The New Colombia
 

I was just going to post a link to a recent article but maybe it would be good to have a thread on current conditions in Colombia to help answer the perrenial question of whether to go to Colombia. I have been in Colombia for almost two months. My biggest problem has been that when I ask for directions people do not stop talking to me. That said, bad things still happen here.

Cocaine Wars Make Port Colombia’s Deadliest City - New York Times

I was told not to go there...
 

This article is both a warning to us all, as well as sensationalization of the situation in Colombia. Yes, Colombia is still dangerous, depending on where you go. However, as the article is suggesting, most of the murder and mayhem in Colombia is narco gangs fighting out turf battles.

I was told to stay away from certain areas of the country, but much of mainstream Colombia is safe. If you get off the main travel areas, into the jungles (amazonas region on the east, coastal areas on the west), you can easily step into shit.

Unforunately, these kinds of articles show up in the press, because everyone wants to read this stuff (along with the latest on Paris and friends). No one wants to read articles on safe and uneventful visits to Colombia.

Ask around, and the locals will tell you where to go, where not to go. Using some common sense, much of the country is safe enough, and certainly Colombia is underappreciated as a place to visit.

Safety
 

Aged 74, I rode my small Honda across Colombia last year on my way south from Mexico to Ushuaia. I met with nothing but consideration and hospitality both from civillians and officials. My original plan was to ship my bike in a series of hops down the Pacific coast to Buenaventura. However I talked with a Kouna woman recently returned from Buenaventura who warned me that the whole coast was dangerous - and the road to Cali was a suicide run! I shipped to Cartagena (blog at home.
The New York Times quotes non-Govermental agencies on Colombia's large black population. In the US, one drop of Afro blood makes you black. In Iberian America, you aren't black if you have one drop of European or indigenous blood. To quote a Mexican businessman on US attitudes to race: We are all meztisos. The only pure bloods are horses....

We (Alistair my husband and me) have been in Colombia now for a week.
There are definitely some places where we have been advised not to go.
Roughly what I´been told by local friends:

From Bogota: the road to Bucaramanga is very safe. Lots of military in the road and no problems. From Bucaramanga to Santa Maria, we were advise to do that stretch in one go and not to stop at night in any small village but carry on and sleep only in big towns only. Never travel at night, ever, anywhere.

The stretch of road I mentioned above has problems with narco-traficants.
The coast on the caribbean sea is very safe. The road from Santa Marta via Cartagena down to Madellin is also fine.
Close to the border with Ecuador we have been advise to be careful and check with the police if we go to visit San Agustin (?) a ancient town off the beaten track, close to the border.

Having been here a month and a half, I appreciate people debating the security situation in Colombia but strongly feel people's paradigm should be changed from "currently peaceful warzone" to a recovering country. The security seems to be better than ever before.

Having spoken extensively to Colombians as everyone seems to, there are some routes that are clear no go zones which travellers should be aware of as motorcyclists have a higher capacity to get off the beaten track and potentially walk into danger but generally the drug growing zones are deep in the jungle where you won't get a bike and there are some sections of the pacific coast which are unsafe (conversely I have been assured of some areas as safe, just won't have time to explore).

With the militarisation of principal roadways, the paramilitaries are weak along any major population areas and travellers looking for trouble will probably need to actively look for it.

The only reason I wouldn't dismiss the security risk entirely is because it's always possible to bump into the wrong part of town. Cali has more violence and disruption currently - a bomb just blew up the principal police station, somehow only killing one person. The violence doesn't seem to be targeted at foreigners, seems to relate to a disruption in the drug distribution hierachy, and certainly the Colombian government has a strong interest in the welfare of tourists in any trunk tourists destinations.
In essence, the Caribbean coast and central/coffee zone seems as safe as houses, I am FAR more concerned about the reckless attitude to driving than being robbed/beaten within an inch of my life. There are/were dangerous parts of Peru also - this didn't make the whole country a no-go zone (pretty sure Shining Path isn't such a concern anymore but not sure on my facts).

I have only been here 1 1/2 months so my opinion is still speculative but I personally would have no qualms about staying longer.

Stop and ask the military at checkpoints if you're unsure of security of roads. Even apparently the road through to Turbo has been okay in recent years.

PS We did the stretch from Bucuramanga to Santa Marta over several days and found the small village people incredibly friendly and had no problems. Got invited into someone's home for the night. Maybe the trafficers take a route up to La Guajira to load up the speed boats? We were along this route but saw nothing. I am sure some Colombians are over-cautious with some routes. It all looked like rural country heartland to me. Maria, hot tip along there is Valledupar if you feel like a detour. Very nice small town with painfully friendly people.

Big J thanks for advice. Locals seem to take great concern over our safety and maybe are being over cautious for us! I will talk to the police / military on the check points on the way to santa marta. We are leaving Villa de Leiva tomorrow for san Gill and then next week planning to do that stretch. If we can stop on the way it is certainly good news as it is a long way.

