85 Best Sights in Colombia

This impressive bird sanctuary is the country's best and South America's largest. In a nation famed for avian biodiversity it's an opportunity not to be missed. Colombians are justifiably proud of the Andean condor, their not-so-colorful national bird, and the condor gets ample coverage here, but scarlet macaws, blue-winged tanagers, and cocks on the rock will give your camera a workout. There are three distinct biomes (tropical jungle, coastal, and desert) as well as 21 areas to explore that are home to 190 species of birds. If you wish to take everything in, a self-guided walk should last around 2½ hours. A guided tour speeds things up a bit. All exhibit signs are in Spanish and English. Plan on about a 45-minute drive to get out here from the city. You can easily combine the aviary with beach time at Playa Blanca.

Make this one of your first stops on any visit to get the best possible grasp of the city's geography and its role as a fortified protector of a crucial headland, as well as a more modern context for the historic center that is now surrounded by a sprawling city. Because of its strategic location, the white-walled 17th-century monastery here intermittently served as a fortress during the colonial era. It now houses a museum and a chapel dedicated to the Virgen de la Candelaria, Cartagena's patron saint, with a stunning gilded altar and religious relics up to 500 years old. Taxis charge around 10,000 pesos one way to bring you here (plus the wait and return trip, expect to pay between 40,000 and 50,000 pesos) and the sight can be included on one of Cartagena's popular chiva (horsedrawn carriage) tours. Under no circumstances should you walk between the city center and the hill; occasional muggings of tourists have been reported along the route. For spectacular views of Cartagena, ascend the hill around sunset.

Once run-down and troubled, the Getsemaní neighborhood just beyond the posher parts of the historic walled city now exudes fresh but still bohemian energy, thanks to an infusion of new restaurants and bars, as well as boutique hotels. Locals hang out and chat on the narrow streets like Callejón Angosto and gather at Plaza de la Santísima Trinidad, the heart of the neighborhood. In the plaza, look for the statue of Pedro Romero, who fought for independence from Spain. Abundant street art along Calle de la Sierpe (and other avenues) and gritty edges keep the scene real and down to earth, at least for now. You can stroll Getsemaní day or night to check things out; weekend evenings are very lively.

The botanical gardens span about 33 acres and have more than 600 plant species, including heliconias, zamias, and azaleas. With plenty of spaces to explore, most notably the orchidarium, whose striking wooden hexagonal structure rises above the trees forming the park's centerpiece, a visit here makes for a nice half-day break from city life. Stop by the excellent In Situ restaurant, which has views of the garden and offers picnic lunches that you can take into the garden.

One of Colombia's truly enjoyable nature outings is the Jardín Botánico del Quindío, an enormous complex of botanical gardens outside Armenia. The highlight here is the mariposario, a butterfly-shaped butterfly house. It's home to about 1,500 butterflies, representing 50 different species. Roam the expansive botanical gardens and pay attention to the diverse species of orchid that grow in Colombia. Don't miss the seven-story lookout point, a great place to spot many of the 120 species of birds that call this region home. A cafeteria and souvenir shop round out the offerings here. Most of the exhibits here are labeled in English as well as Spanish, and bilingual tour guides are happy to show you around.

This national park covers the coral reef off the east coast of the island, as well as the sheltered McBean Lagoon and the spiny forest and the mangroves around Iron Wood Hill. The mangroves can be explored on foot, or from a kayak down Oyster Creek. The park's biggest (and busiest) attraction is Crab Cay (Cayo Cangrejo), lying less than a mile off the coast at Maracaibo. Rent kayaks near Deep Blue hotel to paddle out (or swim) to the islet, where there is usually good snorkeling; if you still have energy, climb to the top of the cay for one of the best vistas in La Providencia of the multicolored sea. Wherever you choose to enter the reserve you will have to pay the entry fee. A visit to Crab Cay is also often included on full-day snorkeling tours.

In 2000, world-famous artist Fernando Botero made headlines when he donated dozens of works from his private collection to Colombia. Botero's artwork interprets his subjects from a distinctly Latin American standpoint—Colombians affectionately refer to him as "the man who paints fat people." Many of his subjects are well-known in Colombia, especially in his native Medellín. The collection includes 123 of his own paintings, sculptures, and drawings. Equally impressive are his donation of 85 original works of renowned European and North American artists. This part of the collection, practically a review of art history since the late 19th century, includes original pieces by Corot, Monet, Matisse, Picasso, Dalí, Chagall, Bacon, and de Kooning.

The Antioquia Museum contains a collection of 188 paintings and sculptures by native son Fernando Botero. Known for depicting people and objects with a distinctive "thickness," Botero donated part of his personal collection to the museum (the bulk of his gift went to Bogotá). The plaza out front completes the Botero circle, with 23 sculptures dotted between trees, benches filled with chatting locals, and two fountains designed by the artist as well. The museum also offers a grand overview of Colombian art, with salons dedicated to pre-Hispanic, colonial, Republican, and contemporary art. There are free tours in Spanish daily, which take in both the museum and the works in the plaza. English-speaking guides are available, but tours have to be organized at least two days in advance.

