April 19, 2024, 3:54 pm

People's immediate thoughts of Colombia are definitely not adventure sports, but Colombia is rapidly becoming a top adventure sports tourist destination: new companies and destinations are being discovered every day.

Colombia is an ideal location for some of the world's most adventurous sports: Colombia's mountains provide the perfect location for a number of adventure sports including; hiking, rappelling, mountain biking, parenting, climbing, bungee jumping and zip lining. Colombia's vast rivers and waterfalls provide perfect conditions for white water rafting and waterfall rappelling. The crystal clear Caribbean oceans surrounding Colombia's northern coastline allow for remarkable diving and snorkelling experiences. These experiences come together to make Colombia one of the ideal destinations for adventure sports in the world. Whether you are an experienced or a beginner, Colombia has something for everyone.

Some of the best destinations for adventure sports in Colombia are:

San Gil

San Gil is often referred to as Colombia's adventure capital and is located around 5 and a half hours drive from Bogota(Colombia's capital) and 2 and a half hours drive from Bucaramanga. San Gil is home to a large variety of activities including; bungee jumping, rappelling, white water rafting, parapenting and caving. I visited San Gil last year and did a half day tour, which included; rappelling, rappelling down a waterfall, caving, hiking, zip lining, climbing and cliff jumping. San Gil is also located close to Barichara, a beautiful colonial town stepped in history, which would provide the perfect overnight location in the region of Santander.

Suesca

Suesca is a small town just outside of Bogota (around 1 hour 30 mins north of the city). Suesca's proximity to Colombia's capital provides an ideal weekend getaway destination. Suesca's vast mountainous landscape provides a a great location for rock climbing, trekking and rafting. Many consider the town the birthplace of rock climbing in Colombia and over 400 climbing routes, ranging in difficulty from 5.1 (beginner) to 5.14 (advanced), are on offer. Suesca's mountains also provide the perfect location for mountain biking and hiking.

San Andrés and Providencia

San Andrés and Providencia are two Caribbean islands located off the Caribbean coast of Colombia. Both of these islands are famous for their white sandy beaches, clear waters and predominantly uncommercialised islands. These islands provide fantastic diving and snorkelling destinations (mainly due to the fact Providencia is home to the world's third largest coral reef).

The Lost City or Cuidad Perdida

The Lost City, or Cuidad Perdida, is located close to Tayrona National Park and Santa Marta. It is believed to have been built in around 800CE (650 years before Machu Picchu). The city was only discovered in 1972 and is considered one of Colombia's greatest treasures. The city can be reached by a gruelling 44 km hike through the forest and mountains, and many tour companies offer guided hikes over 4 or 6 days. The Cuidad Perdida is sometimes referred to as the 'New Machu Picchu' but with considerably less tourists as it's still relatively unknown outside of Colombia.

There are many more adventure activity destinations in Colombia, these are just the tip of the iceberg, but as you can see Colombia is well on its way to establishing itself as a big adventure tourist destination.

 

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