scuba diving spots. the natural parks that formed around each one, shows how engaged colombia is in protecting its natural beauty and wildlife.

santa marta

founded in july 29, 1525 by the spanish conqueror rodrigo de bastidas, which making it the oldest existing city in colombia (and oldest city on the americans continent). located between the sierra nevada mountains and the caribbean sea, the city is a popular tourist destination due to its history, colonial architecture, beaches and nearby nature reserves.

we recommend it as a stop over to the tayrona park and sierra nevada attractions.

tayrona park and lost city.

the tayrona park features probably the most beautiful and untouched beaches of colombia. it consists of 15.000 hectares, 3.000 of which are marine. thousands of colorful animal and vegetable species, distributed from sea level to 5.775m, inhabit the reserve. the park has over 108 species of mammals, among which howling monkeys, ocelots, corn monkeys, deer and over 70 species of bats stand out. bird species, including the white and lone eagles, number over 300. close to 110 coral, 471 crustacean and 700 mollusk species live in its oceans.




pico cristóbal colón is the highest mountain in colombia, with an estimated height of 5.775m. it is also the highest coastal mountain and the fifth most prominent in the world. it is located in the sierra nevada of santa marta, protected by the indigenous groups and can not be climbed due to the religious relevance for the indigenous groups. the tayrona culture inhabited the sierra nevada prior to the spanish conquest. following the conquest, its population of around one million inhabitants began to decrease to the point that it almost disappeared. at present, four indigenous communities that preserve their ancient traditions amount to about 30.000 people. they are the kogis, arhuacos, wiwas, and kankuamos.





ciudad perdida (spanish for "lost city") is the archaeological site of an ancient city in sierra nevada, colombia. it is believed to have been founded about 800 ad, some 650 years earlier than machu picchu. this location is also known as buritaca and the native americans call it teyuna.

you can do trekking or fly over by helicopter with us.

la guajira

a peninsula full of contrasts provided by the sea, sand, coal, cactuses, and a small green oasis. it is the home of the wayúu indians – sons and daughters of the land and the rain - where reality blends with fantasy and the weaving of very artistic handicrafts.

1-2 days should be enough to capture the magic and color of this destination.

(foto by tokyo tanenhaus)

santander region - san gil, barichara and canyon de chicamocha

located around 96 km south from bucaramanga on the road to bogota, san gil has developed a huge variety of adventure and extreme sports attraction. the wild and unpredictable geography of santander creates the sort of scenario that adventure sports-lovers really enjoy. 70m high waterfalls, caves with many different levels of difficulty, rockfaces for climbers, rushing and unpredictable rivers, and steep tracks up the mountainsides for trekkers.





only 20 min from san gil is the pintoresque village of barichara which was declared national heritage and also "the most beautiful colonial village of colombia". barichara stands there just as it was in the days of the spanish colonies, beautiful and well-reserved. the houses remind one of andalucia, with white walls, red tiles and yellow stone floors – unique in the world – proudly demonstrating the patience of the masons who erected this village block by blocks.








the chicamocha canyon is a colombian natural attraction which was selected to be one of the new "seven natural wonders of the world". you will surely confirm the day you stand on top of it.
the chicamocha river runs along the bottom of the fault to join the fonce and suárez rivers and further on, the copious sogamoso river. it is 227 km long. with a depth of approximately 2 km, this canyon is deeper than the famous colorado canyon. there is a 6.3 km-long aerial tramway with 38 cabins and 3 stations, which crosses the entire canyon.

(fotos from colombia.travel)

medellin

due to the beauty of its women, the warmth and friendliness of its people, the year-round spring-like weather, and its gorgeous flowers and mountains, medellín attracts like a magnet. as the second biggest city of colombia, it offers a great gastronomic, commercial and tourist offer, it provides countless opportunities for leisure vacations and business.

we recommend at least 3 days to be able to enjoy the nearby attractions like the peñol lake with its famous over 200m high volcanic stone.