Columbia
Columbia is a modern country with vivacious cities with smudging metropolitan culture and towering skyscrapers. You will find stylish port cities cut by paved passages and bougainvillea masked galleries all over Columbia. There are stunning national parks booming with flora and fauna. And to add to your excitement, there are cruise boats, late night parties packed with the excitement of salsa dancing. Hence, Columbia is a great place for power packed holiday.
Travel to Columbia
Columbia has good number of international flights connecting it to Europe and northern America. Most of the international flights leave you to the international airport in Bogotá. Other than Bogotá, there are other international airports in cities like Cali, San Andres, Cartegena, Medellin and Barranquilla. You can reach Columbia via road if you are in Venezuela or Ecuador. Ports on the Pacific and the Caribbean are also an option to enter Columbia. Columbia has a good network of domestic airlines within the country connecting most of the parts of the nations. A network of domestic airlines connects all major cities of the country. The cheapest means of transport in the country is buses. Although buses are quite slow and do not promise you a luxurious journey but are the best way to get to the most remote locations of the country. You can also hire a taxi t get around the country. Another popular mode of transport in Columbia is ‘Chiva’ which is a kind of wooden bus.
Attractions
There are large numbers of attractions for tourists visiting Columbia. One of the most visited attractions is Cartagena. Cartagena de Indias is renowned both for its magnificent history and its loveliness. It has been commemorated on innumerable canvases; depicted in large number of books and snapped a million times as Colombia's most enthralling city. It has been given the status of world heritage site. The walled aged town of this fortified Spanish regal port is a jewel. It is crowded with monasteries, churches, courts, palaces and gracious manors with pendant balconies and shaded portico. Merely roving through the slender paved lanes exposes continual speculates. The major attractions of the place are the gold-filled Museo del Oro, the lovely old port of Cartagena on the Bahia de las Animas and Palacio de la Inquisicion. Another major attraction of Columbia is Ciudad Perdida. It is also called as the lost city. The city is believed to be built in between11th and the 14th century. It is one of the biggest pre Columbian cities revealed in the Americas. There are approx 150 stone patios, which once served as foundations for homes. It is concealed yawning in massive woods in the middle of rocky mountains, far from any contact through roads. Various archeological remains like potteries, gold artifacts, unique necklaces have been dug out from the place. Some of these stuffs are exhibited in the Museo del Oro in Santa Marta and Bogota. Another famous attraction is the Santuario de las Lajas that is of great religious and spiritual importance. Constructed on a stone bridge straddling a profound ravine, the neo Gothic Santuario de Las Lajas is a weird but impressive location, as well as an enormously admired destination for pilgrims in need of a marvel. They put their faith in the Virgin Mary, whose picture is supposed to have appeared from a huge upright rock 45m (147ft) above the river in the middle of 18th century. The cathedral is constructed straight next to the stony wall of the ravine where the picture emerged. A gold plated picture of the Virgin, accompanied by Santo Domingo and San Francisco, has been painted on the rocks.
Language
The official language of Columbia is Spanish. Other than Spanish sixty five other languages are spoken all over Columbia.
Shopping
Shopping in Columbia is great. There are good markets for great shopping. You can shop for local handicrafts, artifacts and lot of great local items from Columbia. There are markets that sell specific merchandize. For example the Farmer’s Market is a spot elected for small farmers, gardeners, and others to accrue and sell flowers, fruit, vegetables and lot of home made Columbian delicacies. There are excellent gift shops placed all over Columbia to pick some Columbian designs for your friends.
Destinations in Columbia
Bogotá
Bogotá is the essence of all things Colombian: a metropolis of advanced architecture, a lively and varied cultural and rational life, superb majestic churches and excellent museums. It is one of the most popular destinations of Columbia. But other than the splendid beauty of the town, there are some problems such as beggars and huge traffic jams to irritate you in the town.
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