Like a movie that offers a world of contrasts through its settings, Colombia is a country that, within its mountain ranges, seven-colored sea, and serpent-shaped rivers, hides a festive heart. For 360 days in a year, you’ll find music -as if an infinite soundtrack were playing-, and festivals celebrating life.
DISCOVER MORE ABOUT THE TRADITIONS OF COLOMBIA
Without music, there is no party! Welcome to the country of son!
Music and dances
The key to Colombia’s heart
Adding a soundtrack to a trip has never been easier than when you visit Colombia. In Cali, salsa gives the beat, your legs come alive and never want to stop enjoying the music. In Medellin, urban rhythm fills the streets with hip hop and reggaeton. In Cartagena, in a setting that feels like a colonial age movie, people vibrate with champeta and cumbia. Dance it your way and create your soundtrack on a magical journey.
Colombian festivals and celebrations
The Flow of a country born to celebrate
Like and endless musical, Colombia enjoys 4.000 celebrations a year. On the streets of its cities and towns there is always music and folklore. With supporting characters who are always cheerful, this country exudes flavor. Discover the charm of Joselito Carnaval, protagonist of the Barranquilla Carnival, or see how flowers come alive in Medellin and its Flower Fair. Colombian traditions grow like its biodiversity and, if you want to live a completely different experience, you can party in our Estero Picnic Festival.
The place where you’ll find the yellow butterflies described by Garcia Marquez.
Art and literature
“He asked what city that was, and they answered with a name that he had never heard before, that had no meaning, but that in his dreams had a supernatural resonance: Macondo” – One Hundred Years of Solitude
Colombia is an open book. It’s a movie that can occur in every corner of its streets, within its exuberant nature, involving its people. Colombia feels as if it were live theatre, 24/7, and so it has been described in the works of great narrators that go from Gabriel Garcia Marquez to Rafael Pombo, and many more. If you love literature and art, enjoy Colombian tradition in Cartagena’s Hay Festival or FICCI, or explore the walled city. Get lost inside the art world as if you starred in a movie by visiting ArtBo, in Bogota. And then step outside to explore its renowned street art at any time you want.
Powerful Colombian street art reveals the secrets behind the country’s greatest cities. Discover its meanings and inspirations with our handy guide.
A woven bag carries Colombia’s hidden essence.
Crafts
Movie costumes and props ‘Made in Colombia
Every movie has its style, its artistic concept, which sets each story apart. In Colombia, set design is crafted by ancestral artists and the best part is that in every region there are different creators. See this experience for yourself in our Crafts Tours and enjoy the woven works of the Wayúu people with threads that seem taken out of a fairy tale. Take a trip to a place where handicrafts reveal the heart of their makers, from Rioahacha to Amazonas. Travel South, as an explorer, and get to know iraca weaving and wood carving near the Galeras volcano. See the magic of Villa de Leyva, a town frozen in time, and then surprise yourself with colorful Raquira. Style yourself with a symbol of Colombia by taking the route of the Sombrero Aguadeño in Caldas. Get to know the minds of Colombia’s age-old designers and marvel at their ancestral cosmogony.
The story of artesanias colombianas is one of wisdom and knowledge. Follow our lead and visit diverse parts of the country in search of color, skill and talent.
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A country proud of the warmth of its people
Diverse, kind, joyous, and with a great heart. That is Colombia, and its people. Built on diversity, this country has developed with immense cultural wealth revealed in its warmth and welcoming spirit towards visitors, greeting all with a smile. The variety of people and customs offers a place for everyone. The best part of Colombia is, no doubt, its people. What are you waiting to come?
