Parque Nacional Natural (PNN) Los Nevados

Colombia

　　One of Colombia's most awe-inspiring national parks, PNN Los Nevados encompasses 583 sq km of rugged terrain in the heart of the Colombian Andes. Its varied altitude range encompasses everything from humid cloud forests and páramo (high-mountain plains) to glaciers on the highest peaks. 　　The main peaks, from north to...

Topa Tolondra

Colombia

　　Popular with locals and travelers alike, this large salsa bar near Loma de la Cruz is always buzzing. The tables are pushed right up against the walls, leaving plenty of floor space to get your groove on. There's frequent live music. ...

Hacienda Venecia

Colombia

　　This hacienda has won numerous awards for its coffee. It offers a tour in English that includes an informative presentation about Colombian coffee, an introduction to coffee cupping, a class in coffee preparation and a walking tour through the plantation. You can use the pool afterwards, and a typical lunch...

Cabo San Juan del Guía

Colombia

　　Cabo San Juan del Guía is a beautiful cape with a knockout beach. It's also by far the most crowded area of the park, although lack of road access deters casual day-trippers. The area has a restaurant and a campsite, with hammocks and cabins, in a spectacular lookout on a...

Desierto de Tatacoa

Colombia

　　Technically not a desert but a landscape of red and gray rock, sculpted by ancient waterways, the Desierto de Tatacoa is one of Colombia's most unique ecosystems. It lies 4km east of Villavieja and can be explored on foot or by bicycle. 　　As you leave Villavieja you'll pass through Bosque...

Parque Nacional Natural El Cocuy

Colombia

　　One of Colombia's most spectacular national parks, PNN El Cocuy is mostly made up of a diverse ecosystem known as the páramo. This glacially formed, neotropical system of valleys, plains and mountain lakes includes the largest glacier zone in South America north of the equator. The park has 15 peaks...

Parque Arqueológico

Colombia

　　This 78-hectare archaeological park is 2.5km west of the town of San Agustín. There are over 130 statues in the park in total, either found in situ or collected from other areas, including some of the best examples of San Agustín statuary, with human or animal features, or a mixture...

Bolívar Desnudo

Zona Cafetera

　　The centerpiece of Plaza de Bolívar is Rodrigo Arenas Betancur's 8.5m-high, 11-tonne bronze statue of the Liberator, naked on horseback, urging his stallion forward with a manic passion, buttocks clenched to his plunging mount. ...

Jardín Botánico

Zona Cafetera

　　Within the grounds of the Universidad Tecnológia de Pereira, the botanic gardens has orchids, exotic bamboos, hummingbirds and medicinal plants, and offers a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. Entrance includes an obligatory guided tour. ...

Museo de Arte de Pereira

Zona Cafetera

　　Arguably the best art museum in the region (bar Medellín's offerings), this place showcases thought-provoking exhibits by Colombian and South American artists. Exhibitions change three or four times per year. ...

Museo Turístico

Around Medellín

　　A small museum with a somewhat random collection of trinkets and objects from around the town. There's little in the way of explanation. You'll have to have a bit of luck to get inside – it's not always open when it should be. ...

Iglesia del Calma

Around Medellín

　　The Iglesia del Calma features a Greco-Roman exterior and a polished wood interior. It was built in 1811 as a form of penance, or so the story goes, by a man who killed an orange thief. ...

Casa del Arriero

Around Medellín

　　The oldest and biggest house in Guatapé is still occupied by descendants of the original owners, who sometimes leave their front door open so visitors can wander into the central courtyard. The ornate folding doors depict mules and arrieros (muleteers). The architecture is very typical of Guatapé. ...

Piedra del Peñol

Around Medellín

　　Also known as El Peñon de Guatapé, thanks to the fierce rivalry between the towns it straddles, this 200m-high granite monolith rises from near the edge of the Embalse Guatapé. A brick staircase of 659 steps rises up through a broad fissure in the side of the rock. From the...

Iglesia de San Laureano

Santander

　　This twin-towered, pale-yellow, colonial-period church dominates the east side of Parque García Rovira. ...

