A rustic like no different, many curious vacationers ponder whether Colombia is secure to trip. Right here’s my highest recommendation as a solo feminine traveler on the right way to consume, drink and revel in time with locals.
Once I advised family and friends I used to be heading to Colombia, their reactions have been predictable: fear, concern, and questions on protection.
And I am getting it.
Colombia nonetheless carries its popularity from a long time previous, or even contemporary tales like fellow Canadian YouTuber Alina McLeod’s tried theft at gunpoint in Santa Marta could make someone think carefully.
Is Colombia Protected?
I’ve traveled via Colombia more than one occasions as a solo girl, and I’m right here to let you know it may be secure…when you’re good about it.
I’ve spent the remaining 15 years touring the sector for this site. I’ve been to this nation a number of occasions to jot down about conventional meals in Colombia.
Listed below are the security pointers I’ve collected, which practice to everybody, now not simply girls.
Location Issues—A Lot
The place you keep in Colombian towns makes a large distinction on your protection.
In Santa Marta, as an example, a taxi motive force gave me explicit obstacles: “Calle 13 as much as about 20, beginning on the malecon (waterfront) as much as the primary drag is just right. Out of doors that, it will get dangerous.”
I first of all stayed at a hostel out of doors this zone. Right through the day? High quality. At night time? No longer such a lot.
I temporarily moved to Hostel Espanolete on Calle 13, which had:
- Central location
- Safety guards within sight who would warn me about unsafe streets
- A lot of other folks round in any respect hours
This fundamental recommendation holds true all over the place: don’t stroll down empty streets, particularly at night time.
If there are not any streetlights and closed retail outlets, to find some other path or take a taxi—even though you’re with others.
Day vs. Evening Protection
What stunned me about Santa Marta was once how full of life and safe it felt after darkish, a minimum of in the fitting spaces.
The Malecon (waterfront) is well-lit with households walking, buddies accumulating, and safety all over the place. You’ll’t pass a ways with out seeing police, town safety or non-public guards.
That stated, midnight calls for further precautions:
- Don’t carry your telephone to golf equipment. Such a lot of vacationers at my hostel had their telephones stolen whilst partying. The thief bumps into you, takes your telephone, and disappears into the group.
- Keep away from ATMs after 10:00 pm. Duration.
- For males: Be extraordinarily wary of overly pleasant girls. Colombia doesn’t have a tradition of informal hookups. If anyone you simply met on Tinder provides to come back in your lodge or desires to head house with you from a membership, be cautious. Scopolamine druggings (which will also be deadly) are an actual risk right here.
Meals and Drink Protection
One in every of Colombia’s largest attracts is its unbelievable meals, and sure, you’ll revel in boulevard meals safely by means of following a couple of pointers:
- Don’t drink the faucet water in Santa Marta (or maximum Colombian towns). Locals don’t drink it both.
- Keep away from “bolis” distributors with coolers of inexpensive, flavored water in plastic baggies. It’s mainly Kool-Help made with untreated water.
- You CAN revel in contemporary juices from boulevard distributors with the ones large “fish tank” packing containers. Those Colombian beverages use filtered water and are completely scrumptious. My favorites are made with Colombian culmination like pineapple smoothies, corozo and agua de panela con limon.
- Skip the brilliant pink/orange boulevard sausages that seem within the afternoons. Locals name consuming them “taking part in roulette” along with your abdomen. No longer all boulevard meals in Colombia is secure, so simply ask at your lodge what NOT to consume.
- DO take a look at boulevard arepas—they’re usually secure and scrumptious. I like to recommend Arepas Yiya for each conventional arepas and more secure variations of the ones tempting electrical crimson sausages in Santa Marta.
- Rise up early! I’ve all the time had a sense that thieves love to sleep in so Colombian breakfasts are my favourite meal as you get the early birds. It’s additionally after I pass to the ATM. Pass early, however now not SO early that nobody is in the street.
“No Dar Papaya” – The Golden Rule
Should you be told only one Colombian word, make it “no dar papaya” (don’t give papaya). It manner don’t put your self in scenarios the place you’ll be taken benefit of.
