Colombia Travel Guide

General Information

• Travel Resources for Colombia - Travel Advisories and Consular Information sheets compiled from the CIA and embassy in Colombia and updated regularly. Mentions areas where there have been drug-related flare ups and violent crime, particularly against foreigners.

• Weather Guide - Offers daily high and lows for popular destinations in the country....just click scroll down on the left hand side and click on "Colombia"

• Colombia General Resource Page - Colombia, at the gateway to South America was an important transit point for the first inhabitants who migrated from North and Central America. This page gives history, geography and cultural information for Colombia.

• Passport Info. - A helpful "how to" site for American citizens interested in applying for a passport.

• Country Map - Map of Colombia including all major cities and large towns.

Getting There & Around

• eXito Latin America Travel Specialists - eXito (800-655-4053) has secured special deals to most of Latin America and their knowledgeable staff can give you advice on the cheapest way to arrive, the most direct way to get there and which airlines have the best service. They excel in mixing and matching different cities and countries for a low price.

• AVIS International Reservations - You can make an Avis Rental Car reservation and receive confirmation from this site to anywhere in the world.

Hotels & Restaurants

• Hotels & Travel in Colombia - Provides country-wide hotel directories, maps and general tourist information

Language Related

• AmeriSpan Unlimited - AmeriSpan specializes in Spanish Immersion, Volunteer & Internship programs in Latin America and Spain for travelers and businesspeople. Currently, there are 40 programs available in 15 different countries.

News & Culture

• El Espectador - Bogotá, Colombia's leading daily newspaper (in Spanish).

• El Colombiano - Leading newspaper from Medillín, Colombia.

• El País - Daily news from Calí, Colombia.

• Semana Publications - Magazines covering money, fashion, travel and weekly news from Colombia.

• El Heraldo - A Barranquilla, Colombia daily newspaper.

• Macondo - An internet site devoted to the writing and life of Colombian novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Staff Picks

• Bogota Spanish School Video - Watch a video of our Spanish school in Bogota, Colombia

Travel & Tourism

• Destination Colombia - From Lonely Planet travel, this website shows travelers "the Colombia that you don't hear about in the newspapers...surprisingly relaxed, has a fairly stable economy, and is inhabited by extremely personable and spirited people pursuing orderly lives. Colombia is, arguably, the most underrated travel destination on the continent."

• Yahoo! Travel - Colombia - Travel destinations, hotel advice and general tourist and safety information for the smart traveler.

• Excite! Travel - Colombia - Provides weather information, where to stay, travel & tourism sites, news & media sites and community sites.

• Travelogues - Also from Lonely Planet, these are personal accounts of trips through Colombia, including recommendations and areas to avoid

• Tourism Office - Guide to "official" tourism information for Colombia.

• Fielding's DangerFinder - From the noted Fielding's Guides to Dangerous Places, this site culls information from a number of different sources to inform readers of the dangers in travelling to third world, drug trafficked and politically unstable areas. Note: the authors do NOT endorse travel to any of these places.

• Bogota Colombia Spanish School Movie (Articles/Travelogues) - Watch a video of our Spanish school in Bogota, Colombia.

• Bridging the Achievement Gap (Learning A language) - Marlo Goldstein, Director of Academic Programs at AmeriSpan, recently attended two conferences focusing Latino issues in North Carolina, the state facing the highest percentage of growth in the latino community. She left the conferences informed and inspired.

• ¿Cuánto debemos saber? (Learning A language) - Article in Spanish.

• Demographics, Hispanics and…YOUR Life! (Learning A language) - Find out how the recent BOOM! in the Hispanic population affects you and your life on a practical level. Get the facts and what they really mean to you.

• Hispanics and Terrorism (Learning A language) -

• Spanish at Home (Learning A language) - Bilingual America is the best option for those who can't study abroad to learn Spanish

• Top 5 Medical Spanish Programs (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - Looking for a medical Spanish course. Too many to choose from. Here are AmeriSpan's Top 5 SALUD Medical Spanish programs based on popularity and past participants' comments.

