Colombia: 9 good reasons to discover this beautiful country

If you like fine sandy beaches lined with coconut palms, paradisiacal landscapes and islands, cities with colourful houses, a rich fauna, Colombia is your dream destination. Original Ethnik gives you 5 good reasons to discover this beautiful country.

Visit colourful cities

Many cities in Colombia, such as Cartagena, Medelin, Bogota, Salento, Raquira or Guatape, immerse you in a colourful and historical universe. They are dynamic and friendly cities with a fascinating heritage. When you walk through the streets, you will discover brightly coloured colonial houses. There is also a lot of street art lining the walls. For example, the city of Bogota has incredible architecture. It is a contemporary city with single-storey colonial houses and colourful facades with balconies.

Taste the unavoidable Colombian coffee

Colombian coffee is one of the country's must-taste products. It is recognised worldwide as the best coffee in the world for its exceptional quality and taste. It is part of the culture and identity of the country. Drinking this coffee is symbolic, as it expresses for many people their belonging to the Colombian people. It is often taken for breakfast with corn bread. During your stay, you will see that Arabica grows everywhere. There are coffee fields as far as the eye can see with small farms called fincas. Coffee is a lever of the local economy. Do not hesitate during your trip to visit the fincas to follow the different stages of the coffee making process.

Vibrate to Colombian salsa

If you like salsa, the city of Cali is for you. It is considered the salsa music capital of the world. But the whole of Colombia vibrates to the rhythm of this bewitching music. You can dance in the streets, listen to fabulous bands, learn dance steps and watch shows.  

Visit a country rich in diversity

The diversity of its landscapes is a wonder. There are paradisiacal beaches of fine sand on the Pacific coast and on the Atlantic (Caribbean Sea), authentic tropical forests still preserved (Amazonia), dazzling natural parks (Tayrona), a very mountainous relief with high altitude lakes, volcanoes, green hills, pre-Columbian historical sites. Ranked 2nd in the world for its rich biodiversity. It has one of the richest fauna in the world. It is home to 1900 species of birds and a wide variety of mammal species. Pink flamingos, black crabs, humpback whales, it is magnificent to discover.  

Lounging on paradise beaches

Colombia is a fantastic country where you can relax and discover fine sandy beaches lined with coconut palms, landscapes and heavenly islands and archipelagos. The Pacific and Caribbean coasts stretch over 2900 km. We advise you to go in the direction of the archipelago San Andres and Providencia are classified among the most beautiful islands of the Caribbean!  

Discover colourful music and dance festivals Les Colombians love music and dance. Salsa, cumbia, vallenato, salsa choke, they are an integral part of their culture. There are many colourful music and dance festivals and carnivals to enjoy all year round. Some festivals and carnivals:

• The Feria de Cali is a series of open-air salsa concerts.
  Festival Internacional de Tango in Medelin.
• The Carnival in Barranquilla is as important as the one in Rio. Cumbia is played. It is a mix of indigenous, African and Spanish music.
• The Pasto carnival is worth discovering. It is part of UNESCO's intangible heritage.
• From July to December, we head to Bogotá. There are many festivals in Parque Simón Bolívar: Salsa al Parque, Rock al Parque, Jazz al Parque.

The kindness and hospitality of the Colombian people

Colombians are welcoming, kind, joyful and festive people. As mentioned earlier, they love music and dancing. They are often ranked among the happiest countries in the world. They are a very mixed people because of their history. There are Spanish descendants and African slaves. This fusion brings an intense cultural richness to the whole country.  

Discovering emblematic remote populations

In Colombia, there are 80 indigenous ethnic groups. One example is the Wayúu tribe in the heart of the Guajira desert. In the heights of the Sierra Nevada, there are the Kogi Indians. In the middle of the Amazonian forest, there are the Tikuna people.  

The wealth of delicious exotic fruits

If you like fruit, you will love this country. It's everywhere. Colombia is a paradise for exotic fruits. You can find fruits like lulo, guanabana, uchuva, pitahaya. They can be eaten in juice or fresh.