Colombia
Last updated: January 2024
Overview:
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Key Facts Cycling
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32 days in the country, from 16/06/2022 to 18/07/2022
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1,384 km / 860 mi cycled
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23 cycling days
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Overnight stays:
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Wildcamping: 0
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Other free camping (villages, churches, etc.): 5
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Paid campsites: 0
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Hosts: 13
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Paid accommodation: 13
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Other (bus, ferries, etc.): 1
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The Route: Bogotá - Girardot - Ibagué - Armenia - Salento - Palmira - Popayán - La Unión - Pasto - San Francisco - Death Road - Villagarzón - Gral. Farfán
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Our Cycling Highlights: Old Highway 25 & Colombia’s Death Road - El Trampolín de la Muerte
Key Facts Country
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Official name: Republic of Colombia (República de Colombia)
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Population (2023 est.): 49,336,000
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Capital: Bogotá
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Official language: Spanish
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Currency: Colombian Peso (COP)
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Dialing code: +57
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Area: 1,141,748 km² / 440,831 mi²
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Bordering countries: Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador & Peru
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Right-hand traffic
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Old Highway 25
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We cycled Highway 25 from Santander de Quilichao to Pasto
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The part we can really recommend is from Mojarras to Pasto via La Unión (approx. 135 km / 84 mi)
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At Mojarras the highway splits up - the western alternative is the new and busy part
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The eastern road is very quiet and beautiful with some scenic landscapes
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South of La Unión we cycled along the Parque Cañón de Juanambú which is a very impressive canyon
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It’s a lot of up and down along the whole way, but the road is nicely paved and the gradient is mostly gentle
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Beware though:
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This route is considered to be unsafe as there have been several kidnappings for ransom in the area
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We still decided to take the old highway to avoid traffic and luckily we had a great and safe time cycling there
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But before taking this road, inform yourself, read the local news and/or talk to locals to not get yourself in danger
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El Trampolín de la Muerte - The Colombian Death Road
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Also known as Trampolín del Diablo (Devil’s trampolin) or Adiós mi Vida (Goodbye my life)
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Highway 10 in the Putumayo Department
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75 km / 45 mi from San Francisco to Mocoa
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The actual unpaved death road part is ~62 km / 38 mi long (from San Francisco to this location: 1°05'06.1"N 76°41'48.2"W)
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One of the world’s most dangerous roads, due to a narrow single lane, several blind corners and a high risk of landslides
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Apparently, in 2011 alone, over 500 people died on the road, mainly from landslides pushing vehicles over the edge
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Nowadays, the road has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, particularly for (motor)cyclists, as it offers spectacular views of the Andes mountains and a challenging ride
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It winds its way from the Sibundoy valley at 2,200 m.a.s.l. / 7,220 ft, over a 2,800 m.a.s.l. / 9,200 ft pass, down to the Amazon rainforest basin at ~500 m.a.s.l. / 1,620 ft
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Coming from the west, the landscape between Pasto and San Francisco is already a good taste of what is to come (this section is still nicely paved though)
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Our experience:
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To get to the start of the death road, we cycled from Pasto to San Francisco, where we were able to sleep in a room next to the church
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The next day, we cycled ~70 km / 44 mi from San Francisco to Villagarzón (we didn’t go to Mocoa)
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We took the whole day, around 12 hours, to cycle the death road (we were also filming a lot though, otherwise we would have been a bit faster)
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It’s a constant up and down and the road is quite rough and rocky
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West to east it’s ~1,800 m / 5,900 ft of positive elevation gain and ~3,300 m / 10,830 ft of downhill (so better to do it this way than from east to west)
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There was quite a lot of traffic as this is the only option to cross the Andes in the area - be careful, the road is really narrow!
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If you are making way for a car/truck, make sure to be on the mountain side, so you don't risk being pushed over the edge, or the ground crumbling beneath you
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Also generally consider riding more on the mountain side of the road
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It was a really cool experience, even though it was also very tough
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We actually liked the Colombian Death Road better than the Bolivian one, as the Colombian was much more adventurous and not as touristy as the one in Bolivia
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Climate & weather:
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Don’t wait for the sun to come out, the weather in the mountains is usually quite misty
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We started in rain and mist, but after a few hours the sun actually came out
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If it has been raining a lot, there is a much higher risk of landslides, so be careful and inform yourself before heading off
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As the road starts (or ends, depending on your direction) at high elevation and descends down to 500 m.a.s.l. / 1,620 ft, you will experience different climate zones, so plan and pack accordingly
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Camping & Accommodation
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Wild camping was hard in Colombia (steep slopes, populous areas & many fences)
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Sometimes we asked in villages or at churches, fire stations, etc. if we could camp there
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But as accommodation is very affordable in Colombia, we often opted for that
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Even the villages and small towns had at least one hostel, often even more than were displayed on Google Maps
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The prices ranged mostly from 25,000 - 40,000 COP (6 - 10 EUR/USD) per room
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The cheapest room we ever had cost only 15,000 COP (~3,50 EUR/USD)
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The hostels usually offered simple rooms with shared bathrooms, but no hot water
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We met many great people in Colombia and were invited to stay with locals on several occasions
Infrastructure
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We experienced Colombia to have a rather good (cycling) infrastructure
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The roads we cycled were often paved and only had some potholes
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Often there was no shoulder, but also little traffic
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When leaving Bogotá, we were able to cycle on bike lanes all the way out of the city
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Colombia’s tap water is officially safe to drink
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Back then we were still unsure about drinking it though, so we often bought water in 6L bags
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You can also ask the locals if they drink the tap water and if they advise you to do so or not
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We always carry chlorine tablets with us to disinfect water if necessary
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If you are looking for a filling meal, try out the Almuerzo (local lunch)
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Consists of a soup, a main dish (usually rice/potatoes, beans & meat) and a drink​
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It only costs ~2 USD per person
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Spare Part Availability
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As road cycling is quite popular in Colombia, it wasn't too hard to find basic spare parts