Museo de Arte Moderno de Bucaramanga

Santander

　　A bright little museum with two exhibition rooms with rotating exhibits of modern paintings and sculptures. There's also a garden with sculptures and a cafe. ...

Mercado Central

Santander

　　Buca's colorful, well-organized central market is worth a stroll, especially for its 4th-floor food court with all manner of local eats and mountain vistas to boot. ...

Casa de la Cultura

Santander

　　One of Bucaramanga's best preserved colonial mansions, the Casa de la Cultura is currently occupied by an educational institution, but visitors are free to have a look inside. Its two courtyards feature changing art exhibits. ...

Catedral de la Sagrada Familia

Santander

　　Facing Parque Santander is Buca's most substantial piece of religious architecture. Constructed over nearly a century (1770–1865), it's a massive, eclectic edifice with fine stained-glass windows and a ceramic cupola brought from Mexico. ...

Capilla de los Dolores

Santander

　　In Parque García Rovira, this diminutive chapel is Bucaramanga's oldest surviving church; it was erected in stone from 1748 to 1750. Its simple whitewashed facade is a fine example of the colonial architecture that was once prominent in the center. ...

Jardin Botánico Eloy Valenzuela

Santander

　　Located a short walk from the park in Floridablanca, this lush botanic garden beside a pretty stream is a good place to take a break from the city, although you can still hear the frenzied traffic in the distance. In addition to wonderful trees covered with drooping moss, it has...

Museo Casa de Bolívar

Santander

　　Another piece in the historical jigsaw of Simón Bolívar's life (Colombia is full of them), this slightly musty museum is housed in a colonial mansion where the libertador stayed for two months in 1828. One room is dedicated to Bolívar and his exploits, while the rest of the suites tell...

Catedral Santa Cruz

Santander

　　A handsome 18th-century stone church, Catedral Santa Cruz is located on San Gil's main plaza. ...

Parque La Libertad

Santander

　　The tree-lined plaza of Parque La Libertad, also called Parque Principal, is San Gil's most visible landmark and the heart of its social life. The handsome 18th-century stone Catedral Santa Cruz dominates the north end of the plaza. On weekend nights the plaza is packed with multiple generations of Colombian...

Parque El Gallineral

Santander

　　San Gil's showpiece is the salubrious Parque El Gallineral, a 4-hectare park set on a triangular island between two arms of the Quebrada Curití and Río Fonce. Many of the 1900 trees are covered with long, silvery tendrils of moss called barbas de viejo (old man's beard), hanging from branches...

Cueva de la Vaca

Santander

　　Located just outside the town of Curití, La Vaca is the most attractive and adventurous cave in the are,a with numerous caverns filled with stalagmites and stalactites. To explore the cave you'll need to go on a guided tour (90 minutes), which can be organized in town. At one point...

Cascadas de Juan Curi

Santander

　　Take a day trip to this spectacular 180m-high waterfall where you can swim in the natural pool at its base or relax on the rocks. Adventure junkies can rappel the sheer face of the falls; book this activity with one of the tour companies. Juan Curi is 22km from San...

Iglesia de San Francisco

Santa Marta

　　Dating from 1597, the squat Iglesia de San Francisco is little more than its colonial facade these days due to recurring earthquakes and fires over the centuries. Its interior currently dates from 1963 and is nothing special to look at. Taken over by the English during their late-17th-century occupation of...

Museo del Oro

Santa Marta

　　Oro (gold) is only half of what this fabulous museum is about. Housed in the impressively renovated Casa de la Aduana (Customs House), which features in the Gabriel García Márquez novel No One Writes to the Colonel, the displays lure you in with ceramics and jewelry from the Nahuange and...

Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino

Santa Marta

　　This hacienda is where Simón Bolívar spent his last days in 1830 before succumbing to either tuberculosis or arsenic poisoning, depending on whom you believe. The hacienda was owned by a Spanish supporter of Colombia's independence who invited Bolívar to stay and take a rest before his journey to exile...

