Hi All,
My wife and i are planning a 2 up road trip within Colombia this January.
Reading on the usual advisories that the safety and in particular muggings of tourists seems to be on the rise. Has anyone been recently or there now? Whats the vibe? Cheers Tim and Janne.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting mugged. Don't go walking through deserted parks. Don't go walking around holding your I phone in your hand. Don't have an expensive camera around your neck or an expensive watch. If you are walking at night try to stick to residential streets with good lighting. Uber is very cheap in Colombia.

I'm a frequent traveler to Colombia and things got a little sketchy during the pandemic, but now it is back to normal.

They had a recent Presidential election and the liberal candidate Petro got elected. Before they had a more conservative president, so during covid they had mild riots in a few cities, but I think most Colombians are happy with the new president now.

Which cities are you planning on visiting?

Medellin is a safe city to spend time in. Laurelles is a nice suburb to stay in there. Medellin has one of the nicest metros in South America.

Guatape is an interesting rock formation somewhat close to Medellin. 2 hour bus ride away. Always thought it sounded touristy, but I have heard a lot of good reviews from the people who checked it out.

Bogota is less safe than Medellin. More people, more sketchy parts. Public transportation stinks in Bogota. Make sure to only stay at hostels where you can store your bikes inside.

Cartagena is kind of a tail of two cities rich side/ poor side. Do not camp around Cartagena. I don't really no why you would camp in Colombia when airbnb is so inexpensive.

Turbo is the drug smuggling port for the East side of Colombia. I would not go there.

Manizales is a super safe college city in the mountains. It is kind of cold there.

It has been a while since I have been to Barranquilla. It was safe when I went there. It is kind of close to Venezuela so there might be more crime now.

Santa Marta is the place where Colombians go to the beach to vacation. I have never been there, but I imagine it is pretty touristy.

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http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)

Colombia is a real bargain except premium fuel the price went from 3 bucks a gallon to 5 this year. The large cities in Colombia are not too much fun on a large bike with a passenger unless you are used to traveling in total chaos, If you can dont enter a large city a million + from 4pm till 7
rush hour at night gets complicated especially when it raining
stay in the outskirts when its possible and Do Not ride at night
Enjoy Colombia there are many places to discover
I have been here since 2017 pushing 70k on my Colombian plated moto

I am still travelling in Colombia on my own on a motorcycle, also to some more remote places. No problems, just be aware or your environment as basic safety measure and ask around if you don't know if an area is safe enough. So far, I think Colombia is amazing!

Some good advice in other posts.

In general it's not so much a matter of City A being safer than City B as a case of specific areas in each city are more problematic than others. As noted, there were some challenges in the first 18 months of the pandemic (if you can no longer feed yourself or your family you'll do what you can to respond to this) however things have improved somewhat. In general common sense precautions will keep you safe enough.

Although you obviously don't want to publish a detailed itinerary, where are you thinking of going? Small towns are essentially safe, the countryside (except for active fighting for narco territory in certain areas) safe enough, and the areas you are most likely to visit in the cities safe enough as well.

I’m planning to go to Colombia as well. February or March for about 10 days. Flying into Medellin then tour through the coffee region to the south and some time at an eco lodge.

Thanks for this information it’s shaping up to be a great trip!


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turbo is interesting, worth visiting with your eyes wide open, santa marta is a dump, Riohacha is much nicer

Make sure you don't spell it Columbia when you're there.

Hahahahaha

Gotta love swiping keyboards and auto correct




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Go to Punta Gallinas if you can its a full 3 days ride north of Riohacha your best bet is to go to Manaure and spend the night then go to Cabo de Vela then get a guide in Uribia and go to the most northern place on the South American continent This is a unforgettable and enchanting place La Guajira
Bring water Gas and snacks for the indigenous dont bring a bmw 1200 or bigger bike you will be in a world of physical exhaustion I saw temps of 46c it is as hot as the Middle East and there is no gas stations or connivance stores or pavement all off-road
Go for it not many travelers can say they have been to the most northern point in South America