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Stories, tips and honest takes on traveling in Colombia.

A red illuminated EMERGENCY sign above the entrance to a hospital

Latest · Aug 19, 2026

Emergency Numbers for the August 10 Earthquake

Verified emergency and help lines after Colombia's August 10 earthquake: 123 for emergencies, Red Cross family tracing, Medicina Legal for the missing, and Cali's damage reporting line. In English and Spanish.

The Colombian flag flying above the walls of the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas in Cartagena

News · Aug 15, 2026

The August 10 Earthquake in Western Colombia: Where Things Stand

Colombia's August 10 earthquake: current damage, airport status, travel advisories and what travelers need to know before visiting affected areas.

Pineapples and bananas piled at a tropical fruit stall in a Colombian market

Tips · Aug 14, 2026

Money in Colombia: ATMs, Cards, Cash, and Tipping

How money actually works in Colombia: what ATMs charge and why, when cards fail you, the tipping law that protects you, and the VAT refund most visitors never claim.

The bed of Caño Cristales carpeted in deep red macarenia, with yellow and green pools between the rock and gallery forest along the bank

News · Aug 12, 2026

Caño Cristales Is Open Through December

The river of five colors runs its 2026 season to December. What the trails actually demand, the three separate entry fees nobody mentions, the no-sunscreen rule, and the condition the FCDO attaches to going.

A view across Cartagena's old city rooftops toward the sea

News · Aug 11, 2026

Cartagena's Record Cruise Season, and How to Work Around It

The 2025-26 season brought 175 ships and 476,666 visitors to Cartagena, and Royal Caribbean is now home-porting there every Sunday through April 2027. What that means if you are visiting independently.

Bogotá's skyline with the eastern hills rising behind the city

News · Aug 10, 2026

Bogotá's Metro Is Past 80 Percent Built

Line 1 reached 80.37 percent completion in June and the sixteenth of thirty trains arrived on August 4. Service starts in 2028, but the construction is what shapes a Bogotá trip right now.

An airliner on final approach against a sunset sky

News · Aug 9, 2026

Barranquilla Gets Its First Direct Flight to Europe

Air Europa will fly Madrid to Barranquilla three times a week from December 18, the city's first nonstop link to Europe. Plus the airport building work at Cartagena and Bogotá that sits behind it.

The whitewashed 18th-century chapel on the hilltop park in Barrio San Antonio, Cali

News · Aug 7, 2026

Cali This Week: A Presidential Inauguration, Then the Petronio

Colombia's new president is sworn in in Cali on August 7, two days before the Petronio Álvarez festival opens. The road closures, the dry law, the transport restrictions, and what the travel advisories say.

The nose of an airliner on a taxiway at dusk, lit by ground lights

Tips · Aug 6, 2026

Getting Around Colombia: Flights vs. Buses

How to travel between Colombian cities: when a domestic flight beats the bus, what each really costs in COP and USD, the airlines and bus companies to know, and route-by-route advice.

Silleteros carrying huge wooden frames stacked with flowers on their backs during a parade

Culture · Aug 3, 2026

Feria de las Flores: A Guide to Medellín's Flower Festival

Everything travelers need for Medellín's Feria de las Flores: 2026 dates, the Desfile de Silleteros, Santa Elena farm visits, and how to plan around the crowds.