Colombia is full of fascinating off-the-beaten-track destinations and hidden gems (which might sometimes also be called “stranger things”). The country is a sheer paradise for curious and adventurous solo travelers looking to venture beyond the typical tourist trail! On this page, we have put together some inspiration for your unique Colombia experience off the beaten path.
For your orientation, we have created a simplified map of Colombia with a rather rough division of the country into Center, South, East, North, West, and Islands. The map on the right shows the natural regions of Colombia.
Map on the right based on Political division and natural regions of Colombia Map ResearchGate, CC-BY (modified)
To keep things simple, we consider the following departments as the center of Colombia: Cundinamarca (Bogotá), Caldas (Manizales), Risaralda (Pereira), Quindío (Armenia), Tolima (Ibagué), and Boyacá (Villa de Leyva). Large parts of the center of Colombia belong to the mountainous “Andean region”.
There are at least as many hidden gems in the center as there are top tourist attractions. Here are some off-the-beaten-track travel destinations in central Colombia.
You may have heard of the wax palms in Valle del Cocora near Salento. Locals say the palms in Bosque de Palmas de Cera (Wax Palm Forest) “La Samaria”, close to San Felix in Risaralda, are even more majestic. Charming little San Felix is itself a hidden gem. You can reach San Felix in about 3 hours from Medellin. View more details in my article about things to do in and near Medellin.
The Rio Claro Nature Reserve close to Doradal (4 hours from Medellin) is a little outdoor paradise where you can go hiking, river rafting, tubing, and more. It’s also great for wildlife spotting and birdwatching. It’s still a hidden gem but rather easy to reach as it is located between Medellin and Bogota. (View on Google Maps)
Photo by Travelhapp, Rio Claro
The beautiful La Miel River and the immense Amaní Reservoir are set in a spectacular hilly green landscape close to Norcasia in the Caldas department. You can spend the night in a little cottage with a jacuzzi and a lake view and engage in river activities, like body rafting and tubing, during the day. On the shores of the river, you may spot howler monkeys and multicolored birds. Read more about Rio la Miel
Check out my short video about Rio la Miel and Embalse Amani on TikTok.
@travelhapp Rio la Miel and Embalse Amaní in Norcasia, Colombia. Pure joy . . . . . #colombiatravel #slowtraveler #femalesolotraveler #hiddenparadise #discovercolombia
♬ Quiero Enamorarte - Grecia Vallejo
Photo by Travelhapp, Embalse Amaní, Norcasia
Charming Honda, a laid-back colonial town by the Magdalena River, remains a hidden gem off the beaten tourist trail. It’s one of my favorite places in Colombia—a bohemian haven waiting to be discovered.
Less than 1 hour away from Honda, you can start your hike to the Ciudad Perdida de Falan. The Ciudad Perdida de Falan (Lost City of Falan) is a little-known abandoned gold and silver mining citadel in the jungle, which was originally built by the Spanish in the 17th century, during the colonial period. On your way to the ruins in the jungle, you can engage in several adventure activities. Read more about these two hidden gems in Tolima!
Due to its guerilla past, the Tolima department as a whole is still an off-the-beaten path destination full of surprising things to discover. Read more about its capital Ibagué and its stunning surroundings.
Photo by Travelhapp, Honda by the Magdalena River
The northern part of Colombia is bordered by the Caribbean Sea and includes the departments Córdoba (Montería), Sucre (Sincelejo), Bolívar (Cartagena), Atlántico (Barranquilla), Magdalena (Santa Marta), Cesar (Valledupar), La Guajira (Riohacha) and Norte de Santander (Cúcuta), plus Santander (Bucaramanga) in the northeast. Most of northern Colombia is part of the “Caribbean region”.
The north of Colombia is of immense natural beauty and diversity and it also hosts myriad of hidden gems and off-the-beaten-track destinations that have not been discovered by many tourists yet.
People in Colombia always talk about Valledupar in the context of Vallenato music, which I’m not a big fan of. Because of that, I wasn’t very drawn to the city for a long time. This started to change when I heard someone mention Valledupar as an interesting and less frequented gateway to La Guajira. When I finally visited Valledupar, I completely fell in love with this gorgeous hidden gem! The colorful architecture, the stunning natural surroundings, the food, the people… I can’t wait to go back! Find out what to do in Valledupar
Photo by Travelhapp: Valledupar Colombia, Historical Center
Mompox is a truly unique cultural and historical destination and features some of the best examples of colonial architecture in Latin America. This laid-back town is built on an island in the Magdalena River and is surrounded by rich vegetation. It can be reached by bus from Valledupar (ca. 4h), Barranquilla (ca. 7h) or Cartagena (ca. 7h).
