Bogot

1
Bogotá

• Bogotá, the country's capital, is the
  quintessence of all things Colombian a city of
  futuristic architecture, a vibrant and diverse
  cultural and intellectual life, splendid colonial
  churches and brilliant museums. It is also a city
  of Dickensian waifs, beggars, shantytowns, drug
  dealers and traffic jams. This amazing mixture of
  prosperity and poverty, Maseratis and mules,
  makes it one of the world's most chaotic,
  fascinating and aggressive metropolises.

2
Museo del Oro

• Sights to look out for include Museo del Oro,
  which contains many relics of pre-Colombian
  history and is perhaps the most important museum
  of its kind in the world Museo Nacional, which
  contains a wealth of exhibits ranging from
  pre-Columbian to contemporary art Donación
  Botero, a celebration of the work of Colombia's
  most famous artist Museo de Santa Clara, with
  its fresco-lined interior, images and
  altarpieces Iglesia de San Ignacio, one of the
  most richly decorated churches in the country
  the colonial barrio of La Candelaria, the oldest
  quarter in the city Cerro de Monserrate, a peak
  flanking the city which is famous as a site of
  many miracles and Jardin Botánico José Celestino
  Mutis, a lovely botanical garden featuring a
  variety of national flora.

3
Plaza de Santander

• Walking the city's streets and observing the mad
  to-ing and fro-ing, the avalanches of busetas,
  the extravagant stores and roadside stalls, is as
  fascinating as contemplating the serene
  atmosphere of the city's colonial churches and
  museums, so give yourself plenty of time for this
  sort of exploration. It's worth hanging out and
  watching the buskers at the Plaza de Santander,
  browsing at the Sunday flea market at Mercado de
  San Alejo and looking (but not buying) at the
  street emerald market at the southwestern corner
  of Avenida Jiménez and Carrera 7.

4
Caribbean Coast

• The Caribbean Coast around Cartagena features a
  handful of impressive Spanish forts, including
  the 17th-century Castillo de San Felipe de
  Barajas, undoubtedly the greatest and strongest
  fortress ever built by the Spaniards in their
  colonies. The Islas del Rosario, 35km (22mi)
  offshore southwest of Cartegena, have magnificent
  coral reefs and abundant marine life, making them
  popular with snorkellers and scuba divers. The
  L-shaped peninsula south of the old town contains
  the up-market holiday resorts of Bocagrande and
  El Laguito. Most budget travelers stay in
  Getsemaní there are mid-range options in the old
  town.

5
Tayrona

• Other highlights of Colombia's Caribbean coast
  include the town of Mompós, which is an
  architectural showcase the beaches of the Parque
  Nacional Tayrona the Sierra Nevada de Santa
  Marta, the tallest coastal mountain range in the
  world the famous mud volcano Volcán de Lodo El
  Totumo and, deep in the jungle, the ancient city
  of the Tayrona Indians, La Ciudad Perdida, which
  is the largest archaeological find in the
  Americas in the 20th century.

6
Cartagena

• Cartagena de Indias is legendary both for its
  history and its beauty. It has been immortalized
  on countless canvases, glorified in hundreds of
  books and had its every detail photographed a
  zillion times - and, as Colombia's most
  fascinating city and a World Heritage Site, it
  deserves every one of these tributes.

7
The Northwest

• The northwest is made up of two large regions
  the Chocó department (an extensive stretch of
  tropical rainforest, sparsely populated, and
  including the lovely Los Katiós National Park)
  and the departments of Antioquia, Caldas,
  Risaralda and Quindío (a mountainous region,
  predominantly white, and the location of the
  dynamic industrial and commercial city of
  Medellín). The oldest town in the northwest is
  Santa Fe de Antioquia, about 80km (50mi)
  northwest of Medellín, which still retains much
  of its colonial architecture and atmosphere.

8
The Southwest

• The two biggest attractions in the southwest are
  the archaeological sites of San Agustín and
  Tierradentro, and the colonial city of Popayán.
  Both San Agustín and Tierradentro are littered
  with ancient statues, tombs and burial mounds,
  while Popayán has many churches, museums and
  streets lined with colonial mansions. Cali,
  Colombia's third-largest city, is noted more for
  its laid-back atmosphere than its tourist
  attractions.

9
Birding in Colombia

• Colombia has more birds than any other country in
  the world, more than 1800 species. There is also
  an excellent field guide - the best on the
  continent. Yet, few people have been birding in
  Colombia. Colombia has a reputation of being
  extremely dangerous. While violence is indeed
  reality in many areas in Colombia, there are
  still many good sites that with care can be
  visited safely. Most Colombians are extremely
  hospital towards foreigners and they make certain
  that your impression of their beautiful country
  is something different to what is presented in
  international press. There is undoubtedly another
  side to Colombia.

10
Natural Beauty

• Colombia is a country of geographical contrasts
  and extremes. As well as the features mentioned,
  it has such curiosities as the desert of La
  Guajira, the peninsula in the most north-eastern
  tip of the country the jungle of the pacific
  coast which holds one of the world's rainfall
  records and finally the Serranía de la Macarena,
  an isolated mountain formation about 120 km.
  long, rising abruptly from the eastern plains to
  some 2500 meters. Colombia also has several small
  islands. The major ones are the archipelago of
  San Andrés and Providencia in the Caribbean Sea,
  the Islas del Rosario and San Bernardo along the
  Caribeean coast, and Gorgona and Malpelo in the
  Pacific Ocean.