Colombia is a wondrously beautiful country. Situated where it is, in the northwest corner of South America, spanning the link to Central America and facing both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, the country is bisected vertically by two mountain ranges and incorporates snow-clad Andean peaks, lush jungles and huge numbers of flora and fauna.

It is a country rich in natural resources: coffee, fruit, emeralds, timber and oil.


You probably know it better as a source of cocaine in a country torn by rival rebel factions, drug traffikers, kidnappers and assassins.

Unfortunately, that is true, and for those reasons, I cannot at this time recommend travel there. There are suggestions for travel in Colombia's Country Profile which suggest you can travel safely in the well-visited tourism destinations such as Cartagena, Santa Marta, Popayán , and Bogotá. My motto is still be safe, not sorry.

One day, when the situation changes and the remote and spectacular countryside is safe, I hope you'll visit the three regions of Colombia and enjoy the many national parks. Some are on the coastal region, some in the mountainous region called the Andina, where the Cerro Occidental, the Cerro Central and the Cerro Oriental run from the Caribbean to the border with Ecuador, and some are in the tropical areas of the Selvas region.

Some parks are nearly inaccessible, and left in their natural state. Others are near cities, easily reached and used frequently.

Some along the coasts are favored destinations and well-maintained.

In addition to national parks, Colombia has developed wildlife sanctuaries such as the Sanctuario de Flora y Fauna, the Los Flamencos Wildlife Sanctuary where pink flamingos inhabit shallow water in the coastal lagoons and natural areas such as Los Estoraques Natural Area where rock formations capture the imagination.

See this chart for individual park details.