It’s tough to select which places to visit in Colombia since there are so many great destinations in this amazing country. We selected the best places to visit for solo travelers that work well as bases to explore more of the country.
Colombia is a great country to travel solo since it offers extremely varied experiences while transport and accommodation are very affordable. Colombia is ideal for slow travel, as you can find beautiful spots everywhere and don’t need to hop on a plane to get to the next exciting destination. (Even vegetation and climate can change completely within 2 hours by bus!)
Here’s our list of best solo travel hubs in Colombia.
Colombia’s capital is a fascinating city that offers a unique combination of urban and nature vibes. Situated in the green Andes mountains, the views that unexpectedly open up while strolling through the streets of Bogotá are simply stunning – not to mention the views you can enjoy from the top of the mountains around the city, for example when hiking up to Monserrate.
You can learn about Colombia’s turbulent history in the streets of Bogotá and in its many fabulous museums. A 2-hours walk from the beautiful colonial La Candelaria neighbourhood to the modern Virgilio Barco public library inside the immense Simon Bolivar Park feels like an architectural time travel across centuries and continents.
Bogotá has a huge cultural offering and probably the most diverse nightlife in Colombia. You can find everything in this city: classical concerts, jam sessions, 80’s rock bars, small galleries, underground theater performances, open-air music festivals, book readings, vintage libraries, Avant-garde clubs, impressive urban graffiti art, street festivals, etc.
Last but not least you can indulge in an incredible culinary journey and enjoy amazing food and drinks in the most diverse places, from local markets to high-end restaurants (that often come with incredible views). And… you could probably spent your whole vacation trying out Bogotá’s excellent Cafes and learning about the varieties of Colombian coffee.
Bogotá is a great place to travel solo and works perfectly as a base to explore the many interesting natural and cultural destinations in the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá. Zipaquirá’s famous Salt Cathedral, the world’s largest underground salt mine, is just about an hour away from Bogotá. The Andean jewel Villa de Leyva is around 4 hours away from Bogotá.
Check out our tips on things to do in Bogota.
Photo by Michael Barón, La Candelaria (mod.)
Being one of the oldest cities in South America, Santa Marta enchants with its history and beautiful colonial old town. Located directly on the Caribbean coast, this colorful city features some of the best beaches in Colombia with turquoise waters and incredible sunsets. After a relaxed day exploring beaches and local history you can indulge in culinary pleasures in a seafood restaurant and enjoy the Caribbean nightlife.
Santa Marta is also an excellent starting point for snorkeling, and diving trips by boat. Marine wildlife spotting is a pure pleasure in the warm waters of the Caribbean sea.
Santa Marta is the access point to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an incredible tropical paradise where the sea meets with the jungle and high mountains. Many trekking tours to Ciudad Perdida, one of Colombia’s top tourist attractions, start in Santa Marta.
Another one of Colombia’s best places to visit and an ideal solo travel destination is just a little more than an hour away from the city of Santa Marta: Tayrona National Park. Here you enjoy stunning white beaches and hike through the jungle looking for wildlife and the ancient ruins of the Tayrona people. We warmly recommend to spend the night inside the park!
If you continue the road up north by bus, in about 2 hours you’ll reach the otherworldly La Guajira peninsula where desert and sea meet.
Check out our tips on things to do in and near Santa Marta.
Photo by Travelhapp Santa Marta
Medellin is maybe Colombia’s most progressive city with exemplary urban development initiatives that strive to enhance social equality. You can get an idea of this by visiting Comuna 13 and riding above the city in its cable cars.
The “City of Eternal Spring” is beautifully set in a lush green valley in the Andes. You can connect with nature in its many parks and gardens or by trekking through the hills around the city with a guide.
While considered a no-go area in Escobar’s times, Medellin in the recent years has quickly become a travelers favorite with it’s beautiful surroundings, rich cultural offer, vibrant nightlife, amazing food, all-year-round pleasant weather and friendly people.
There are loads of beautiful places to visit around Medellin. For example the beautiful lake town Guatape with its iconic rock, the Piedra del Peñol, makes a great solo day trip.
Medellin is also the best access point to the remote Chocó region with its hidden treasures like the caribbean paradises Capurganá and Sapzurro at the border to Panama.
From Medellin it’s super easy to get to one of Colombia’s top coffee regions, the Eje Cafetero (including the cities of Manizales, Pereira, Armenia and Salento – see below).
Have a look at our tips on things to do in and near Medellin.
