How to Get to Colombia
There is no direct flight to Colombia from Russia and the CIS countries. You can use the flights of European airlines with connections in European cities. For example, Air France (via Paris) or Iberia (via Madrid). The duration of the flight, excluding docking, is 16-17 hours. According to petwithsupplies, Bogota is one of the largest cities in Colombia.
Visa to Colombia
Russian citizens do not need a visa to enter Colombia if the period of stay in the country does not exceed 90 days. They won’t ask for medical insurance when crossing the border either, but you shouldn’t fly to South America without it.
Customs
Import and export of national and foreign currencies is not limited. An amount over 10,000 USD or its equivalent in another currency must be declared.
Persons 18 years and older are allowed duty-free import of 250 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 50 grams of tobacco, 2 bottles of strong alcoholic beverages, as well as perfumes – within the limits of personal needs.
The import of vegetables, plants or materials of plant origin, meat and meat products, firearms and ammunition is prohibited (requires a permit from the local police), as well as objects and things of historical, artistic or archaeological value.
The export of drugs and narcotic substances, skins and stuffed animals, objects and things of historical, artistic or archaeological value is prohibited. When exporting wool and leather products, jewelry, local souvenirs, jewelry and emeralds, you must present a receipt from the store where these products were purchased, as well as an export stamp (for emeralds and jewelry made of gold or platinum).
Diving enthusiasts should be aware that the waters off the coast of the country are home to several varieties of sharks and many venomous sea creatures.
Useful phone numbers
Embassy of Colombia in Moscow: st. Burdenko, 20; tel.: (499) 248-30-17, 248-30-84; Web site
Embassy of Russia in Bogotá: Carrera 4, 75-02, Apartado Aereo 90600; tel.: (1) 212-18-81, 212-55-60; Web site
Unified Rescue Service: 119 or 112, Police: 156, Fire Department: 119, Ambulance: 132
Tourist safety in Colombia
The security situation in the country is quite difficult. Colombia has for many years held the sad “record” of the country with the highest number of kidnappings in the world. On the other hand, many foreigners live in the country without fear for their lives. The fact is that most of the local guerrilla groups kidnap people for political and economic reasons, so there is no use for them from kidnapping foreigners.
But still, to ensure personal safety when traveling around the country, it is recommended not to leave the city (especially at night), and also not to travel around the country on evening or night buses. When traveling around the city in the evening, it is better to use the services of officially licensed taxis. In addition, crowded places and street demonstrations should be avoided.
All kinds of narcotic drugs are circulating throughout the country, so “gifts” from strangers in the form of drinks or cigarettes should be avoided at all costs: they can be stuffed with drugs or “borracero” – a sedative drug often used to put the victim to sleep for the purpose of robbery.
The easiest way to avoid dangerous areas in Colombia is to ask the locals about them in advance. Standard precautions will not hurt either: it is recommended to keep your passport and money in the hotel safe. You should not openly wear expensive jewelry or watches, you should not demonstrate expensive photo or video equipment “in public”. It is also necessary to carefully check all the currency received during the exchange or change – an incredible amount of counterfeit dollars is printed in the country.
Finally – a few words about the natural dangers of Colombia, waiting for tourists. The climate in the country is quite hot, and solar radiation, especially in the mountains, is very intense. Therefore, it is necessary to use sunscreen, wear hats and light cotton clothing. Diving enthusiasts should be aware that the waters off the coast of the country are home to several varieties of sharks and many venomous sea creatures. When swimming, it is better to use wetsuits, and always wear special shoes before entering the sea on the “wild” beach.
Climate of Colombia
Most of the country is dominated by an equatorial and subequatorial climate with slight temperature fluctuations throughout the year. In the highlands of the Cordillera, the climate is mountainous, in the foothills it is close to tropical (on the western slopes) and equatorial.
The average monthly air temperature in low-lying areas and on the ocean coast is about +29 ° C almost all year round, in mountainous regions (at altitudes of 2000-3000 m) – from +13 to +16 ° C, higher along the slopes of the Cordillera – about +12 ° C in the summer months (from May to August), the rest of the time from +16 to +9 °C.
In winter, Bogota is quite warm (January temperature is about +20 °C, at night it can drop to +11 °C) and dry. Summer (March to October) is relatively cool (+16 °C) and rainy. At the end of summer, frosts are not uncommon in the surrounding mountains, and in August – hurricane winds.
The water temperature on the Caribbean coast is from +20 to +26 ° C all year round. The Pacific coast is a little cooler – the average water temperature there is from +18 to +25 ° C, depending on the region.
Actual information: weather forecast for the main resorts of Colombia for the coming days.
Beaches
Ocean waters (especially the Pacific coast) are very turbulent – there are quite strong currents and many zones of turbulence. Therefore, you should choose places for swimming carefully. Tidal currents are also quite strong off the coast of Colombia. At low tide, gentle zones are formed with a bunch of shells, algae and just garbage. In the Caribbean, the tidal bands are usually quite narrow (from 0.5 to 4-5 m), but on the Pacific coast they can reach 10-40 m in width.
The beaches of Cartagena and Santa Marta are distinguished by dark silver sand, while the beaches of San Andres and Providencia have fine white sand.