• AmeriSpan Contest: Tips and Best Practices (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - It is not too late to win the race for one of the Kindles or to have a very good chance in the grand prize drawing. This article will show you what to do to take become a lead in 1 week. which includes an iPod Touch, Flip Video camera, study abroad programs, language learning aids and travel gear.

• Medical Spanish in Latin America and Costa Rica (Press Releases) - More and more medical students have been finding AmeriSpan's SALUD Medical Spanish programs beneficial.

• Spanish...The NEW Language of Commerce (Learning A language) - Spanish has become the NEW Language of Commerce and I’ll show you how and why in this article.

• The Changing Face of Latin America (Learning A language) - Latin America is changing…well, let me rephrase that…Latin America is changing too fast!

• Before You Go, You Need To Know (Learning A language) - Before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, Ricardo González, Founder and CEO of Bilingual America offers a list of what you need to know.

• The Fruit and the Root (Learning A language) - Is the life of a tree in the fruit or in the root? What does this have to do with learning Spanish? A LOT! If you want to understand "the root" of the issue, this article is a must read.

• The Power of Patterns (Learning A language) - Forget about "tenses" and "conjugations!" - Ricardo González, Founder and CEO of Bilingual America tells us about a better way.

• The Four Secrets to Long Term Retention... (Learning A language) - What you learn here has the potential to completely change your life! I have specifically applied these four secrets to the development of all Bilingual America Learning Courses. and have found over and over that students who follow these "Four Secrets To Long Term Retention" achieve outstanding results.

• Are Language Skills Enough? (Learning A language) - Article on the importance of cross-cultural communication

• Don't Forget about Departure Tax when Studying Abroad! (Articles/Travelogues) - When your study abroad trip is over, be prepared to pay a departure tax at the airport in certain countries.

• Study Abroad Money: How Much Cash to Carry (Articles/Travelogues) - Our expert tips on how much cash to carry with you on your study abroad trip.

• Don't Forget Passports When Studying Abroad (Articles/Travelogues) - Locating your birth certificate and getting your passport in order is a very important step in preparing to study abroad.

• Money Matters for Teenager Study Abroad (Articles/Travelogues) - AmeriSpan's tips on what type of money your child should bring on their teenager study abroad trip.

• Tips for Traveling Inexpensively (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - These days, from the weak dollar to the outrageous airfares, traveling abroad may seem out of the question. We beg to differ! There are many ways you can travel that are budget-friendly. We’ve gathered together some of our favorite cheap travel tips to help you make your trip a reality!

• Save Money by Volunteering Abroad (Learning A language) - Volunteer abroad to save money over traditional language programs and get an incredible immersion experience.

• Get an Edge in the Job Market (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - AmeriSpan's Business and Professional language programs can give you an edge in the job market and make your resume stand out.

• Learning a Language? Add Some Fun! (AmeriSpan Staff Commentary) - Discover AmeriSpan's 'Language and Fun' programs

• Discount: Get Into College or Graduate School (Press Releases) - Save $150 if a college or graduate application resulted in a rejection or "wait listed" letter

• Discount: Save 10% on any AmeriSpan Spain program (Press Releases) - AmeriSpan announced a 10% discount

• La Manzanilla Junior Immersion Homestay Movie (Articles/Travelogues) - Watch a movie of a teen participant in La Manzanilla with his homestay family.

• Language Travel Magazine Star Awards (Press Releases) - For the 2nd year in a row, AmeriSpan Study Abroad was voted BEST AGENCY in NORTH AMERICA by language schools throughout the world.

• AmeriSpan Study Abroad Named LTM's 2011 Best Agency in North America (Press Releases) - AmeriSpan awarded LTM's Best Agency in North America for the third year in a row.