With landscapes that tumble from snow-dappled Andean peaks to paradisiacal white sand beaches, it should come as no surprise that Colombia packs a whole raft of hiking trails to explore.
Trekking can be a hot, humid affair in the lowlands and a lung-busting adventure in the mountainous national parks, but there’s no better way to explore this remarkable terrain than on a hike.
Following decades of conflict concentrated in rural areas, the demobilization of some key armed groups has paved the way for access to trails in some of Colombia’s once inaccessible remote outposts. While some trails are signposted, most are not, so hiking in Colombia safely often requires the assistance of a local guide, whose knowledge of the fragile ecosystems and local customs are invaluable.
Getting out onto the trails is a way of seeing Colombia in a new light. This isn’t just a place of vivacious cities and infectious rhythms, but also a country home to enchanting archaeological sites, rare endemic wildlife and dizzyingly high-altitude scenery.
Hikers of all stripes gravitate to the Ciudad Perdida (Lost City) trek, Colombia's most mystical trail. This epic route is the country’s answer to the Inca Trail, but where Peru’s legendary mountaintop fortress teems with tourists, the lost city hidden away in Colombia's Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range sees very few visitors.
It helps that the former stronghold of the Tairona people can only be reached by a five-day trek, discouraging fair-weather hikers. And visitor numbers have yet to fully recover from pre-pandemic levels, making now an excellent time to take on the adventure. It’s a steep, sweaty and sometimes grueling slog through seemingly impenetrable jungle, although crystalline swimming holes and hammocks slung with mosquito nets make for welcome stops en-route.
Early on day four, a flight of 1200 stone steps delivers you to the silent grounds of this 32-hectare city, where tendrils of jungle still cling to the remarkably preserved remains of circular stone terraces, plazas and storehouses once used by a population of more than 4000 people.
You can only reach the Ciudad Perdida as part of an organized trek, so arrange your tour in Santa Marta. All trekking companies and guides are local, ensuring your money flows directly back into the communities you pass through along the way.
Snowy peaks might be an unexpected sight in the tropics, but that's what you'll find in Parque Nacional Natural Los Nevados. A cluster of 5000m (16,400ft) volcanic peaks rising from the lush hillsides of Colombia’s main coffee region, the park attracts
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Even if you have status on every airline under the sun, jet lag is no joke. Whenever I find myself embracing my inner zombie too much, I do two things: hike and hydrate. Both activities instantly wake me up. It doesn’t matter where I am—and as a travel writer, I go through countries like a golden retriever goes through tennis balls—this is my modus operandi. Walk, water, repeat. That said, I don’t carry cumbersome water bottles that leak or constantly need refilling. Whether I’m hiking the Appalachian Trail or exploring Incan ruins in the Andes, the Camelbak M.U.L.E. Hydration Pack is always on my back.
Every couple of years when I was growing up, my family would embark on a European vacation. My dad is Italian, and my mom is Spanish, so we'd fly to their respective countries to see family and do some sightseeing.
BIO Habitat Hotel is comprised of 28 habitats, or rooms, in eight distinct categories – from Montaña Grand Master Suites, featuring sweeping mountain views, and their own hot tubs and infinity pools, to Nidos, glass-enclosed respites with suspended nets located deep in the forest.
Spanning from the tangled depths of the Darién Gap to the frigid reaches of southern Patagonia, South America offers a spectacular array of stunning natural landscapes to explore—and as an added bonus, the continent is no stranger to luxury accommodations either. While polished resorts can be found from northern Colombia to the southern tip of Argentina, South America’s resident Relais & Châteaux properties offer a glimpse into the rich culinary culture of each destination, with no shortage of incredible outdoor adventure and wellness experiences to explore along the way.
Formula One racing is coming to Las Vegas from November 16-18, 2023. Formula One will be rolling down a track built on The Strip right by the iconic casino resorts of Las Vegas.
The Avianca and Viva Air merger has hit a major roadblock with Colombian authorities objecting to the proposed combination. The move could be a blow to Avianca’s plan to create a pan-South American airline group with Brazil’s Gol.
Twelve minutes. That’s all the time it took for the board of directors of Avianca, the second largest airline in Latin America, to set the fate of the carrier and begin a series of sweeping changes to the airline industry in the region.
The top boss of Marriott International used an on-stage interview on Thursday as a platform to call on the U.S. federal government to do more to cut the wait times for interviews for first-time visitor visa applicants, which he said was leading to lost revenue because of reduced U.S. inbound tourism.
Colombia’s civil aviation authority, Aerocivil, is taking a new look at the proposed merger of Avianca and Viva Air following what it described as a “substantial irregularity” in its initial review. That process, which concluded in November, rejected the airlines’ combination due to competition concerns.