Bogotá's phenomenal Gold Museum contains an astounding collection of pre-Hispanic Colombian artifacts, with more than 34,000 gold pieces (in weight alone worth $200 million) and more than 20,000 ceramics, textiles, and semiprecious stones. The pieces on display represent more than 2,500 years of civilizations including the Musica, Nariño, Calima, Tairona, and Siní. There are four permanent exhibitions that take visitors through ancient metallurgical technique and the ceremonial, political, and religious uses of gold in pre-Hispanic society, as well as providing insight into a culture informed by a unique mythology and cosmology. Most of the gold is in the guarded top-floor gallery, along with the largest uncut emerald in the world. All the exhibitions are bilingual, and free English tours are available Tuesday through Saturday at 11 am and 4 pm; entry to the museum is free on Sunday—and it gets crowded.

If you want to learn a bit more about the history and incredible cultural riches that the area has to offer, this is an essential stop. Housed in a handsome former customs house, the well-designed displays provide an overview of the culture and craftsmanship of the pre-Columbian cultures—the Nahuange and Tairon—which thrived in the area as well as insight into the lives and traditions of the native cultures of modern Magdalena, notably the Kogui, Wiwa, Arhuaco, and Kankuamo groups of the Sierra Nevada. There is also an entire salon dedicated to the great liberator, Simón Bolívar, who died nearby, and who's vigil was held in this very building. Information is presented in English and Spanish, and tours must be organized in advance.

One of Cartagena's most visited tourist sites documents the darkest period in the city's history. A baroque limestone doorway off Plaza de Bolívar marks the entrance to the 1770 Palace of the Inquisition, the headquarters of the repressive arbiters of political and spiritual orthodoxy who once exercised jurisdiction over Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela. Although the museum displays benign colonial and pre-Columbian artifacts and also has a brief overview of the city's history with maps and models, most people congregate on the ground floor to "Eeewww!" over the implements of torture (racks and thumbscrews, to name but two) and the displays on how to judge a witch. We recommend you hire an English-speaking guide since many displays need explanations and all signs are in Spanish.

The Alto de los Idolos park, a few miles southwest of the town of Isnos, could be viewed as an extension of the San Agustín park, with a single ticket valid for both sites. The tombs and sculptures here—they're also courtesy of the unknown people the Spaniards called "the San Agustín culture"—are fewer in number but better preserved than in the larger park. The 23 anthropomorphic and zoomorphic monoliths are carved from volcanic stones set in a U-shaped grassy expanse, the largest standing nearly 15 feet tall. There are also a number of raised tombs and sarcophagi to examine. Although there is information in English as well as Spanish, the experience is infinitely richer with a guide. Make the outing a day trip to allow time to soak up the atmosphere and the stunning views from the park, and allow time to head to the smaller Alto de las Piedras park, north of Isnos. Here there are a few burial sites and statues, some preserving traces of the original coloring work.

The parks surrounding San Agustín make up the largest pre-Columbian site outside Central America and Peru and are part of a vast complex of tombs left by little-known cultures whose actual names are lost to history. One of these thrived in this region from AD 300–800 and was given the name "the San Agustín culture" by the Spanish settlers who stumbled upon their relics. (Carbon-14 dating places some of the works here as early as 3300 BC.) Altars and idols carved from volcanic rock make up the structures scattered throughout this ancient funerary complex. Some of the pieces have been donated from private collections. As with all the parks in the region, a guide is necessary to get a full understanding of what you're seeing. The folks at the Secretaria de Turismo or the Hacienda Anacaona can hook you up with one.

Loosely translated, tierradentro means "within the ground." Within the ground here you'll find the New World's largest concentration of hypogea, or underground burial chambers, constructed much like Rome's catacombs. The name of the pre-Columbian people who constructed the tombs has been lost. Most are thought to date from the 6th through 10th centuries. A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1995, many of the tombs—78 have been excavated so far—are up to 40 feet wide with walls painted with anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figures. Tierradentro, some five hours north of San Agustín, is a bit harder to reach than San Agustín and Alto de las Piedras parks; it's worth spending a night in nearby San Andrés. If traveling from Popayán, this makes an excellent midway stop before continuing on to San Agustín. As with the other parks, a guide is useful to help you understand what you're seeing here.

On the seafront, flag down a taxi and head to the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, 20 minutes away. This honey-color hacienda is where Simón Bolívar died in 1830. The grounds of the estate have been converted into a small botanical garden and there are a number of monuments to Bolívar, most notably the gleaming Altar de la Patria. There is also the Museo Bolivariano de Arte Contemporáneo, which houses an impressive range of contemporary artworks by artists from all of the countries liberated by Bolívar.

Considered one of the oldest opera houses in the Americas, this masterpiece of baroque architecture---inspired by the Parisian Palais Garnier---was designed by Italian architect Pietro Cantini and inaugurated in 1895. The exterior facade reveals little of the opulence inside, a breathtaking display of delicate ornamentation dominated by the frescoes of the six Greek muses painted by Italian masters Filippo Mastellari and Giovanni Menarini. Try to catch a performance for the full experience, or take a tour available Wednesday and Thursday at 3 pm and Saturday at noon and 3 pm. Tours in English are possible, but must be organized in advance through the website.

