Between the Pacific and the Caribbean
Colombia is the only South American country to border on two oceans: the Pacific, on its west coast, and the Atlantic, on its north coast. The Pacific coastline (1,448 km between Panama and Ecuador) is isolated and wild, while the Atlantic coastline (1,760 km between Panama and Venezuela) is much more populated and touristy, with major cities such as Barranquilla and Cartagena. The Pacific coasts are difficult to access and not very popular with tourists, with the exception of Bahía Solano and Nuquí, two coastal villages in the department of Chocó, which are popular with travellers wishing to enjoy nature activities and discover Afro-Colombian cultures. Buenaventura, a four-hour drive west of Cali, is the country's largest cargo port. This coast is home to some little-known natural wonders. Unfortunately, much of the region is in the hands of armed groups who exploit gold mines in the middle of the jungle, or transport drug shipments by sea... The sunnier Caribbean coast is one of the country's most interesting regions in terms of history and popular culture, of which the Barranquilla carnival is one of the most striking expressions. Beyond its colonial jewels (Cartagena, Mompox), the river, desert and mountain landscapes of the hinterland enchant the traveller.
Far away islands
When talking about the Caribbean region, besides a lot of islands south of Cartagena, such as the Rosary Islands or those of the San Bernardo archipelago, it is often forgotten that Colombia has an archipelago lost 700 km northwest of its continental coast. It is closer to Nicaragua (240 km) than to Colombia, which has generated some conflicts of sovereignty over the maritime space around these islands. The archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina is accessible by plane from Bogotá or Cartagena. San Andrés is relatively flat and is dedicated to mass tourism. Providencia and Santa Catalina, located on the third largest barrier reef in the world, have more relief and an island culture that has remained very authentic. Hurricane Iota in November 2020 unfortunately took a toll on the small islands, but its resilient population is back on track and welcomes back diving and postcard beach enthusiasts.
Colombia also has wild islands on the Pacific side. Malpelo Island (540 km from the coast) and Gorgona Island (56 km from the coast) are very isolated, but those who have a large budget and want to dive in the middle of a spectacular marine fauna will really feel at the end of the world!
Three mountain ranges and isolated massifs
The Andes cordillera ends its journey in northern Colombia. It has already crossed Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. In the department of Nariño, at the "Node de los Pastos", the Andes divide into three ranges: Cordillera Occidental, Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental. This Andean region is home to a multitude of ecosystems that have evolved with altitude. The páramo biotope, between the limit of high altitude forests and eternal snow (between 3,100 and 4,500 m), is characteristic of Colombia, which boasts almost half of the world's páramos, including the largest, the Páramo de Sumapaz, located 30 km south of Bogotá. This soggy, high-altitude steppe is the country's main water reserve. If you're not afraid of altitude or humidity, this is a real ecosystem to discover. Some páramos are quite easy to access, with marked trails. These include Los Nevados National Park, Chingaza National Park (near Bogotá) and Páramo de Ocetá (near Monguí). Here, hikers can admire the emblematic frailejón, an endemic plant of which there are some fifty species. Still in this Andean region, but at lower thermal levels, we find fertile, well-watered land and densely populated areas. This is where the country's largest metropolitan areas are located: Bogotá (11 million inhabitants) in the Cordillera Oriental, Medellín (4 million) in the Cordillera Central, and Cali (3.2 million) in the Cordillera Occidental. The Cordillera Oriental branches off towards Venezuela and ends up in the Guajira at the Sierra de Perijá. The Cordillera Central and Cordillera Occidental also sink into the north of the country, disappearing in the departments of Bolívar and Antioquia. Some of the peaks are very high, with glaciers and eternal snow(los nevados). Superb treks can be made here, as in the Los Nevados National Park, with six volcanoes over 4,500 m high, or in the remote Sierra Nevada del Cocuy in eastern Boyacá, dominated by Ritacuba Blanco at 5,330 m.
