The superlative beauty of Colombia is matched by the generosity with which locals share their culture with travellers, creating unforgettable memories
Read the full article at nationalgeographic.com
Blessed with coastlines kissing both the Caribbean and the Pacific, and boasting some of Latin America’s most exciting cities as well as some of its most biodiverse wilderness areas, it’s only fitting that Colombians are universally proud to showcase their homeland to visitors. Community spirit, resilience, and a readiness to smile, shimmy and share are national characteristics — although it’s impossible to truly sum up this tapestry of 51 million people, with rich customs rooted in European, African and Indigenous cultures. From the chefs serving up tropical flavours in Cartagena to the talented nature guides of the Amazon-Orinoco basins, adventures in Colombia are all the more memorable for the warmth of the welcome awaiting you.
Here three travel writers share their favourite Colombian welcomes.
A home from home on the jungle-backed beaches of the Colombian Pacific
By Amelia Duggan
Hidden away on an uninhabited beach at the edge of Colombia’s vast Chocó rainforest, one could wonder whether Mamá Orbe’s chosen guesthouse location was commercially savvy. “Travellers always seem to know where we are,” she explained simply when I found her sitting on the shore, regally dressed in bright fabrics, feet tucked luxuriously into the warm sand, watching a gaggle of grandchildren play in the surf…