Geographically closer to Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua than to Colombia, Isla de Providencia is a tiny paradise in the Colombian Caribbean. The island spans just 17-square kilometers accommodating a population of just 5,000. On the island, you'll find pristine, untouched beaches, some of the best scuba diving in the world, and a history touched by real-life pirates of the Caribbean.

To its benefit, Providencia is a pain in the ass to reach, ensuring the island's preservation as luxury resorts stay well away. To Reach Providencia, you must catch a flight from Cartagena to the neighboring island of San Andres, followed by a second flight, or Catamaran, to finally reach Providencia.

The reef surrounding Providencia is a highly protected UNESCO biosphere reserve, hardly a surprise as the reef is the third-largest in the world. Not only is scuba diving around Providencia amazing, but it's also cheap, regardless of whether you're a seasoned scuba diver or just starting.

The tiny islet of Santa Catalina, accessed via Lovers Lane Bridge and Cayo Cangrejo, are further highlights of any stay in Providencia.

In November 2020, Providencia was devastated by Hurricane Iota — A category five storm. The storm crippled 98% of Providencia's infrastructure, leaving most buildings without a roof. Humanitarian aid to rebuild the island has been slow and drawn out. But finally, In June 2022, Providencia opened to tourism again.

Parque Tayrona is the diamond in the crown of Colombia's Caribbean Coast. The national park possesses some of the best beaches in South America – certainly the best on mainland Colombia.

Tayrona spans 150 square kilometers, with a landscape beloved by Colombians just as much as tourists. On weekends and public holidays, Tayrona is packed – and can detract from your experience. So, where possible, aim to visit during the week.

Too often, people make the same mistake with Tayrona, thinking a day trip will leave them with the ultimate experience of this national park. They're wrong. Day trips to Tayrona leave you short-handed on what you dawn experience at the park. They're also wildly overpriced.

It is possible to stay overnight in Tayrona. There are accommodations on the shorefronts of Catilettes, Canaveral, Arrecifes, Cabo San Juan, and Playa Brava.

Cabo San Juan and Playa Brava have the most backpacker-friendly accommodation. They're extremely wallet-friendly and situated on the best beaches in the national park.

There also seems to be confusion about when Tayrona is open. For years, Tayrona had been closed through February to combat overcrowding. More recently, this has changed to the first two weeks of January, June, and the final two weeks of October.

Despite its namesake, The Lost City was never really lost.

Ciudad Perdida only became known to the world in 1972 after a band of robbers stumbled upon the site. However, the indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada have been visiting it for centuries. To the indigenous peoples of the region, Ciudad Perdida was once home. But they were forced to retreat deeper into the jungle after the arrival of the Spanish centuries ago.

Though the trek's popularity has been increasing, it's challenging.

Your lungs are unlikely to explode under the strain of high altitude as they would in the Andes. Neither will your bones shudder under the weight of intense cold as they would in Patagonia.

Instead, trekking to Ciudad Perdida will force you to face different challenges. The trek's physical demands will shell-shock those turning up expecting a stroll through the forest. A decent level of fitness is required.

The staggering heat and humidity will prove your worst enemy. The charm of sleeping in the jungle wears off very quickly. Being awoken at the crack of dawn for the next stage of the punishing trek is no laughing matter. It's a lengthy journey, too; you'll cover 63 kilometers and conclude the trip with a calf-shredding 1,200-step ascent to the archeological site.

With all that said, it is fantastic, and the reward at the end is great.

Only a handful of operators are licensed to offer tours.

Guided tours last four to six days, depending on your preference. There is a fixed price of 1,150,000 COP, which covers accommodation and three meals a day.

The area surrounding San Gil, Colombia's adventure capital, is steeped in natural beauty and history. Hiking the famous Camino Real trail is the best way to take that all in.

For most, the Camino Real hike entails a short walk from Barichara – dubbed the prettiest town in Colombia – to the nearby Pueblo of Guane. However, the full trail stretches for 34 kilometers. The indigenous Guane people built the road, passing through Baricahra, Guane, Villanueva, Jordan, and Los Santos.

It's certainly not a short hike and will likely require an overnight stop in Villanueva. But despite the distance, the hike is extremely fulfilling, with the road running parallel to the mighty Chicamocha Canyon – the second largest canyon in the world.

This part of the countryside is truly breathtaking. The pit stops at the various pueblos along the route are equally endearing.

Starting the hike from Barichara, it'll become clear why it holds the tag of 'Prettiest town in Colombia. Lined with cobblestoned streets and whitewashed buildings, it's postcard-perfect.

