One of the best places to visit is the Cocora Valley, where you can take guided hikes to vantage points and see close up the distinctive wax palms that grow up to 200m (656ft) high. You can reach most parts of the coffee regions via inexpensive flights from either Medellin or Bogota with Viva Air Colombia.
The region around Medellin is called Zona Cafetera, or the coffee zone, because this is where the country’s famous coffee plantations are found. It is also famous for its street-art murals, which celebrate different facets of Colombian culture and politics. The Old Town today has become a tourist hotspot within the city, with many high-end restaurants, luxury and boutique hotels, bars and few local residents. This historic old town was initially built by the Spanish conquistadors to safeguard their gold from pirates. The Old Town of Cartagena is the most popular attraction of Colombia. Interesting Attractions to Visit in Colombia The Old Town of Cartagena
Read more about Medellin from Passport Magazine > In the evening, around Parque Lleras in Poblado, the city comes to life, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. Poblado is the main tourist heart of the city, with all the best restaurants, bars and hotels. The LGBTQ scene here includes bars like Bar Chiquita, Donde Aquellos and the Viva gay club. Medellin is also a very LGBTQ-friendly city, which can be attributed to the paisas (people of Medellin) being very welcoming. Medellin used to be considered the crime capital of Colombia however, over the past 10 years it has undergone a huge transition to become one of the safest and most advanced places in the entire country. In July there is a circuit-style festival called Rumours, which runs alongside the city’s Pride festival. There is a small gay scene in Cartagena with bars like Le Petit, La Plancha and Roma Club. Read more about Bogota from Passport Magazine >Ĭartagena’s old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, a maze of pretty cobblestone alleys and colorful colonial style buildings dating back to the 1500s. Bogota also has a big drag scene and hosts many drag events throughout the year. Bogota is also the ideal base to check out sightseeing highlights like Monserrate Mountain, the Gold Museum, the Candelaria neighborhood or a day trip to the Salt Cathedral. one room is devoted to modern pop hits, another room is only for women, another is men only and another for reggaeton. This is the largest LGBTQ club in Latin America, split into 13 mini clubs spread over five floors. The main highlight of Bogota for visitors is the megaclub Theatron. There are many bars to check out, like El Recreo de Adan, Estacion, Color House Café Bar, Brokeback Mountain and many more. It has a developed LGBTQ scene, based around Carrera 9 street between Calles 58 to 60 in the Chapinero neighborhood. Colombia is definitely a country with appeal for LGBTQ+ travelers thanks to its many fascinating places.īogota is the capital of Colombia and also the largest city. On the Caribbean coast, Cartagena is Colombia’s most visited city and also popular with LGBTQ+ travelers. The two main cities, Bogota and Medellin, each have a large gay neighborhood-especially Chapinero in Bogota where you can find the megaclub Theatron, the largest LGBTQ+ club in Latin America. Colombia’s progressive legal rights and protections has won the destination the title of best LGBTQ+ emerging destination at the FITUR 2017 travel trade show in Madrid, and is one of the reasons why Colombia was considered the Leading LGBTQ+ Destination in South America in 2018, by the World Travel Awards. In addition, Congress passed a law banning discrimination on sexual orientation in 2011, adoption for same-sex couples was legalized in 2012 and the right to change your gender has been in place since 1993. Same-sex marriage was legalized in April 2016 in Colombia with the first same-sex wedding taking place in Cali on. Legal rights and protections for LGBTQ+ people in Colombia are considered among the most progressive in Latin America.