Tour companies deposit you at the Vereda de Cocora, an area with small restaurants and a kiosk where you can grab food or equipment (like rubber boots, available to rent, for the frequently muddy paths ahead). The quickest path to the most popular viewpoint is a 20-minute walk that takes you past a private farm, which requires a small fee to visit, before weaving upward towards the mist-shrouded volcanic peaks of the PNN Los Nevados. For a longer hike, head through a blue gate past the kiosk and follow a circular path that leads through luxuriant farmlands, cloud forests, and over wooden suspension bridges. Watch for a small hummingbird sanctuary—it serves a thick hot chocolate that will bolster you for the last few hours.

Relatively easily to get to, Bahia Concha is a 30-minute taxi ride from town and is an attractive bay set in the region's typical bosque seco (dry indigenous forest) with warm, gently lapping water. It is, however, a popular destination on weekends and local holidays, so best to avoid at those times. Much of the first part of the beach is cluttered with metal frames for shade canopies, and there are several options for buying cold drinks and a freshly grilled fish lunch. Plan to come early, and head down to the far right end of the beach—you can even ask for a cooler when you buy drinks and take it with you. Here you will find empty sands, a patch of shade and, a little way up the rocky side of the bay, some degraded but still beautiful patches of coral for snorkeling. Although the beach is within the borders of the PNN Tayrona, you do not have to pay the full entrance fee, only a small fee to local administration. Best for: partiers; walking; snorkeling. Amenities: toilets; food and drink.

Originally known as the Barrio de los Jagüeyes (the ponds), being the neighborhood richest in fresh water (the city's most precious resource), San Diego was home to most of the gardens supplying fresh produce. These days, travelers are seeking out the peaceful streets of this enchanting north-end district lined with squat colonial houses and mansions painted white, ocher, and deep blue. Boutique and other hotels are opening, along with restaurants. Around the area, multicolored bougainvillea cascades over balconies, and open doorways reveal lush hidden courtyards. Plaza San Diego is a local gem, anchored by the Escuela de Bellas Artes (School of Fine Arts), based in a former convent. At the northern corner of the city walls you'll find Las Bóvedas (The Vaults), a row of storerooms built in the 18th century to hold gunpowder and other military essentials, now home to colorful, tourist-oriented souvenir shops.

The modern Luis Ángel Arango Library, one of many cultural institutions in the capital funded by the state bank, sponsors changing international art exhibits. It's also known for its occasional chamber music concerts, which are listed in the local newspapers.

The former national mint displays coins whose gold content was secretly reduced by the king of Spain, slugs made by revolutionaries from empty cartridges, and currency minted for use exclusively in Colombia's former leper colonies. This museum is part of the complex that houses the Museo Botero and the Colección de Arte del Banco de la República.

The earliest mentions of this building date back to the mid-1700s, most notably as the home of Antonio Nariño, considered one of Colombia’s first intellectuals and libertarians. The building was officially nominated as the Presidential Palace in 1885 and was rebuilt in large part in 1904 to better suit its new status. In the '70s it was again remodeled extensively, with only the iconic neoclassical facade on Carrera 7 remaining of the original construction. Free 45-minute guided tours in English are available four times daily on weekdays and twice daily on weekends, but only with prior registration on the official website. No shorts or sandals are allowed, and you must show your ID or passport. The impressive changing of the guard ceremony can be seen without restriction on Wednesday and Friday at 2:30 pm and on Sunday at 3 pm.

The Metropolitan Cathedral's ornate coffee-color facade soars above the Parque de Bolívar. Designed by the French architect Charles Carré and built in 1875, it's South America's largest cathedral, and the third-largest brick building in the world.

Do not confuse the church with "La Catedral," the name given to notorious Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar's elaborate mansion outside Medellín. Escobar was held under house arrest there for a year prior to his escape and subsequent murder in 1993.

The cathedral on the main square is always the heart of any Latin American city. Plaza de Bolívar—watched over by a statue of South American liberator Simón Bolívar—is a shady place from which to admire Cartagena's 16th-century cathedral. (It's officially the "Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Santa Catalina de Alejandria.") Construction lasted from 1577 to 1612. British pirates attacked and pillaged the site about halfway through the process, a fate that befell many buildings in Cartagena in those early days. The colorful bell tower and dome date from the early 20th century; inside are a massive gilded altar and towering arches.

Although ground was broken in 1772, construction on the Metropolitan Cathedral was halted during the war for independence. The grand structure wasn't completed until 1841 and the current facade dates from 1930. The pale interior of this massive temple is complemented by its marble columns and brilliantly gilded altar.

Finalized in 1789, the ancient cemetery displays elaborate tombstones and mausoleums of the bold and imperious as well as the lowly of Mompox. Look out for the bust of Candelario Obeso, the forefather of black poetry in the Americas, as well as the tombs of early German and Lebanese immigrants looking to make their fortunes. On Wednesday of Easter week Momposinos make the pilgrimage out to the cemetery to place candles on the tombs of family and friends, making for a moving and illuminated spectacle.