In sensible phrases:
- Don’t stroll round along with your telephone out, even in supposedly secure spaces. I duck into retail outlets after I want to test Google maps.
- Be strategic when the usage of cameras. When filming my video in Santa Marta, I requested permission to make use of a cafe patio whilst it was once closed, with safety and police within sight.
- Get dressed like locals: Colombians get dressed well however now not flashy. Ladies hardly ever put on flip-flops aside from on the seashore. Keep away from taking a look like a “slouchy backpacker”—it screams vacationer.
- Be told Colombian slang to make buddies after which get all their highest pointers.
- In search of medication, prostitution, or playing? You’re going to satisfy the mistaken other folks and considerably build up your chance.
- And as a feminine solo traveler I don’t agree with someone who approaches me first, particularly whether it is in English. That is true is each nation since the probability it’s a scammer is just too prime.
Transportation and Excursions
In any nation I favor to make use of journey proportion products and services like Uber so that there’s a document of my motive force. But it surely doesn’t exist in each town in Colombia.
I’ve taken yellow cabs in Santa Marta from the bus station with out factor. They’re inexpensive and secure. Should you’re out overdue, spending the additional buck or two on a cab is basically value it.
I keep away from bike taxis fully in keeping with native recommendation: “Some are nice, some aren’t—now not well worth the protection chance as they force like lunatics.”
For excursions to seashores and points of interest, e book via established companies slightly than boulevard distributors. This guarantees you’re with authorized, insured operators.
My Greatest Colombia Commute Tip
My remaining tip isn’t about protection however how we behave as guests. You’ll come upon other folks promoting excursions, souvenirs, and meals—from time to time constantly.
Take into account that tourism is their livelihood, particularly after difficult financial years.
When declining provides, achieve this with grace. A easy “no, gracias” with a grin presentations appreciate. We’re visitors of their house, and Colombia is in reality an awesome position that merits our appreciate.
With consciousness, commonplace sense, and the following pointers, you’ll enjoy the heat, attractiveness and unbelievable tradition Colombia has to supply safely and memorably.
A rustic like no different, many curious vacationers ponder whether Colombia is secure to trip. Right here’s my highest recommendation as a solo feminine traveler on the right way to consume, drink and revel in time with locals.
Once I advised family and friends I used to be heading to Colombia, their reactions have been predictable: fear, concern, and questions on protection.
And I am getting it.
Colombia nonetheless carries its popularity from a long time previous, or even contemporary tales like fellow Canadian YouTuber Alina McLeod’s tried theft at gunpoint in Santa Marta could make someone think carefully.
Is Colombia Protected?
I’ve traveled via Colombia more than one occasions as a solo girl, and I’m right here to let you know it may be secure…when you’re good about it.
I’ve spent the remaining 15 years touring the sector for this site. I’ve been to this nation a number of occasions to jot down about conventional meals in Colombia.
Listed below are the security pointers I’ve collected, which practice to everybody, now not simply girls.
Location Issues—A Lot
The place you keep in Colombian towns makes a large distinction on your protection.
In Santa Marta, as an example, a taxi motive force gave me explicit obstacles: “Calle 13 as much as about 20, beginning on the malecon (waterfront) as much as the primary drag is just right. Out of doors that, it will get dangerous.”
I first of all stayed at a hostel out of doors this zone. Right through the day? High quality. At night time? No longer such a lot.
I temporarily moved to Hostel Espanolete on Calle 13, which had:
- Central location
- Safety guards within sight who would warn me about unsafe streets
- A lot of other folks round in any respect hours
This fundamental recommendation holds true all over the place: don’t stroll down empty streets, particularly at night time.
If there are not any streetlights and closed retail outlets, to find some other path or take a taxi—even though you’re with others.
Day vs. Evening Protection
What stunned me about Santa Marta was once how full of life and safe it felt after darkish, a minimum of in the fitting spaces.
The Malecon (waterfront) is well-lit with households walking, buddies accumulating, and safety all over the place. You’ll’t pass a ways with out seeing police, town safety or non-public guards.
