Your Ultimate Guide to Exploring Colombia with Ease

Colombia is a really pretty place with lots of different types of land, like cities, mountains, beaches, plains, and rainforests. Many people who visit Colombia want to see all these different places, and luckily, it’s easy to move around the country.

Flying Around

First, most visitors choose to use airplanes, especially when going between faraway places. Colombia has a few airlines that fly within the country, like Avianca, LAN, Copa, and VivaColombia. There’s also Satena, which mainly flies to smaller cities. It’s a good idea to book your flights early, and if you can, avoid traveling during national holidays when many Colombians are also going on trips.

The big airport in Bogota, called El Dorado, has two parts just for domestic flights. Terminal 2, which used to be called Puente Aereo, is only for Avianca flights. Sometimes, you might need to go from one terminal to the other. This short trip is done by bus or taxi. Almost all cities and even many towns in Colombia have their own airports. But remember, flights to the less common places might not happen as often.

Traveling by Bus

If you want to see the countryside up close, you can travel by bus. Going from one coast to a big city in the Andes Mountains can take a whole day. But lots of people still do it because they enjoy the different weather and landscapes. When you travel on the roads in Colombia, you’ll see waterfalls, valleys between mountains, palm trees, and banana farms. Big cities have places where you can rent cars, and Colombia is always working to make its roads better. They’re building wider roads and even tunnels through mountains to make driving more comfortable.

Another option is taking one of Colombia’s big buses with air conditioning. Some of these buses are really nice – they have big, almost flat beds, snacks, and things to keep you entertained. You can find these buses in all the major cities. If you plan to take a bus at night, make sure to bring warm clothes or blankets because the air conditioning can be really strong, especially in the warm parts of Colombia. Well-known bus companies are Bolivariano, Berlinas, and Rapido Ochoa. It’s smart to book your bus ticket early and avoid traveling during national holidays.

Exploring the Cities

Lots of the biggest cities in Colombia have really modern bus systems that run on their own special lanes on the road. One of the most famous systems is called transmilenio in Bogota, and it covers around 90 kilometers. It’s the biggest system of its kind in the world. To ride these buses, you need to use cards that you buy beforehand from shops or stations. Sometimes, these buses get really full during the busiest hours, but they’ve actually cut the time it takes to travel across the capital by half. Many other big cities in Latin America have copied this idea. You can check the routes online. There are also regular buses in different parts of the country. Sometimes, you can just wave down the oldest buses as they drive by on the street. Some of them even have someone inside who calls out where they’re going. In Bogota, they have a new system called SITP, which is more organized. You use a card to pay for your trips, and you can find the routes online.

Taxis and More

In the big towns and cities in Colombia, you’ll see lots of taxis driving around. Some places even have motorbike-taxis, but those are becoming less popular. If you want to take a taxi, especially in the big cities, it’s best to book it in advance. In Bogota, you can use apps on your smartphone to do this. Apps like Tappsi and EasyTaxi are used for this service. If you’re traveling with a bigger group or you want to go on a day trip, you can also hire private drivers.

Biking is Better

Bogota is a city that’s really into biking. They have one of the biggest networks of bike routes in the world. People in the city take around 400,000 bike trips every single day. You can rent bikes from specific places around the city, usually close to parks. There are also many bike rental shops. Bogota is even known for starting the idea of “ciclovia,” where lots of roads in the city are closed on Sunday mornings. This way, people on bikes, joggers, dog-walkers, and rollerbladers can enjoy the streets freely.

In Colombia, diverse landscapes beckon travelers to explore cities, mountains, and beaches. Moving around is easy, with options like flying to far places, comfortable buses, and even biking in bike-friendly cities. Modern transportation systems, scenic roads, and unique experiences await those who journey through this captivating country.