Colombia

Colombia has not been on the agenda of most American tourists, but I firmly believe that is about to change. The country’s tourism is flying high like the impressive Northern Screamer, a rare bird that flew ahead of us in the unspoiled wildlife paradise of the lower Magdalena River a few weeks ago. Once avoided by tourists and businesses, the safety issues have greatly decreased due to large police presence in all major cities. Strong economic growth combined with improved infrastructure geared towards tourism prompted U.S. river cruise company, Ama Waterways, to make the bold move in Colombia of being the first in the world to introduce river cruises on the Magdalena River. See the April 23, 2026, Coastal Breeze News Travel News column.

We flew into Barranquilla, a city hosting the second-largest Carnival in the world after Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The almost two and a half million inhabitants participate in parades, festivals, and parties together with another eight hundred thousand tourists, mostly from within Colombia. But if one can’t be there during the February festivities, the city boasts elaborate carnival performances in brilliant costumes for tourists all year.

The city has become an industrial port on the Caribbean Sea that is part of the Atlantic Ocean. European and American conglomerates have major offices here today. Skyscrapers are occupied by companies from all over the world. And luxury hotels have sprung up downtown, vying for tourists in competition with the magnificent old colonial hotel, Casa Caribe Colonial. The 20th-century “Historical Heritage” building has been renovated to perfection. Local tour guides proudly show off an over 20-foot-tall statue of the famous Colombian singer, Shakira, on the Gran Malecon del Rio waterfront boulevard. But what is the most impressive experience is the friendliness of the people in such a big city. It is something we experienced throughout Colombia, starting with our arrival at the airport. The immigration officer stamped our passports and welcomed us to his country with a big smile. It was somewhat unexpected after being brainwashed by the travel warnings from our State Department and the known fact that this country is the largest exporter of cocaine in the world. According to local authorities, these warnings are still valid for more remote areas not normally visited by tourists, where some criminal groups still fight over territory. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that over 4% of Colombia’s national GDP is involved with the cocaine trade.

What happened in this country that is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with unparalleled features of nature from mountains to rivers, seas, and forests?

For many years, people suffered under the guerrilla group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a far-left Marxist organization attempting to overthrow the government. President Juan Manuel Santos was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace after negotiating a peace agreement between the guerrillas and the government. This resulted in the disarmament of FARC and a conversion to a peaceful political party instead. Murder rates decreased 75% and foreign countries began to invest in infrastructure. Economic growth and massive police presence aided in attracting tourism. The government organization, ProColombia, is promoting foreign investment and does a fabulous job steering tourists to Colombia. The many international visitors are due to the increased perceived safety in the country under the leadership of the first left-leaning President, Gustavo Petro. Ironically, he was a former M-19 guerrilla member who eventually entered politics. Before becoming president, Gustavo was a Senator, a Member of the House of Representatives, and Mayor of the capital, Bogota. His agenda has always been to strive for “total peace,” protection of the environment, and reforms in healthcare. In cooperation with the United States, a joint intelligence, “Shield of the Americas,” was formed. Drones were used to fumigate cocaine crops, and incentives were offered to farmers to grow alternative crops. His government has dismantled large drug cartels and the crime they were so infamous for. The trade is now run more like a small business and therefore not nearly as dangerous to the general public. The capital, Bogota, is the third-highest capital in the world at close to 9,000 feet in elevation. Medellin and Cartagena are the cities most frequented by tourists.

The first for its mild climate year-round, modern infrastructure, and the last as a beautifully walled colonial city on the waters of the Caribbean. We combined the cities with the rural landscape along the Magdalena River with villages of dirt streets and very small but brightly painted homes.

We traveled up the narrow tributaries of the river covered in waterlilies and giant overhanging evergreen trees, called Talisia of the soapberry family, festooned by enormous flocks of egrets, herons, roseate spoonbills, and several species of kingfishers. The homesteads were even more rudimentary, mostly platforms on stilts with only a roof. The “kitchen” was a firepit on the ground, and the toilet was the river. Laundry washed in the river was strung up on lines hung between the poles. Most of these homes had several cows, chickens, a couple of pigs, and a mule for transporting fresh milk and eggs to the villages. And each had at least one dugout canoe for fishing. Bright-eyed small children waved to us enthusiastically as we passed by in our small touring boats.

Our visit to this intriguing country ended in the city of Cartagena. This is the only place that has been visited by tourists for many years, even before the political improvements offered so much safer and pleasant visits. The location is ideal for the one-day large cruise ship excursions year-round. The small, beautiful colonial city is fully surrounded by stone walls, locally called “Las Murallas,” finished in late 1700s, to provide protection against pirates from the Caribbean Sea. Much of the city has been restored in the original colonial style. It is bustling with many intriguing shops, restaurants, and colorful streets decorated with eclectic, whimsical murals. A major gateway to world explorers in times of the Spanish occupation, the city was named after the city of the same name in Spain. Its historic value led to the designation of UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE. Our departure back to Florida from the airport here seemed somewhat chaotic with people everywhere. We even had to climb the stairs up to the aircraft, like old times, to board our American Airlines flight home. However, there were friendly Colombian staff offering to carry our roller bags up the stairs.

We look forward to traveling again to Colombia before it gets overrun with tourists from all over the world. Changes made here by the government and its people can only be viewed as a very positive example for many other countries.