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In many towns we encountered at least one basic bike shop, cramped with all kinds of bicycle parts
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We didn’t need any parts or bike service while cycling in Colombia, so we can’t really speak from experience of where to get what
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But the bigger cities (e.g. Bogotá, Medellin) definitely also have more high-end bike shops, just search on Google Maps
Sim Card & Internet
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Main network providers:
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Claro
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Tigo
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Movistar
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Claro is supposed to offer the best coverage throughout the country, Tigo the fastest
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We got a Tigo sim card with which we had good coverage in the cities
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In the rural areas we didn’t always have reception
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You can buy sim cards at the airport, official stores (there you might need your passport) or at small tiendas (kiosks)
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We definitely recommend getting a local sim card, as this makes traveling and communicating much easier
Climate & Weather
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As Colombia is located on the equator, the climate is tropical
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No distinct seasons, just differences in the precipitation throughout the year
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Temperature and humidity are determined by altitude
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Our experience in June/July 2022:
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When cycling in the lower areas and valleys, the weather was warm & humid, not too hot for cycling
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At higher altitudes, e.g. in Bogotá (2,625 m / 8,660 ft) or along the death road, we had lots of rain and cool temperatures (10-15°C / 50-60°F)
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As we cycled up and down a lot, we sometimes experienced different climate zones within one or two days
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Border Crossings
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Coming from Central America, you generally enter the country on land as there is no road between Panama and Colombia (the Darién Gap)
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So you have to either fly or take a boat (or traverse the Darién Gap, but that's another story)
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We decided to fly from San José, Costa Rica, to Bogotá, Colombia
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When flying to Colombia, you need to have proof of an outbound flight to be allowed to check-in
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We booked a 'dummy flight' which we then canceled after entering Colombia
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Colombia to Ecuador (July 2022):
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Border Crossing General Farfán
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The ‘checkout’ from Colombia was just a quick stamp
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To reach the Ecuadorian border office, we had to cross the bridge over the San Miguel river
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It was pretty empty on both sides, so it would have been a fast process, but due to a power outage we had to wait two hours at the Ecuadorian border office until the power came back
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Tourists from over 100 countries can enter Colombia visa-free for up to 90 days
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As German citizens, we were granted a 90-day stay upon arrival
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No costs for entering the country
Safety
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Colombia is a country with a high crime rate, much of it due to gang activity, human trafficking, drug trafficking & corruption
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Luckily we didn't have any dangerous situations during our time in Colombia and also felt safe while cycling - it actually still remains one of our favorite countries on our whole journey
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But don't underestimate certain dangers - inform yourself about areas with a high crime rate (so you can avoid them), read or watch local news, talk to locals
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Generally be careful in cities and also watch out for pickpockets
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We asked at churches and villages for a place to sleep on a few occasions and had many nice encounters with the locals, never feeling unsafe
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Sometimes we were even directly invited to sleep in peoples homes
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The drivers were mostly considerate and the roads we cycled not too busy
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Luckily we didn’t have many problems with dogs either
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Emergency numbers:
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Police: 132
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Ambulance: 156
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Fire department (bomberos): 119
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Cash & Expenses
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We experienced Colombia to be a rather inexpensive country for us
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Exchange rate Jan. 2024: 1 EUR = 4,300 COP / 1 USD = 3,950 COP
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Especially accommodations were rather cheap, as already mentioned above
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In most places outside of bigger towns or cities we couldn’t pay with card
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So make sure to always carry enough cash with you, also sufficient small change
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ATMs are called Cajero Automático in Spanish
Tourism
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Bogotá
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A very busy city, but we liked the atmosphere
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Colombia's capital offers several museums
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We visited the Museo de Oro, the Gold Museum, which was very interesting and also inexpensive (~1 EUR / 1 USD per person)
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Monserrate
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One of the mountains surrounding the city, 3,152 meters / 10,341 ft high
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At the top is a church and a little market with souvenirs and local food
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To reach the top, you can either climb the 1,600 steps (for free) or take the cable car up (for a fee)
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As we flew into Bogotá, we didn’t cycle through or past Medellín and Guatapé, but we went there by bus (without the bikes)
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Medellín
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Colombia's second biggest city with over 2,500,000 inhabitants in the urban area
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Also called the ‘City of Eternal Spring’ due to its temperate weather
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The public transport is really good and cheap
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Especially the cable car is a cool way to get around and see this huge city from above
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Guatapé
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The town is located at the shore of the Peñol Reservoir (Embalse del Peñol), a beautiful lake with many arms, scattered with tiny island
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It's mostly famous for the Piedra del Peñol, a 200 m / 656 ft high granitic rock which you can climb
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The landscape really is special and beautiful, but it was extremely crowded, especially at the Rock
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For us, the crowds spoiled the experience a bit (then again, we were also part of this crowd)
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Salento
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The most famous town in Colombia's coffee triangle
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The main road going to Salento is the Via a Salento
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When cycling this road, prepare for descending and then climbing ~200 m / 660 ft and sharing the road with many cars and motorbikes
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Salento is a picturesque town with colorful buildings, but it was also very touristy and crowded
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As we accidentally arrived on a public holiday, it was especially full on our first day
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Valle del Cocora
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Only a few kilometers far from Salento
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Famous for the Quindío wax palms, the highest palm trees in the world
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The valley was beautiful and very impressive
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But again, it was also too touristy for our taste
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We actually also saw these palm trees just from the road while cycling other areas in the region, but not in those great numbers
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These are only the places we went and our experiences there, Colombia has much more to offer in terms of tourist attractions