Your Guide to Travelling Colombia Solo!
The women of Palenque
Why Colombia?
When I started planning for my solo trip, I knew I wanted to do a travel pair (Travelling to 2 countries that are close or share a border) because I felt it would be cheaper, which is still undecided. Colombia seemed like the perfect fit because Panama and Colombia share a border. Also, I had seen videos of people in Colombia having the time of their lives, specifically solo black female travellers. Colombia is also known for its vibrant culture, tasty cuisine, colourful streets and deep history. The only problem was I needed to get a Visa.
How to get a Colombia Visa in 2024
Getting a Colombia Visa literally took one business day for me, I was shocked! Based on my research, it takes about 2 weeks for a decision. The application fee is $USD 52 and $USD 82 if you get the visa. Here’s the link to apply. The application is in Spanish so use Google Translate to translate to English, however, your responses can be in English, they don’t need to be in Spanish. Additionally, you have 30 minutes to fill out the application, so gather all your documents first.
Documents Required
Valid Passport: Scan the Bio page, any Colombian visa/stamp and it should have a validity of 6 months.
Immigration Status: This is if you live in a different country, for me this was my Canadian permanent residence card.
Travel Itinerary Description: You need an in-depth description of your travel plans, including your estimated location for every day and your accommodation addresses. Here’s the description that got me my visa in one business day!
Proof of Financial resources: Your bank statements from the last 6 months.
Health Insurance: You need health insurance and it’s always recommended for any of your travels to get travel and medical insurance.
Roundtrip Airline Tickets
Passport Size Photo:
Things to know about Colombia!
Colombia is a country that drew me in with its vibrant culture, tasty cuisine, colourful streets and deep history. They previously had a bad rep for being an ‘unsafe’ place due to the many mafia activities and crime but they have managed to change that narrative, remember you still need to maintain a level of caution anywhere you travel. Colombia has two seasons (Dry and Cloudy Season). Dry Season lasts from December to January, July to August and the Cloudy Season lasts from April to May, October to November. The Sockets are the standard North American Sockets and the currency is the Colombian peso. Important things to note are Uber and other ride apps are kinda illegal so be very cautious when taking them and don’t talk about PABLO ESCOBAR, They don’t like It!
Where I stayed in Colombia
Things to do in Colombia
I spent 5 days in Colombia and these are some of the things I did. You can download my Free Itinerary to help plan your trip.
Day Trip to Guatape and Medellin:
You don’t want to miss visiting the very colourful town of Guatape and its charming streets, it reminded me so much of the village in the movie Encanto, it was so beautiful. With this tour, you also learn about the history of Guatape and climb the 750 steps to the top of Peñol Rock (La Piedra del Peñol), where you’ll see Lake Guatape. This tour also included breakfast, lunch and a Boat ride. A 10/10 experience for real! This was a highlight for me but the day started very rocky, let me tell you about it!
Visit Totumo Volcano:
Totumo Volcano is one of the tourist activities you should check out. It’s an active mud volcano where you go into the mud and have a massage experience. It’s said that the mud has healing properties and is very good for the skin. This experience may be a little too invasive for some people because the locals help with the massages and rinse off at the lake afterward. I paid for this experience but didn’t go because I was too tired from the previous day’s activities. I encourage you to check it out as I still plan on going with my friends when we go on a group trip.
Visit the modern museum in Medellin:
If you love art and enjoy visiting museums, this is a must-visit!
Learn how to cook a native meal:
Learning how to cook a native Colombian meal is definitely not a bad way to immerse yourself in the culture. I booked this experience through Airbnb and met 3 other people on vacation, to which I’m still connected. It was a very lovely experience.
The chef hat was doing the most!
Go for a Free Walking Tour
Explore the cute and charming streets of Cartagena! I always recommend a free walking tour on all of your trips. You get to learn a lot about the country you’re visiting and its history, which is a big reason I enjoy travelling. You can easily find a free walking tour with a quick Google search for the city you’re staying in. I stayed in Cartagena and I used this provider. Also note, that you still need to tip them after the walk.
Explore Getsemani and Visit the Palenque Women
If the Palenque women’s picture did not come up in your research while planning a trip to Colombia, then you must be doing something wrong. They have become a symbol for Colombia! If you go on a walking tour in Cartagena, you will most likely have visited Getsemani and may get a chance to take your picture with the Palenque women. If not, you will find them on most corner streets in Cartagena. The Palenque women originally sold fruits in their local attires (Very bright and bold dresses) when they found that tourists would rather take pictures with them or take their photographs than buy the fruits. Now the fruits on their heads are not for sale, it’s all part of the props. Ensure you tip them because that’s their day job, they may try to call a high amount but between 20,000 to 40,000 Colombian pesos is a good amount.
Learn how to dance Salsa:
Dancing is another great way to learn more about people’s culture! One salsa dance class is not enough to make you very good at salsa but it’s definitely a great experience. I enjoyed it, but I would have enjoyed it more with a friend versus just going solo.
Enjoy a Massage at Casa Lola:
If you are all about soft living, I have something for you. Enjoy a relaxing massage at Casa Lola, I slept throughout mine. After all my crazy adventures during my travels, I definitely needed this! You can also have it done somewhere else.
Watch the Sunset on a Boat Cruise:
Watching the sunset anywhere is such a calming and wholesome experience, imagine coupling this with a boat cruise, a 10/10 experience!
Where to eat in Colombia
I ate very well in Colombia, so check out this video for restaurants you should check out!
My Thoughts on Colombia
Colombia has my heart for real! I really enjoyed solo travelling here, i didn’t feel lonely at any point during my trip. I was mostly soaking in the experience throughout. I felt very safe, I didn’t have any fearful experiences and everyone was super nice. I had lovely interactions with my Uber drivers and all the people I met there. I’ll definitely recommend if you want to enjoy a very cultural place with a lot of history, that definitely sold me in.