Casa Museo de Antonio Ricaurte

Villa de Leyva

　　Antonio Ricaurte fought under Bolívar and is remembered for his act of self-sacrifice in the battle of San Mateo (near Caracas in Venezuela) in 1814. Defending an armory and closely encircled by the Spaniards, he let them in, then set fire to the gunpowder kegs and blew up everyone, including...

Museo del Carmen

Villa de Leyva

　　Apparently one of best museums of religious art in the country, the Museo del Carmen is housed in the convent of the same name. The fairly average collection of paintings, carvings, altarpieces and other religious objects dates from the 16th century onward. Some of the pieces are a little soiled...

Casa Museo de Antonio Nariño

Villa de Leyva

　　Antonio Nariño was known as the forefather of Colombia's independence and Casa Museo de Antonio Nariño is the house where he spent the last two months of his life before succumbing to a lung infection in 1823. Nariño was a fierce defender of human rights and is also revered for...

Iglesia del Carmen

Villa de Leyva

　　This church is currently in religious service and has interesting paintings in the chancel and on the wooden structure supporting the roof. ...

Iglesia Parroquial

Villa de Leyva

　　This parish church facing the main square was built in 1608 and has hardly changed since that time. The interior is plain, except for the marvelous baroque main retable. ...

Casona La Guaca

Villa de Leyva

　　This colonial mansion has an intimate courtyard with an abundance of plants and trees surrounding a fountain. The front section houses shops, and there's a large patio with restaurants out the back. ...

Casa Museo de Luis Alberto Acuña

Villa de Leyva

　　Villa de Leyva's best museum features works by one of Colombia's most influential painters, sculptors, writers and historians, Luis Alberto Acuña (1904–93), who was inspired by sources ranging from Muisca mythology to contemporary art. Set up in the mansion where Acuña lived for the last 15 years of his life,...

Plaza Mayor

Villa de Leyva

　　At 120m by 120m, Plaza Mayor is one of the largest town squares in the Americas. It's paved with massive cobblestones and surrounded by magnificent colonial structures and a charmingly simple parish church. Only a small, central Mudejar fountain, which provided water to the villagers for almost four centuries, interrupts...

Plaza de Bolívar

Manizales

　　The city's main square has the mandatory statue of Bolívar, by Rodrigo Arenas Betancur, here known as Bolívar-Cóndor since the sculptor endows Colombia's founder with distinctly birdlike features and a rather fine behind. The Palacio de Gobierno, a pretty, neoclassical confection built in 1927, stands on the northern side of...

Los Yarumos

Manizales

　　This 53-hectare municipal park offers panoramic views of the city and adventure activities. Popular with locals, free activities include a short guided hike along a nature trail and a catapult that launches participants into the air while attached to a rubber sling. Paid options include treks to a waterfall, abseiling,...

Iglesia de Inmaculada Concepción

Manizales

　　Built at the beginning of the 20th century, this elegant church has a beautiful carved-wood interior reminiscent of a ship's hull. ...

Torre de Chipre

Manizales

　　The 30m-high spaceship-like lookout point has 360-degree views of the dramatic mountainous terrain surrounding the city. If you're brave you can walk around the perimeter on an external walkway while attached to a harness (COP$15,000). Admission allows you to come and go all day if you want to check the...

Monumento a Los Colonizadores

Manizales

　　Located atop a hill in the neighborhood of Chipre, this massive monument to the city's founders was crafted from 50 tonnes of bronze (including keys and other implements donated by local residents). It's a very impressive work, but an even bigger attraction is the spectacular view over town and to...

Catedral de Manizales

Manizales

　　Plaza de Bolívar’s south side is dominated by the odd but impressive Catedral de Manizales. Begun in 1929 and built of reinforced concrete, it is among the first churches of its kind in Latin America. Its main tower is 106m high, making it the highest church tower in the country....

La Piscinita

San Andrés

　　Located just south of El Cove, La Piscinita is a good site for snorkeling. It has usually calm water, plenty of fish (which will eat out of your hand) and some facilities, including a restaurant serving seafood and renting snorkel gear. ...