Security

The general security situation in Colombia has improved a lot during the last years and wide parts of the country can be visited easily. Of course we inform you about the security situation in specific parts of the country.

You may get information about the state of the streets on http://www.rutascolombia.comand informations to recommended itineraries on the state web page www.mincomercio.gov.co

Visa

At entry to Colombia visitors must hold a minimum 6 month valid passport., return ticket or ticket out of Colombia and proof of enough money to cover the stay.

The USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and all EU countries ( except Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Slovenien), need no visas to enter the country and receive an entry stamp from DAS (Departemento administrativo de Seguridad) in the passport with a duration of the stay from 30, 60 to maximum 90 days. Guarantee please, that the border official’s stamp duration corresponds at least with your trip duration. The stay can be extended in the DAS offices in any major colombian city up to 180 days.

Visa regulation may change at short notice, please inform yourself at your embassy or consulate.

Vaccinations

Yellow fever vaccination is important for travelers to the regions Choco, Santa Marta (Ciudad perdida) or the Amazon. Whoever remains in the towns of Bogota, Cali, or Medellín is exposed to a low risk.

• Recommended vaccinations: Hepatitis A, Tetanus-difteria.

Para la prescripción de vacunas consulte con su médico o Centro de vacunación especializado.

Electricity

American plug 110 Volt

Money:

The official currency of Colombia is the colombian peso ($).

• There are monetary units of 50 $, 100 $, 200 $ and 500 $ and papermoney of 1.000 $, 2.000 $, 5.000 $, 10.000 $, 20.000 $ and 50.000 $ in the circulation.

Every person entering or leaving the country, can take not more than 10,000 USD or the equivalent amount in another currency with himself. The customs officials may count the money you carry. Money exchange should be carried out only at hotels, banks and official exchange offices and by no means on the street.

The exchange offices are located in the Shopping Malls of the big towns and offer money exchange as well as money transfer and giro.

Western union and Money grams are spread. The exchange rate varies in reference with the American dollar, the most-used foreign currency in Colombia. Operations can be also effected in euro and English pound. The payment occurs according to the official exchange rate of the day, with previous deduction of the merchant's clerk's commission that lies between 2 and 3 percent.

Cash dispensers and traveler's cheque

The cash dispensers are a good option, because they offer a better exchange rate than the exchange offices. Many machines offer the option English. Colombia counts on a widespread net in all towns of Colombia.

The machines are located in the main streets and the shopping centres. Some like Cirrus, visas and master Card, permit international debit and monetary transfers.

Its possible to withdraw each time between 400,000 and 500,000 pesos and a maximum 2,000,000 pesos per day (approx. 670 €/900 US$).

The majority of the hotels, restaurant and shopping center accept credit cards. The most-used are a master card and visa. Only at exclusive places American express and Diners Club are accepted.

Air transport

Colombia has well structured airlines which fly to all important towns of the country. Beside the known airlines there are also some smaller companies which reach places in Colombia not accessible to the big airplanes. Without doubt in relation with quickness and security, the airplane is the best way is to move in Colombia.

The most important airlines of the country are: Avianca Aero Republica, Aires and Satena.

The most important airports are:

1. International airport El Dorado in Bogotá

2. International airport Alfonso Bonilla Aragon in Palmira – Cali

3. International airport Jose Maria Cordova in Rionegro (flights to Medellín)

4. Airport Olaya Herrera in Medellín

5. International airport Ernesto Cortissoz in Soledad – Barranquilla

6. International airport Rafael Nuñez in Cartagena

7. International airport Matecaña in Pereira

8. International airport Palonegro in Lebrija (Santander) (flights to Bucaramanga)

9. International airport Camilo Daza in Cucuta

10. International airport Gustavo Rojas Pinilla in San Andres

11. International airport Alfredo Vasquez beyond Leticia in colombian Amazon.

Most national flights limit baggage weight from 10 to 20 kg per person. Overweight is not always admitted or transport during the day of the return journey is not guaranteed.

Baggage can be left during your stay with Pura Colombia or our partners in Medellin, Bogota and Cali.

Maritime transport

Ship transports between continental Colombia and the island group San of Andres and Providencia are possible from the footbridge Pegasos in Cartagena or from Barranquilla. The trip lasts 72 hours. Some beaches of the Pacific are reached by speedboats from Buenaventura or any other pacific harbour.

The most important harbours:

The Caribbean

• Barranquilla

• Cartagena

• Turbo

• Santa Marta

• Coveñas

The Pacific

• Buenaventura

• Tumaco

Buenaventura This port is located in the Department Valle de Cauca. The most important harbour in the Pacific and Colombia in amount of transported goods (more than 60% of the commercial volume of Colombia). Buenaventura is reached by street connection (western mountain range) from Cali. Buenaventura is the harbour to travel to Gorgona and Malpelo.

River transport

During the colonization through Spain the rivers Magdalena and Cauca where the most important routes of transport and connection to the inland. Also today they are used for transport, but by far less than the street.

Boats or canoes can be rented for private journeys. In the Amazon, in the Orinocodelta and in the Choco where the thick rain forest has not admitted the construction of a good streetnetwork, the rivers remain the most important routes of transport.

Leticia, situated on the Amazon, is an important Colombian harbour. The town is isolated from the rest of the land and from Colombia only accessible by airplanes and from Peru and Brazil by river transport.

From Leticia, close to the Peruvian border, various excursions in the Amazon rainforest are organized.

Road Transport

Street:

There is the primary net (responsibility of the state), secondary net (responsibility of the departements and municipalities) and tertiary net, consisting of access roads and footpaths between the municipalities and accompanying settlements.

The expansion of the road system amounts to approx. 164,000 kms, from which 15% are asphalted.

In the rain season it can come to landslides and streets blockings. There exist few highways and most roads are tracks.

Buses:

Some connections are carried out in the rural areas by the famous Chivas or jeeps Willi. These vehicles have converted to country symbols. The Chivas (nanny goats) are colored buses with wooden bodywork used to transport farmers and their goods. They are conceived for heavy transports and often one can observe people with their goods on the vehicle’s roof.

Urbane transports:

There are buses and minibuses. In 1980 the metro was built in Medellín. The only town of Colombia disposing of this type of public transportation. In 2004 the city Medellín initiated the Metro-cable, a cable railway integrated with the metro, which connects poor town quarters in the slopes with the public traffic network. This means of transportation has created new tourism centers and has helped different regions of Medellín to progress.

In 2000 the construction of the bus traffic system Trans-Milenio began in the capital of Bogota. The system integrates special routes, own bus stations and joint buses. The introduction of Trans-Milenio brought a better infrastructure and quality of life to the town.

At this moment similar projects are developed in other Colombian towns like Pereira, Cúcuta, Bucaramanga and Medellín.

Car hire:

Taxis: