Colombia

Population:40 million

Languages spoken: Spanish. There are also many indigenous tongues out in the wilds.

Race: Mostly white in the inland cities and then more African blood on the coast. Also mixed indigenous ethnicity here or there.

Economy: It should be a rich country with enormous natural resources and smart, educated people but the civil war has crippled the country for half a century, while the US rubs its hands together getting cheap fuel. The result is that it’s a cheap country to travel in and a very hard place to make a living.

_Government:_Democratic. Corrupt as hell. Colombia is currently in a 50 year old civil war against two rebel factions and a bunch of murderous para-militaries.

And of course who knows more than the CIA about Colombia

Visas and Overstays
When you arrive they’ll give you 2-3 months stay and after that you can extend for a month at a time to a maximum of 6 months. They may put you through hell to do it though. Go to the local DAS office and ask what they want from you. It may be easier on the coast than in Medellin.

If you overstay you have to pay a certain amount for each day that you stayed up to a maximum of a few hundred dollars. It’s all a big scam.

When to Travel in Colombia
Colombia is so close to the equator that it’s pretty damn warm most of the time, except in Bogota which is so high up that it can get cool and dry when there’s bad weather.

There’s very litte in the way of tourism or backpackers in the country but those that there are tend to come in the winter months.

Want to meet other road junkies?
Come to the Road Junky Sahara Retreat Feb 6-11 2012 to hang out with 30 other travelers to meditate, make yoga, tell stories and dance under the full moon in the desert.

Follow Road Junky on Twitter for live updates @roadjunky

Back to Top - More Colombia Articles - Print this page