Consulate Advice
 

Before entering Colombia, I checked with a charming diplomat at the Colombian Consulate in Panama City. He has a bike that he rides (I guess) round an upmarket suburb in Bogota on Sunday mornings late. He advised me that I was risking my life riding anywhere outside the city. So what value is there in my own journey - blog at home What do I know? Am I am a stupid old man to have ridden across the country? Was I lucky? Would I have been more at risk riding a big Harley or BMW rather than what is basically a pizza delivery bike? Am I arrogant in giving advice based on my own very limited experience? There is the dilemma. I feel it every time I write a Blog.
Read what you will: guidebooks, blogs, whatever. In the end, you alone can make the decision.
Good luck and have fun...

Simon I think the point of a discussion forum is a sharing of opinions, those who don´t value your opinion won´t be reading - a big part of my journey on a personal level is to admit that I can be wrong at times. My opinions are shared freely (sometimes too freely) so that people may make up their own minds. Heaven forbid someone travels to Colombia with only information from a Lonely Planet!
They would miss the best parts.

Arrogance would be representing your experience as the best/only way to experience the country, I have met many travellers with this problem who don´t understand it´s a personal thing.

So please, open that big mouth, get a bit of an old man rant going and let me decide which of your opinions I´ll heed. I enjoyed your blog on the way south.

I actually thought this would be a positive thread about Colombia. The article I linked to was just a reminder of one of the risk areas.

Of course, in the end we all make our own decisions but then why have HU at all if there is no value in discussion.

FWIW I had absolutely no problems at all in Colombia in early March this year. Pretty much all the main routes had army checkpoints at regular intervals. We didn`t ride at night though apart from once when we did a 12 hour day.

Its an incredibly friendly country and definitely one of my favorites on my trip so far. In fact you`ll be lucky to get out of a bike shop in Medellin in under 2 hours with all the great local information and help you`ll get- enjoy it!

My Experience
 

Hello

I was travelling for Colombia in last November an it was very smmoth and quite. I live in Venezuela and pass the border in Cucuta and drove until Bucaramanga-San Gil- Chiquinquira- Tunja- bogota-Medellin and came back to Bucaramanga. All the ways were very good and we do not have any problem with the authorty or people. In fact we met a lot motorcycling people in Medellin, if you go there you can go to the BMW's dealer and ask for Mauricio, he is an expert in motorcycling traveling and can help you with any doub for Colombia

Maurico is at the BMW motorcycle dealer Ruta 40, but you might want to check out Carlos and the guys at Moto Angel also.
Moto Angel
Calle 41 #52-49
Medellin, CO
tel 232-22-24

moto angel
 

I had my bike (BMW F650GS) down at Moto Angel about a week ago for various repairs (details listed on my website / check the Journal ). I definitely recommend them. Very cheap and very good and friendly service!

Colombia Safety? and bike shipping??
 

:confused1:
Hey All,

I´ve been riding for 11 months straight, from Seattle to TDF and back up. I skipped Colombia on the way down because I was afraid of the old "cartel everywhere" image, but I´ve talked to dozens and dozens of overlanders and read dozens of posts here on the HUBB that have made me feel better about riding through Colombia using the same common sense judgement that´s helped all of us stay well.

I´m in Quito and will be heading into Colombia tomorrow or the next day and was just wondering if anyone´s heard anything specifically about dangerous spots or words of caution. My only concern is that I´m riding solo and many of the posts I´ve read seem to be from folks riding with others, or I´m not able to tell if they´re solo or not...

Overall I´m looking forward to writing about my positive experience on the HUBB in a couple weeks to help others feel better about Colombia like you guys have done for me!

Also, I´m looking to ship or fly my bike back to the US, somewhere on the West Coast, wherever seems to be the best value, or maybe Mexico City if that´s a better value. Some questions in that regard:

Does Girag ship to the US?
What city would be best to ship/fly my bike from?
I´ve heard that Quito is a better value, maybe it would be better to return there to ship to the US??

Any clues will be greatly appreciated! Many thanks,

Doug.

DougsMotorcycleDiary.com
:helpsmilie: :confused1:

Hello Doug. Don't miss Colombia! Of all the C.American countries i travelled i have no interest in returning, but Colombia...i want to live there! It's spectacular! Here's a couple of pointers: When you enter, talk to the police and military about the current situation in the area's your going. Plan your travels so you can stop at about 4:00. I would not sugest camping in the area between the boarder and Cali. Camping in the SanAnder region is fine, circa San Gil. Don't be afraid to talk to the police or military, i found them to be very helpful.
...if your going all the way to Mexico DF, why not ride the rest of the way back home? It not far from there.
You can hire a boat from Cartagena to Panama. Do a search, lots of recent info on the HUBB.