Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country situated in the northwest of South America. It has borders with Panama, Ecuador, Venezuela, Brazil and Peru, and is washed by the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The capital of the country is Bogotá. The official language is Spanish. The total area of the country is about 1.1 million square kilometers; the population is approximately 48 million people.

Colombia has a great diversity of landscapes and climate zones, so if you plan to travel extensively, be ready to take many different clothes.

The national currency is the Colombian peso. It is recommended to exchange currency only at hotels, banks and exchange offices. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. In all the main cities there are ATMs.

Colombia is able to satisfy a broad spectrum of tastes. Those who prefer relaxed sunbathing can go to secluded beaches of Tayrona National Park or bask on the coasts of San Andres and Providencia. Connoisseurs of colonial architecture will like picturesque buildings of Cartagena and Bogota, not to mention their interesting museums and delicious local food. Those who want to to get the real taste of Colombia can visit small pueblos in the coffee region. From July to October nature lovers can watch humpback whales coming close to the shore at Nuqui, on Colombia’s Pacific Coast. While travelling along the Amazon River you will be able to visit indigenous communities and see various exotic animals. Or you can take a jungle trek from Santa Marta or Taganga to Ciudad Perdida (The Lost City) and get a great adventure of your life. Those who are fond of extreme will also like San Gil, which offers a lot of opportunities for paragliding, whitewater rafting, and mountain biking and other adventure sports.

El Dorado International Airport (BOG), the main international airport in Colombia, situated in Bogotá.

José María Córdova International Airport (MDE), the second biggest airport in Colombia, situated in the city of Rionegro.

Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport (CLO), located in Palmira.

Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG), the largest airport in the northern Caribbean region.

Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ) serves the area of Barranquilla.

Palonegro International Airport (BGA)

Colombia is a popular destination for scuba divers, because it is the only country in South America which has both Pacific and Caribbean coastlines.

On the Caribbean side the most popular diving places include Capurgana, Golfo de Morrosquillo (near Tolu), Islas del Rosario (Cartagena), and Taganga (coral gardens and tropical reef fish, including angelfish, butterfly fish, yellowtail snapper, and green moray eels) and San Andres and Providencia. Off the archipelago of San Andres and Providencia divers can see the world’s third largest coral reef, inhabited by numerous marine creatures. The water temperature is very comfortable and the visibility is up to 40 meters.

Off the Pacific coast the most famous sites are Cali, Gorgona Island (turtles, white-tip reef sharks, groupers, mantas, whalesharks, and, from June to October, humpback whales) and Malpelo