Popular Colombian destinations
Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá — officially named Bogotá, D.C. (D.C. for "Distrito Capital", which means "Capital District"), also called Santa Fe de Bogotá, is the capital of Colombia, as well as the largest and by far the most populous city in the country with 6,776,009 inhabitants (2005 census). Bogotá and its metropolitan area, which includes municipalities such as Chía, Cota, Soacha, Cajicá and La Calera, had an estimated population of 7,881,156 according to the 2005 census.
Bogotá is located in the centre of the country, on the east of the "sabana de Bogotá", 2640 meters (8661 feet) above sea level. Although "sabana", as it is popularly called, is literally "savanna", the geographical site is actually a high plateau in the Andes mountains.
Santa Marta
El Rodadero Beach, Santa Marta
Santa Marta is a city and municipality, located in northwestern Colombia by the Caribbean sea and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains, capital of the Magdalena Department. Founded on July 29, 1525 by Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, the city is an important maritime port and hub for tourism, history and culture. It was named after the Biblical Martha and was the first city to be founded in Colombia and second in South America after Cumaná (1521) in Venezuela. El Libertador Simón Bolívar died at a ranch named Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino on the outskirts of Santa Marta on 17 December 1830. The city has also been affected to some extent by the Colombian Armed Conflict.
Barranquilla
Barranquilla
Barranquilla, an industrial, portuary, and special district, is a city and municipality located in northern Colombia. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port on the Colombian Caribbean region and the fourth largest city of Colombia. It lies strategically by the delta of the Magdalena River, serving as port for fluvial and maritime transportation. It is also known as the cradle of Colombian aviation and as home to a very picturesque carnival.
The climate is hot and very humid. Daytime temperature usually remains around 32°C. Nevertheless, from late November to early April, the trade winds more or less cool it to a more comfortable temperature during the day. During the evening and through the night the temperature can change due to the strong winds it receives. The rainy seasons are from April to June and from August to November, when some streets flood producing "arroyos" (streams) that are very dangerous, given the lack of appropriate rain drainage in some sectors of town.
Cartagena
Cartagena
Cartagena, also known as Cartagena de Indias (Cartagena of the West Indies), is a large city seaport on the northern coast of Colombia. Capital of the Bolívar Department, it has a population of roughly 895,400 (2005 Census). Founded in 1533 by Don Pedro de Heredia, and named after the port of Cartagena in Spain's Murcia region, it was a major center of early Spanish settlement in the Americas, and continues to be an economic hub as well as a popular tourist destination.
Cartagena faces the Caribbean Sea to the west. To the south is the Cartagena Bay, which has two entrances: Bocachica (Small Mouth) in the south, and Bocagrande (Big Mouth) in the north. Due to Cartagena's tropical location, the climate changes little, with an average high of 32°C (88.6°F) and an average low of 25°C (77 °F) throughout the year. Cartagena also averages around 90% humidity, with a rainy season typically in October. Cartagena receives about 1000 mm (40 inches) of rain per year.
Medellín
Medellín
Medellín is a municipality and capital city in the Metropolitan Area of Medellín of the Antioquia Department, Colombia. It was founded in 1616 by Francisco Herrera y Campuzano. As of 2006, the municipality of Medellín has a population of 2.4 million inhabitants, making it the second most populated city in Colombia after Bogotá[1][2]. Medellín also serves as the core of the Valle de Aburrá (Aburrá Valley) metropolitan area, the second largest in Colombia, with more than 3.2 million inhabitants, and a leading and productive industrial and urban center.
The city's major concern, shared by many other Colombian cities, is the ongoing unemployment and sub-employment problem. People from Antioquia and especially from Medellín are called Paisas although the Paisas are people from the departments of Antioquia, Risaralda, Caldas and Quindío.
Santiago de Cali
Santiago de Cali
Santiago de Cali, often shortened to Cali, is the main city, municipality and capital of the Valle del Cauca Department in western Colombia. It was founded July 25, 1536 by Spanish conqueror Sebastián de Belalcázar.
The name Santiago de Cali comes in one part to honour Saint James the apostle (Santiago in Spanish) whose feast day is celebrated on July 25. About the word Cali there are several opinions about its possible origin. Some attribute it to a mispronunciation of the word "Lili", the name of a local tribe. Others believe that the word "Cali" has quechua origin, and it was brought by the Yanaconas Indians that came from Quito serving Sebastián de Belalcázar. This theory is reinforced from the fact that near Quito there is an indigenous town named Cali Cali.