Colombia

• Typical Food in Colombia

  Juan Valdez, Shakira, cocaine: Erase any preconceptions you might have about Colombia. Here is a nation of vibrant modern cities and sweltering Caribbean beaches, high-altitude hiking and Amazon safaris, whitewashed colonial villages and crashing Pacific waves. Only a few areas of the country remain unsafe for travel, mostly border or certain mountainous regions; any local (or smart Google search) can advise you where to avoid. And the comida? From simple, savory fresh breads and hearty empanadas to rich seafood feasts, you won’t be disappointed. EYW’s coverage begins with some typical Colombian street foods and snacks that you’ll find nationwide.

  Juan Valdez, Shakira, cocaine: Erase any preconceptions you might have about Colombia. Here is a nation of vibrant modern cities and sweltering Caribbean beaches, high-altitude hiking and Amazon safaris, whitewashed colonial villages and crashing Pacific waves. Only a few areas of the country remain unsafe for travel, mostly border or certain mountainous regions; any local (or smart Google search) can advise you…    Read more

   

  Find typical foods in Colombia.

  Almojábana, pan de bono, pan de yuca

  Arepa con huevo

  Arepa con queso

  Avena

  Bandeja paisa

  Bogota

  Colombia’s lively capital city of around eight million, Bogotá has many gems, including a cobblestoned colonial heart (La Candelaria), excellent museums, a few party-filled nightclub districts, and a temperate climate (as one local puts it, “Bogotá gets four seasons in one day”). Located on a high plateau in the Andes, the city has an elevation of about 2,600 meters (8,500 feet) that can cause altitude sickness, so make sure you ease into that aguardiente. There are wonderful opportunities in Bogotá to try typical national foods and drinks, like moist tamales and warming canelazo.

  Colombia’s lively capital city of around eight million, Bogotá has many gems, including a cobblestoned colonial heart (La Candelaria), excellent museums, a few party-filled nightclub districts, and a temperate climate (as one local puts it, “Bogotá gets four seasons in one day”). Located on a high plateau in the Andes, the city has an elevation of about 2,600 meters (8,500 feet)…   Read more

   

  Find local foods in Bogota.

  Canelazo

  Chicha

  Chocolate santafereño

  Parrillada (grilled meats, steak)

  Tamal

  Cartagena

  Ahh, Cartagena: a sweltering Caribbean city that lives in the romantic imagination, all palm trees, blossoming flowers, and candy colors, with a colonial Old Town that proudly wears its history on the imposing stone walls that encircle it. Filled with vendors selling everything from coconut water to fake Botero paintings, the streets are lively by day and quiet by night, when everyone packs into bars and salsa clubs for cold cervezas and fast rhythms (except, of course, when the music spills onto the street). Seafood is king of la comida costeña (food of the coast), but don’t overlook the buttery street arepas, sweet coconut rice, and smooth local rum.

  Ahh, Cartagena: a sweltering Caribbean city that lives in the romantic imagination, all palm trees, blossoming flowers, and candy colors, with a colonial Old Town that proudly wears its history on the imposing stone walls that encircle it. Filled with vendors selling everything from coconut water to fake Botero paintings, the streets are lively by day and quiet by night, when everyone packs into bars and salsa…   Read more

   

  Find local foods in Cartagena.

  Agua de coco

  Arepa con queso

  Arroz con coco

  Cazuela de mariscos, pescado gratinado

  Ceviche

  Santander

  Santander is a mountainous department located in north-central Colombia, a great waypoint for travelers that’s roughly in the middle of Bogotá and Cartagena. This area is celebrated for its rich gastronomy, particularly in the Barichara area—just one of the towns we cover in this section. Barichara is a tiny, perfect colonial village of whitewashed houses, red roofs, wooden balconies, and sun-baked cobbled streets. It is so picturesque, in fact, that it was declared “prettiest village” and a national monument in the 1970s by the Colombian government. Then there's San Gil, 30 minutes southeast of Barichara, a popular destination for backpackers seeking an adrenaline rush; its steep riverside location makes for ideal rafting, paragliding, waterfall-rappelling, caving, mountain biking, and more (it’s also home to the gorgeous, moss-hung sanctuary Parque El Gallineral). Bucaramanga is the department’s capital, a large, fast-growing city known for its prevalence of pretty parks. It has great paragliding (parapente) plus an airport if you wish to skip the eight- to-10-hour bus ride to/from Cartagena or Bogotá.

  Santander is a mountainous department located in north-central Colombia, a great waypoint for travelers that’s roughly in the middle of Bogotá and Cartagena. This area is celebrated for its rich gastronomy, particularly in the Barichara area—just one of the towns we cover in this section. Barichara is a tiny, perfect colonial village of whitewashed houses, red roofs, wooden balconies, and…   Read more

   

  Find local foods in Santander.

  Arepa con huevo

  Arequipe

  Cabrito

  Changua, caldo con huevo

  Carne oreada

• User Content

Below is user-submitted content for this region. Have something to contribute? Upload your regional-food photo or food memory.

• 

  Tropical Colombian Fruits

  Bogotá
  jeremy
• 

  Fried Mojarra Fish

  Cartagena
  piggybackrideaz
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  Carimanola

  Cartagena
  piggybackrideaz
• 

  Cayeye

  Santa Marta
  piggybackrideaz

• • Soup in South America

    pauletteh86
    Medellin, Colombia
    

    I know that many share my love for cuisine of all sorts, but everyone has a different story as to why they enjoy certain foods so much. Mine began with my heritage (or half of it, if you will)…    Read more