Photo by Jess Kraft, Mompox (mod.), Canva Pro license
Remote Cabo de la Vela and Punta Gallinas on the La Guajira Peninsula are characterized by utterly unique landscapes. Desert sand dunes meet the turquoise Caribbean sea, and in the night you can see myriad of stars. La Guajira is home to the indigenous Wayuu people who have their very own language and culture. Read more about Things to do in La Guajira.
Photo by Travelhapp, Cabo de la Vela (La Guajira)
Rincón del Mar is a small peaceful fishing village with beautiful Caribbean beaches around 2,5 hours south of Cartagena. Find out more in my article on Things to do in and near Cartagena (number 23).
Photo by Yassef Briceño García, CC BY 2.0, Rincón del Mar (mod.)
The little village Don Diego can be reached in less than half an hour from Palomino. You can do tubing on the Don Diego river and watch colored birds and howler monkeys on the shore while you float towards the sea.
Photo by Travelhapp, Don Diego River meeting the sea
The remote and untouched Estoraques Natural National Park with its majestic vertical sandstone formations, canyons and labyrinths creates a unique dreamlike landscape which could have easily jumped out of Salvador Dali’s mind. Please check current travel advice for Norte de Santander to see which areas of this department are safe to travel.
Photo by Bryam Reyes, Estoraques, Norte de Santander
The western part of Colombia is bordered by the Pacific Ocean and includes the departments of Chocó (Quibdo), Valle del Cauca (Cali), Cauca (Popayan), and Nariño (Pasto), which are all at least partly located in the Pacific Region. In the southwest you will find the department of Huila (Neiva), and in the northwest the department of Antioquia (Medellín). The West is full of paradisiacal off-the-beaten-track destinations and hidden gems.
Nuquí and Bahía Solano are two hidden gems on Colombia’s Pacific coast in the remote Chocó department. You can find untouched nature, lush rainforests, beautiful white beaches, and an abundant flora and fauna. The pristine Utría National Natural Park is located between the two villages and is a fantastic place for whale watching between July and November. Find out more about Nuquí and Bahía Solano.
Photo by SteetFlash, Utria National Park, Nuqui, Canva Pro license
Sapzurro (near Capurganá) is a picturesque little village right at the border to Panama with pristine white beaches and turquoise Caribbean waters. You can find abundant wildlife inside and outside of the water in this hidden paradise where the jungle meets the sea. Read more about the Chocó Region (Sapzurro, Nuqui, Bahia Solano).
Photo by jkraft5, Sapzurro
The San Cipriano River is a magical river that leads through pristine tropical rainforest with natural pools, little waterfalls and rich wildlife. You can ride through the jungle on the cute “Brujita” bamboo train, hike or tube on the river. San Cipriano can be reached in about 2 hours from Cali.
Photo by miniteca.org, CC BY-SA 2.0, San Cipriano River, waterfall (mod.)
The Tatacoa desert with its moon-like landscape and starry nights is a breath-taking off-the-beaten-track destination in Colombia. Local guides can tell you why you can find marine fossils in this desert. The Tatacoa desert is only one of the hidden treasures to be discovered in the magical Huila region. Find out more about secret attractions in Huila.
Photo by Travelhapp, Tatacoa Desert Colombia
Las Lajas Sanctuary, near the Ecuadorian boarder, is easily the gothic revival church with the most spectacular setting. The whole department of Nariño is still little visited by international travelers though it features some stunning landscapes and natural attractions. Read more about Nariño and its capital Pasto.
Photo by ANPerryman, Las Lajas Sanctuary (mod.)
Popayán in Colombia is strongly associated with religious tourism due to its famous easter processions. However, this beautiful “white city” is a true hidden gem for every kind of traveler to discover – with a great culinary offer, nice bars with live music, gorgeous colonial architecture and amazing natural surroundings. It’s one of my favorite slow travel destinations in Colombia. Discover things to do and see in Popayán.
Photo by Travelhapp: Sunset over Popayán
In Tierradentro (“the earth inside”) you can visit impressive pre-Columbian underground tombs and ancient burial chambers which were built by the local indigenous people between the 6th and 9th century. Tierradentro can be reached in 3 to 5 hours from Popayán.
The east of Colombia is sparsely populated and extremely fascinating. The departments Meta (Villavicencio), Casanare (Yopal), Vichada, Arauca (Arauca), and parts of Guaviare (San José del Guaviare) belong to the so-called “Llanos Orientales” (‘the eastern plains”). The Llanos, which are situated in the Orinoco region, border with Venezuela, as does remote and mystical Guainía (Inírida). The East of Colombia is as off-the-beaten-track as it can get, full of secret and magical places.
