The questions we hear every day at our four hostels, answered plainly. Last checked October 2026; rules change, so confirm official requirements before you fly.
Most visitors travel without problems, and the main tourist areas are far safer than the country's old reputation. The usual risk is petty theft: phone snatching and pickpockets in cities. Keep your phone out of sight on the street, use registered taxis or apps at night, never accept drinks from strangers and check your government's travel advice for the regions you plan to visit.
Citizens of most of Europe, the Americas and Israel enter as tourists without a visa and usually get 90 days, which can be extended once, up to 180 days per calendar year. Some nationalities need a visa in advance: check the list of Colombia's Foreign Ministry (Cancillería). Immigration may ask to see an onward or return ticket.
A free online form from Migración Colombia that every traveller fills in before flying into or out of Colombia, within the 72 hours before the flight. Use only the official Migración Colombia website; other sites charge for it.
Most travellers don't need it to enter Colombia; it is required for people arriving from, or holding passports of, Brazil, Angola, DR Congo or Uganda. The Ministry of Health recommends it for risk areas, which include Magdalena and La Guajira (Tayrona, Palomino, Sierra Nevada) and Chocó and Antioquia (the Darién). Get it at least 10 days before and carry the certificate.
Colombia works all year: the temperature depends on altitude, not on the season. The driest and busiest months are December to March, plus July and August. Mid-December to mid-January and Easter week are the most crowded and expensive.
Hot all year, about 27–33 °C. December to April is the driest period; September to November brings the most rain, usually as short heavy showers in the afternoon or at night. The sea can turn rough at any time, so keep a spare day if you take boats to the Darién.
Plan at least two to three weeks. A classic first trip: Bogotá or Medellín, the coffee region and the Cocora Valley from Salento, then the Caribbean: Cartagena, Santa Marta, Tayrona and Palomino. With one more week, add Capurganá and Sapzurro in the Darién.
Colombia uses the peso (COP). Cards work in cities and larger businesses, but small towns, buses, markets and the Darién run mostly on cash. Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres, and take enough cash before going to Capurganá or Sapzurro.
Restaurants often add a 10% 'servicio voluntario' to the bill. It is optional, and you can ask for it to be removed. Tipping guides and drivers for good service is appreciated.
In big cities such as Bogotá and Medellín the tap water is generally treated. On the Caribbean coast and in villages, drink filtered or bottled water; many hostels offer refills.
110 V and US-style plugs (types A and B). Most travellers from Europe and Israel need an adapter; phone and laptop chargers usually work at 110 V.
Buy a local SIM at an operator's store with your passport, or set up an eSIM before you arrive. Claro has the widest coverage in remote areas. Hostels have Wi-Fi, but in the Darién the signal and the power can drop.
Long-distance buses reach almost everywhere and are cheap; on long routes prefer daytime trips. Domestic flights save a lot of time between regions. In cities, ride-hailing apps and registered taxis are the safest choice at night.
Outside the tourist hubs few people speak English. A few phrases and a translation app help a lot, and Colombians are patient with learners. We answer on WhatsApp in Spanish and English.
Tayrona closes several times a year so the Indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada can let the land rest, usually around 1–15 February, 1–15 June and 19 October–2 November, and sometimes for other reasons. Check Parques Nacionales before you go. Palomino, about an hour away, is a good base when it's closed.
Dengue is common in warm lowland areas, including the Caribbean coast. Use repellent with DEET or picaridin, especially at dawn and dusk, and wear long sleeves in the evening. See a doctor if you get a high fever.
Palomino, between Tayrona and La Guajira, has long empty beaches and a river coming down from the Sierra Nevada. Capurganá and Sapzurro, in the Darién next to Panama, have no roads at all. We have hostels in all three, plus Salento in the coffee region.
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