Photo by Reg Natarajan, CC BY 2.0 (mod.)
Colombia’s Coffee Triangle (Eje Cafetero) is defined by the cities Pereira, Armenia and Manizales and the departments Risaralda, Quindío, and Caldas. This beautiful region is full of well known attractions and hidden gems, including laid back colonial towns, crystal clear rivers, organic coffee farms, lush hills, amazingly set thermal springs, and much more. Have a look at our recommendations on Things to do in Pereira, Armenia and Manizales to learn more and choose your base. The coffee triangle is a great place to travel alone since it offers a high density of things to do and good public transport.
Photo by David Restrepo, Valle del Cocora (mod.)
Colombia’s Salsa Capital enchants with an easygoing vibe and warm temperatures, perfect for spending the night out dancing. In the beautiful historic center of San Antonio you can enjoy delicious food and excellent cocktails in rooftop restaurants on the terraces of colonial buildings. Cali also has an interesting cultural offer and a lot of fascinating nature destinations closeby. While Medellin is a popular favorite among travellers, Cali is still something like an insider tip. Let Cali surprise you!
There are great nature destinations close to Cali, like beautiful Pance and the Farallones de Cali National Park. Cali is an access point to Colombia’s Pacific Coast and some fascinating destinations around Buenaventura, for example mystical Bahía Málaga (where you can watch whales certain times of the year) or Nature Reserve San Cipriano.
The beautiful white colonial city of Popayan is just about 3 hours away from Cali. If you are up for a bumpy ride through the middle of Purace National Park, you can get to San Agustín Archaeological Park with its impressive pre-columbian stone statues in about 4 to 6 hours.
Have a look at our tips on things to do in and near Cali.
With its setting right by the Caribbean sea and its stunning colonial architecture, vibrant Cartagena is considered Colombia’s most beautiful city by many. Historically relevant things to see in this UNESCO World Heritage site include the walled city, Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, and the Palace of the Inquisition.
Cartagena is all about music, dance and food. Various traditional rhythms like cumbia and champeta originate in this region. For some mix of traditional and modern rhythms you may want to check out artists like Pernett.
Cartagena is surrounded by beautiful white beaches. The city is an access point to El Rosario and San Bernardo Corals National Natural Park, an archipelago composed of small islands that is famous for its abundant marine life and stunning white beaches.
Have a look at our tips on things to do in and near Cartagena.
Photo: felipe prieto, Cartagena (mod.)
Bucaramanga, the capital of Santander, is known as one of Colombia’s major hubs for outdoor and adventure activities. The city is surrounded by beautiful nature and you can go hiking, camping, wildlife watching, rock climbing, caving, rafting, mountain-biking and paragliding close to the city. The city itself is very livable with lots of green parks, museums, galleries and beautiful historic buildings. Some say Bucaramanga has Colombia’s best cuisine.
There are loads of interesting places to explore near Bucaramanga. You can visit several cute little towns within a 15 minutes drive from the city, including colonial Girón and green Floridablanca. In 1 hour you reach Cañón del Chicamocha (Chicamocha Canyon), one of the largest canyons in the world and a dream destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts. A bus from Bucaramanga will take you down south to adventure paradise San Gil in 2-3 hours. (There is also a direct bus connection from Chicamocha to San Gil. The ride takes about an hour.) Add another 30 minutes bus drive from San Gil and you are in one of Colombia’s most beautiful colonial towns, Barichara.
Have a look at our tips on things to do in and near Bucaramanga.
Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel, Chicamocha Canyon (mod.)
Leticia is your major gateway to explore Colombia’s part of the Amazon rainforest with an immense biodiversity in wildlife and plants, including monkeys, parrots, and pink dolphins. (Our logo is inspired by the Amazon pink dolphin!)
Leticia offers a wide range of adventure and ecotourism activities, such as jungle treks, wildlife observation, canoe rides, birdwatching, medical plants expeditions and much more.
The Amazon is home to some of Colombia’s many indigenous people, for example the Ticuna, Yagua, and Huitoto. It’s possible to participate in traditional ceremonies and learn about their way of life. Imagine yourself by the fire at night listening to the sound of the jungle and the lessons of the elders…
Photo: Eli Duke, CC BY-SA 2.0, Boat ride from Leticia (mod.)
Discover more:
Colombia Travel Inspirations: Top Attractions and Hidden Gems
Colombia Slow Travel Itineraries: Discover Colombia by bus and overland