Outside the Andean region, a number of mountain ranges stand out. In the Caribbean region, these include los Montes de María, la Serranía del Baudó, la Serranía del Darién, la Serranía de los Saltos and la Serranía de Macuira, and of course the extraordinary Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, considered the highest coastal mountain system in the world: just 42 km from the Caribbean Sea lie the country's two highest peaks, Cristóbal Colón (5,775 m) and Simón Bolívar (5,774 m). To admire the snow-capped peaks from the beach, you need to get there early, at dawn, before the humidity makes them disappear into the clouds for the rest of the day.. The eastern plains of the Orinoco (Llanos) are home to other massifs outside the Andes cordillera, such as the Sierra de la Macarena and the Serranía de Chiribiquete, with their spectacular tepuys, steep-cliffed sandstone plateaus emerging from unspoilt rainforest. Located at the confluence of the Orinoco, Amazon, Guyanas and northern Andes, these formations, estimated to be over 1.7 billion years old, are among the oldest in the world.
Majestic rivers
From these high mountains, hundreds of rivers and streams are born and spread throughout the territory. Colombia is one of the richest countries in the world in water resources. The rios (rivers) have carved deep valleys between the mountain ranges. This is the case of the Magdalena river which crosses the country from south to north. It has its source near San Agustin (Huila), and continues its course between the Central and Eastern Cordilleras, to flow into the Caribbean Sea, in Bocas de Ceniza, near Barranquilla. It is the longest river in Colombia (1,540 km) and a national emblem. As Colombians like to tell it, this is where progress came to the country: from the port of Barranquilla, boats loaded with modern goods went up the river to the interior of the country. In addition to the rivers, the country has countless lakes and lagoons. The Laguna de Tota (Boyacá) is the largest natural lake in the country. Lake Calima, north of Cali, was created by a dam. Very windy, it is an essential spot for kitesurfing and other water sports. The lagoons, like the famous Laguna de Guatavita, are mostly born above 3,000 m of altitude, they must be distinguished from the ciénagas which are formed in the marshy lowlands, like the enormous Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (50,000 km²).
The Orinoco Basin and the Amazon
The Llanos and the Amazon represent about 70% of the national territory. The Amazon (41% of the Colombian territory), the lung of the planet, shares its rivers and forests with Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. A treasure that can be easily discovered from Leticia, capital of the Amazonas department, two hours by plane from Bogotá. The Orinoco region(Los Llanos), which extends into Venezuela, is made up of vast plains distributed among the departments of Arauca, Casanare, Meta and Vichada. In this Colombian "far east", there are large farms dedicated to livestock, but also vast natural areas, such as the Sierra de la Macarena and its famous Caño Cristales, the "river of five colors". There are also unsuspected treasures, such as the thousand-year-old cave paintings of the Serranía de Chiribiquete National Park.
An earth that rumbles
Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Colombia has many volcanoes, some of which are active, such as Purace, Nevado del Huila, Nevado del Ruiz, Nevado del Tolima, Galeras, Santa Isabel, etc. Access to some of them may be prohibited in case of risk of eruption. This is the case since 2012 of Nevado del Ruiz (5 320 m), accessible only up to 4 200 m. This volcano is the cause of the most serious natural disaster in the country: the Tragedia de Armero. After 160 years of sleep, the volcano woke up on November 13, 1985. The eruption caused the melting of the snow, which turned into gigantic flows of mud, ash and rock. These lahars buried more than 25,000 inhabitants of the city of Armero and its surroundings. You may remember the terrible images of Omayra Sanchez, a little girl with big black eyes dying for three days in front of the helpless rescue workers... Earthquakes(terremotos) can also be felt for a few seconds. Rare are those that cause major damage, but some have left their mark on history, like the one of January 25, 1999 in the coffee region. With a magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale, it destroyed three quarters of the city of Armenia, leaving more than 1,200 people dead or missing.
