Practical Information for visiting Colombia

Colombia uses the peso (COP). Cards are accepted in cities, hotels and larger restaurants; markets, taxis, small towns and rural areas run on cash.

Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres rather than on the street, and be discreet withdrawing.

A voluntary ten per cent service charge is often added and you will be asked whether you wish to include it; saying no is acceptable and common. Otherwise tipping is modest.

Coverage for mobile networks is good in cities and along main corridors, limited in the Amazon, the Pacific coast and the Llanos. Local SIMs are cheap and widely sold; eSIMs avoid the registration step.

Wi-fi is standard in accommodation. Domestic flights are inexpensive and often the sensible choice, because the three mountain ranges make road journeys far longer than the distances suggest.

Colombia's safety has improved dramatically since the 2016 peace agreement, and the country's major tourist circuits -- Bogotá, Cartagena, the Coffee Region, and Santander's colonial towns -- are visited by millions of travelers each year without incident. That said, real regional variation still exists, and a few practical precautions go further here than in many other South American destinations.

• "Paseo millonario" (millionaire's ride) -- a scheme where a fake or complicit taxi driver forces a victim to withdraw cash from multiple ATMs -- is a real, if now less common, risk in Bogotá; use app-based taxis (or a hotel-arranged car) rather than hailing one on the street, especially at night.
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• Scopolamine ("burundanga"), a drug sometimes slipped into drinks or offered on a soaked piece of paper, can incapacitate a victim -- never accept drinks, cigarettes, or paper from strangers, a rare but genuinely serious risk unique to Colombia and a few neighboring countries.
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• Rural and border areas, particularly parts of the country near the Venezuelan and Ecuadorian borders and some remote jungle regions, can still see armed-group activity or drug-trafficking-related risk well off the standard tourist circuit -- check current government travel advisories before venturing beyond well-established routes.
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• Petty theft and pickpocketing follow the same pattern as most major Latin American cities -- keep valuables out of sight on public transport and in crowded areas of Bogotá and Cartagena's Old Town.
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• Altitude is a real, non-criminal consideration -- Bogotá sits at roughly 2,640 meters (8,660 feet), high enough that some visitors feel genuine altitude effects (headaches, breathlessness) for the first day or two.
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• Emergency number: 123 works nationwide and connects to police, fire, or medical services.

Yellow fever vaccination is recommended for the Amazon and some lowland areas and may be required for onward travel; hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly advised.

Altitude matters: Bogotá sits at 2,640 metres and visitors arriving directly from sea level often feel it for a day or two. Take the first day gently.

Do not drink tap water outside Bogotá and Medellín, where it is treated and safe. Dengue and other mosquito-borne illnesses occur in lowland areas.

Private healthcare in the main cities is good and inexpensive by North American standards; insurance is still important, particularly for remote regions.

Drug offences carry severe penalties and Colombia is emphatically not a place to take risks with them, whatever the country’s reputation implies. Buying cocaine also funds the violence Colombians have spent decades enduring, and locals will tell you so.

The local phrase no dar papaya — do not give an opportunity — governs everyday security: keep phones and valuables out of sight in public.

Some border and rural areas remain subject to travel advisories; check current guidance rather than assuming the whole country is either safe or dangerous.

Greetings matter, and entering a shop or a room without acknowledging people is rude.

123 is the national emergency number for police, fire and ambulance, and works across the country.

English-speaking operators are not guaranteed. In the main cities, private ambulance services attached to hospitals are often faster, and your insurer will usually direct you to a specific clinic.

Tourist police operate in Cartagena, Bogotá and other visitor centres and are the practical contact for theft and lost documents.