Caño Cristales in the Colombian Macarena province is called “the river of 7 colors”, or “liquid rainbow”, since it takes on multiples colors between late July and November. The colors are caused, among other things, by water plants and algae that change from red to yellow and green depending on their exposure to the sun. Caño Cristales can be reached from Villavicencio with the airline Satena between July and November. Read more about Villavicencio and the fascinating Meta department.
The same phenomenon as in Caño Cristales occurs in Caño Sabana, an even lesser known attraction just 9 km away from San José del Guaviare and reachable by overland transport.
Photo by Pedro Szekely, CC BY-SA 2.0, Caño Cristales (mod.)
The Chiribiquete National Natural Park in the Guaviare region has recently been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. In this stunning natural environment, featuring tabletop mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and rainforests, you can admire the highest density of ancient rock paintings in the world. Some of the petroglyphs date back around 20,000 years ago.
Photo by Carlos Castaño Uribe, CC BY-SA 3.0, Chiribiquete National Natural Park (mod.)
Photo by Carlos Castaño Uribe, CC BY-SA 3.0, Chiribiquete Rock Paintings (mod.)
The mystical Cerros de Mavecure in remote Guainía are a group of otherworldly tabletop mountains. They provide the scenery for parts of the thought-provoking movie “The embrace of the serpent” which explores the impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures.
Photo by AA Lombana-Bermudez, CC BY-SA 2.0, Cerros de Mavecure (mod.)
La Primavera is a small village located by a peaceful lagoon of the same name, where you can enjoy incredible sunsets. With a little luck, from the nearby Muelle Puerto Borracho, you may be able to spot pink dolphins in the Meta River. La Primavera is very close to the pristine El Tuparro National Natural Park, which is home to jaguars, giant anteaters, capybaras, and many endemic species. Please check current travel advice for Vichada to find out which areas of this department are safe to travel.
Photo by Seryoanroes, CC BY-SA 4.0, Laguna de la Primavera (mod.)
The southern part of Colombia shares borders with Ecuador, Brazil and Peru and large parts are covered by the amazon rainforest. It includes the departments Amazonas, Putumayo, Caquetá, and Vaupés. Large parts of the South can be considered off-the-beaten-track due to the challenging access and formerly presence of guerilla groups in the jungle. (They have not completely disappeared, please check the current travel advice for Colombia before you head into the jungle.)
Small Mocoa is the capital of the Putumayo department in Colombia’s Amazon region. Putumayo is less explored than the Amazon rainforest around Leticia. Close to Mocoa you can visit the magical “End of the World” waterfall Cascada del Fin del Mundo which is surrounded by dense jungle.
Photo by Cecilia Posada, rainforest mountain near Mocoa (mod.), Canva Pro license
Amacayacu National Park, near Leticia, is a fantastic place for wildlife spotting. You may see pink dolphins, sloths, capybaras, woolly monkeys, tapirs, macaws, parrots, and many other species. The jaguar also inhabits Amacayacu National Park, but it is very hard to see this graceful cat since it is very elusive. Find out what else to do near Leticia in the Colombian Amazon.
Photo by Dick Culbert, CC BY 2.0, Woolly monkey in Amacayacu National Park
The immense natural beauty of untouched Vaupés in Colombia’s Amazon region leaves you in wonder and awe. Photographer Luis Gabriel Cuervo Amore paid a magnificent homage to this unique piece of earth in his wanderlust-inspiring Flickr album “Paisajes vaupenses y de Mitú” (landscapes of Vaupés and Mitú). Please check current travel advice for Vaupés to find out which areas of this department are safe to travel.
Photo by Luis Gabriel Cuervo Amore, CC BY 4.0, Vaupés (mod.)
The Insular Region of Colombia refers to the islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans that are geopolitically part of Colombia. These islands include Malpelo and Gorgona in the Pacific Ocean, San Andrés and Providencia in the Caribbean Sea, as well as the Archipiélago de San Bernardo, Islas del Rosario, Isla Fuerte, Isla Barú, Isla Tortuguilla, and Isla Tierra Bomba.
Providencia Island is much calmer than neighboring San Andres and enchants with white beaches, crystal-clear waters full of fascinating marine life, and its friendly people. Read more about San Andrés and Providencia.
Photo by Guillermo Bresciano, Providencia Cabo Cangrejo (mod.)
Gorgona Island is a fascinating off-the-beaten-track destination in Colombia with an extremely diverse flora and fauna. You can also visit the ruins of the prison that used to be on the island. Gorgona Island is one of Colombia’s certified sustainable tourism destinations.
Photo by Clement Recoules, Aviatur, CC BY-SA 3.0, Gorgona Island (mod.)
Last Update: November 28, 2024
