When you think about traveling to South America, first of all, you imagine a trip to Peru or Chile, but not to Colombia. For a long time, the country had a bad reputation, and it was dangerous for a tourist to be there. But over the past few years, the situation has changed. Stereotypes of the country still live in peace, but travelers destroy them, telling about the charm of Colombian nature, delicious food, and hospitality of the locals. We've found a few reasons for Colombia to get into your travel-list, from the huge Indian carnival and unique ecosystems to the possibility of learning about coffee farms from the inside.
You don't need a visa to get to Colombia - the borders are open for you for 90 days. You will only need a valid passport, travel plan and the address where you will stay. You will present this set to the officer at the passport control upon arrival. You can make an electronic visa for citizens of Belarus and Ukraine.
1. The second most important carnival in the world
Carnival in Barankilla El Joselito is the second most spectacular carnival in Rio. Of course, it's a carnival with African, Indian and Spanish flavors. It is not like other carnivals, it is a ritual. It is celebrated four days before the Lent, usually in February or early March, but Barranquilla is already in January. That's when the preparation begins, and the boring, ugly port city is transformed.
Celebrations last four days, and no one works at that time. From morning till night everyone has fun and dances, having a good time and trying to do everything that is forbidden by fasting. The carnival begins with the Parade of Flowers - a colorful procession when participants in masquerade costumes, music bands and platforms with giant growth dolls pass along the main street of the city. There is no need to buy tickets (from $50) to the stands, but this guarantees the best view.
2. Street art as a landmark
Graffiti in Colombia is half legal. That is, drawing on the walls is still bad, and if caught, a fine. But not for the vandalism that graffiti qualifies the rest of the world, but for hooliganism. This kind of loyalty is what street artists owe - you wouldn't believe - to Justin Bieber. The singer, being in Bogota, decided to leave graffiti in his memory and asked the police to accompany him. But shortly before his visit, the same police, who were fighting against illegal street art at the time, shot the boy in one of the alleys with a canister in their hands. A big scandal broke out, after which the authorities reconsidered their attitude to graffiti.
3. Try coffee straight from the coffee farm
Colombia is the third-largest producer of coffee in the world. It is grown on small, family-owned fink farms that are far from industrial-scale production. Premium-class coffee is exported, and the second-class coffee remains on the local market. Some Fincs leave a small percentage of their selected coffee to be sold directly to visitors, but the main crop goes to intermediaries, who then supply it to the international market. Therefore, do not rush to buy a pack of coffee in a Colombian supermarket, but rather go on a tour of a coffee farm - buy coffee without a markup and learn a lot of interesting things about your favorite drink.
4. Fruit abundance
Colombia is a fruit paradise. There are so many exotic fruits here that you haven't heard of: guanabana, lulu, sapot, garnadilla, mangosteen, and chirimoya... even in Thailand there is no such variety! The harvest does not depend on seasonality, you can get fresh fruit all year round. Therefore, juices in bags and canned fruits are unpopular here, but freshly squeezed lemonades and smoothies - yes. And the prices for them, as well as for the fruits themselves, are two or three times lower than in Europe.
5. Salsa capital
Kali is considered the world salsa capital. The dance came here from Cuba and Puerto Rico and became an integral part of local life. The whole city is literally breathing salsa, the rousing rhythms come from all sides, wherever you go.
6. The tallest palm trees in the world
The wax palm trees in Valle de Cocora are so tall that they do not fit into the installation format. They reach the height of a 20-story building! Before electricity was available, these palm trees were used by farmers to make candles and soap, but since 1985 they have been recognized as the national plant of Colombia, protected and prohibited from cutting down.