That stated, midnight calls for further precautions:
- Don’t carry your telephone to golf equipment. Such a lot of vacationers at my hostel had their telephones stolen whilst partying. The thief bumps into you, takes your telephone, and disappears into the group.
- Keep away from ATMs after 10:00 pm. Duration.
- For males: Be extraordinarily wary of overly pleasant girls. Colombia doesn’t have a tradition of informal hookups. If anyone you simply met on Tinder provides to come back in your lodge or desires to head house with you from a membership, be cautious. Scopolamine druggings (which will also be deadly) are an actual risk right here.
Meals and Drink Protection
One in every of Colombia’s largest attracts is its unbelievable meals, and sure, you’ll revel in boulevard meals safely by means of following a couple of pointers:
- Don’t drink the faucet water in Santa Marta (or maximum Colombian towns). Locals don’t drink it both.
- Keep away from “bolis” distributors with coolers of inexpensive, flavored water in plastic baggies. It’s mainly Kool-Help made with untreated water.
- You CAN revel in contemporary juices from boulevard distributors with the ones large “fish tank” packing containers. Those Colombian beverages use filtered water and are completely scrumptious. My favorites are made with Colombian culmination like pineapple smoothies, corozo and agua de panela con limon.
- Skip the brilliant pink/orange boulevard sausages that seem within the afternoons. Locals name consuming them “taking part in roulette” along with your abdomen. No longer all boulevard meals in Colombia is secure, so simply ask at your lodge what NOT to consume.
- DO take a look at boulevard arepas—they’re usually secure and scrumptious. I like to recommend Arepas Yiya for each conventional arepas and more secure variations of the ones tempting electrical crimson sausages in Santa Marta.
- Rise up early! I’ve all the time had a sense that thieves love to sleep in so Colombian breakfasts are my favourite meal as you get the early birds. It’s additionally after I pass to the ATM. Pass early, however now not SO early that nobody is in the street.
“No Dar Papaya” – The Golden Rule
Should you be told only one Colombian word, make it “no dar papaya” (don’t give papaya). It manner don’t put your self in scenarios the place you’ll be taken benefit of.
In sensible phrases:
- Don’t stroll round along with your telephone out, even in supposedly secure spaces. I duck into retail outlets after I want to test Google maps.
- Be strategic when the usage of cameras. When filming my video in Santa Marta, I requested permission to make use of a cafe patio whilst it was once closed, with safety and police within sight.
- Get dressed like locals: Colombians get dressed well however now not flashy. Ladies hardly ever put on flip-flops aside from on the seashore. Keep away from taking a look like a “slouchy backpacker”—it screams vacationer.
- Be told Colombian slang to make buddies after which get all their highest pointers.
- In search of medication, prostitution, or playing? You’re going to satisfy the mistaken other folks and considerably build up your chance.
- And as a feminine solo traveler I don’t agree with someone who approaches me first, particularly whether it is in English. That is true is each nation since the probability it’s a scammer is just too prime.
Transportation and Excursions
In any nation I favor to make use of journey proportion products and services like Uber so that there’s a document of my motive force. But it surely doesn’t exist in each town in Colombia.
I’ve taken yellow cabs in Santa Marta from the bus station with out factor. They’re inexpensive and secure. Should you’re out overdue, spending the additional buck or two on a cab is basically value it.
I keep away from bike taxis fully in keeping with native recommendation: “Some are nice, some aren’t—now not well worth the protection chance as they force like lunatics.”
For excursions to seashores and points of interest, e book via established companies slightly than boulevard distributors. This guarantees you’re with authorized, insured operators.
My Greatest Colombia Commute Tip
My remaining tip isn’t about protection however how we behave as guests. You’ll come upon other folks promoting excursions, souvenirs, and meals—from time to time constantly.
Take into account that tourism is their livelihood, particularly after difficult financial years.
When declining provides, achieve this with grace. A easy “no, gracias” with a grin presentations appreciate. We’re visitors of their house, and Colombia is in reality an awesome position that merits our appreciate.
With consciousness, commonplace sense, and the following pointers, you’ll enjoy the heat, attractiveness and unbelievable tradition Colombia has to supply safely and memorably.
