IS IT SAFE TO TRAVEL TO COLOMBIA? OUR EXPERIENCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS

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Is it safe to travel to Colombia? Is it a safe country today? How is security in Colombia? These are some of the questions we have received over and over again in Social Networks while traveling around the country. The truth is that there is NO clear and unanimous answer. And we explain ...

If we say that Colombia is NOT a safe country, we would be lying: Colombia, from what they told us, has changed radically over the last few years and in most of our trip we always had a sense of security and tranquility.

But if we say that Colombia IS a safe country, we are also in error: unfortunately, there are sites (and areas) where there is still a strong presence of street crime. Of course, the problems of drug trafficking and guerrillas have long since diminished and do not present a problem for a trip that follows certain recommendations.

Here are some tips which may be useful when traveling to Colombia:

- A good way to know what areas are more recommended in the big cities, is to attend the neighborhood numbering, where 1 refers to a marginal neighborhood, with many violent episodes, and 7 to a very quiet and developed area. Eye: this does not mean that if you go in a marginal neighborhood you will be safely docked, or that in the middle of Chapinero (good neighborhood of Bogotá) you will be safe from thieves ... You must always have common sense.

- Don't even think about arriving in the country without travel insurance. In Medellín I had to go to the hospital after a bug bite (why do I always get a weirdo bite?) And the final bill would have been a good scare ... luck that it was safe! Here you have a discount with Iati, which is the insurer we use.

- In fact, one of the expressions you will learn very quickly in Colombia is “don't give papaya" No, it is not about not offering fruit on the street, it means not "bragging", not showing your belongings in public. That is, it depends on what areas, do not go around with the camera hanging on your shoulder (or you will get the attention of possible malicious intentions), or take out your wallet and start counting the money in the middle of the square. You know: use common sense!

- Another tip they gave us was to use applications such as Uber or Tappsi and avoid taking taxis in the street: they are becoming less common but in the past the "millionaire rides" were quite frequent, an express kidnapping with which they take you somewhere remote to dock you.

- You also have to take special care in tourist areas or where there is an accumulation of people: it is the perfect workplace for pickpockets.

- Of course you can't think of it buy and / or try drugs, and do not trust drinks that someone very kind wants to make you try ... most likely it is not bad, but there have been cases of adulterated drinks with burundanga, a drug that annuls the will of the one who takes it, so it will obey without putting resistance to a possible robbery and even rapes. That said: better be very cautious, especially if you are a woman traveling alone in Colombia.

- Yes, don't go through life with prejudices, as we said before, the country has improved a lot in terms of security and there are more and more tourists who decide to establish a season in Colombia. There must be a reason! Medellin, for example, is one of the best destinations for digital nomads (Bogotá also seemed it to us).

- The website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reports that high risk areas they are rural and mountainous, where guerrilla groups still exist. Especially the area of the Eastern Plains and the one located near the border with Panama. The rest of the country is considered medium risk (example: possible robberies in large cities, strong sea currents such as some beaches of Tayrona Park ...) or low risk.

→ Here you have all the travel recommendations to Colombia of the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In short: go with an open mind, but use common sense. If you do, most likely nothing bad will happen to you. And keep in mind that, as Colombians say, the biggest risk is that you want to stay. Did you visit the country? Did you find it safe to travel to Colombia? We did not have a bad experience and we hope you also come back with the same feeling.