LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION
Top Tens
CDs
Colombia is rich in music traditions and you'll hear plenty of music at all hours; blaring from cars, nightclubs or the juice stand outside your hotel. Prepare yourself by packing a few of the following CDs onto your MP3 player before hitting the road.
- El Rock de Mi Pueblo, Carlos Vives
- Fijacion Oral, Shakira
- Los Mas Grandes Exitos de El Maestro, Lucho Bermudez
- Putumayo Presents, various artists
- Romantico, Carlos Vives
- El Otro Lado de Mi, Soraya
- Latinismo Dance: Cumbias, Linda Vera
- De Nuevo Con Mi Gente, Diomedes Diaz
- Un Dia Normal, Juanes
- Laundry Service, Shakira
Chill-Out Places
Long bus rides, bad hotels and crowded streets can grind down your morale; once in a while you'll just want to kick back in a hammock and stare at the clouds. The following places are the best spots to snooze.
- Aguadulce, Providencia Island
- Villa de Leyva
- Taganga
- Playa Blanca
- Arrecifes
- El Rodadero
- San Luis, San Andres
- Rio Claro, Antioquia
- Ecotermales San Vicente, Zona Cafetera
- Puerto Narino, Amazon Basin
Festivals & Events
Colombia can party with the best of 'em, and there is no shortage of festivals and events to get your party juices flowing. There are some 200 festivals annually; the following are the best of the best.
- Carnaval de Barranquilla (Carnaval at Barranquilla), Barranquilla, February or March
- Carnaval de Blancos y Negros (Carnival of Black and White), Pasto, January
- Festival de la Leyenda Vellenata, Valledupar, April
- Semana Santa (Holy Week), Mompos, March or April
- Semana Santa (Holy Week), Popayan, March or April
- Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro (Latin American Theater Festival), Bogota, March or April
- Feria de las Flores (Festival of Flowers), Medellin, August
- Festival Latinoamericano de Teatro (Latin American Theater Festival), Manizales, September
- Reinado Nacional de Belleza (National Beauty Pageant), Cartagena, November
- Feria de Cali (Festival of Cali), Cali, December to January
Lonely Planet recommends World Nomads Travel insurance