The hike from Barichara to Guane covers 6.5 kilometers. After stopping in picturesque Guane, you'll proceed to Villanueva – an 8.5-kilometer walk.

Stay the night in Villanueva before hitting the road again. You'll cover 15 kilometers from Villanueva en route to Jordan, the smallest town on this route and located at the base of the Chicamocha Canyon. After passing Jordan, you'll be on the home straight to Los Santos. While this 5.1-kilometer hike is much shorter, the 850-meter ascent out of the canyon is punishing. Finish the hike with a hearty meal and a cold beer in Los Santos' main square, Parque Principal de Los Santos.

A highlight of any trip to the colorful pueblo of Guatapé. El Penol I was named a national monument in the 1940s. It is also the second-largest monolith on the continent – second only to Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro, towering 200 meters high and offering sweeping views of the artificial lake below.

Locals will tell you that it's the best view in the world. It's not. But the view from the summit is unlike any other.

Technically, El Penol isn't in Guatapé. It's a 45-minute walk from town – or 5-10 minutes via cab or tuk-tuk.

Entrance to the national monument costs 18,000 COP. With your entrance fee paid, it's time to begin the knee-quivering climb to the top. This ascent encompasses 740 steps, all infuriatingly numbered to remind you how unfit you are. Luckily there are a couple of cafes offering refreshments. Then, all that's left to do is divert your attention to the sweeping views before you.

It's not 'The Best View In The World.' But it's pretty special all the same.

If climbing 740 steps to the summit of El Penol sounds mundane, there is another route. Rock climbing up the side of El Penol, though this option will be challenging for those with little to no rock-climbing experience.

For any coffee aficionado, a stop in Colombia's famed coffee triangle – or Zona Cafetera – will be a requisite for backpacking Colombia.

And even better than a stop in the coffee triangle is staying at a working coffee farm.

Located in the countryside just outside of Manizales, you'll find that at Hacienda Venecia – the supreme choice for backpackers looking to experience life on a working coffee farm.

Not only is Hacienda Venecia a working coffee farm, but it is also a hostel with accommodations catering to all budgets. Staying at the farm for a couple of days offers the chance to fully immerse yourself in the life of coffee farming.

The farm offers several tours and activities for guests, all well priced for what they offer. Among them are a farm tour and a coffee cupping/barista workshop.

The farm tour begins with a fresh cup of homegrown coffee, followed by exploring the cultivation, harvesting, and roasting of beans – taking you through the journey from bean to cup.

In the cupping and barista workshop, you'll discover the various factors altering the taste of coffee beans, identifying aromas and flavor profiles along the way. You'll also go through different brewing methods and try your hand at creating the perfect cup of coffee.

The farm also offers cacao tours where you produce your own bar of chocolate, birdwatching tours, and plantain cooking classes. There are also several great hiking trails running through the property.

Located 20 minutes from the quaint pueblo of Salento lies Valle de Cocora, a true highlight of any trip to Colombia and a mainstay of just about every Colombia travel itinerary. Cocora is also the gateway to Colombia's fabled Los Nevados National Park – home of towering volcanoes and unique paramo ecosystems.

A visit to Valle de Cocora entails hiking through atmospheric cloud forests and walking amidst the famed wax palm trees – Colombia's national symbol. The trees stretch nearly 200 feet into the heavens.

A visit to Valle de Cococra doesn't confine you to wandering the giant trees and posing for that Insta money shot. Hiking here sees you ascend into a mysterious cloud forest, cross rickety bridges, swim beneath chilly waterfalls, visit a hummingbird sanctuary, and more.

Upon entering Valle de Cocoa, you'll have a choice to make – what sort of hike you want. 

Option one is short but sweet, stretching roughly 2.5 kilometers and taking 90 minutes to complete. This route sees you following the path towards the giant wax palms. Once there, you can wander around to your heart's content before returning to the entrance.

Option two is more complex, taking you deeper into Valle de Cocora. This 15-kilometer route sees you discover Cocora's lush cloud forest, passing waterfalls and bridges before stopping at the Acaime hummingbird house. After stopping at the Le Montana viewpoint and taking in views of the forest and valley below, you begin your descent to the entrance.

Fifty-three kilometers from Bogotá lies the first wonder of Colombia.

Just outside a town called Zipaquirá, you'll find Catedral de Sal, a salt cathedral some 100 years old lying 200 meters below the Earth's surface.

Colombia aside, Poland is the only other place in the world where you'll find a subterranean salt cathedral. Although, Colombia's is the original.

The surrounding salt mine has been in use for some two-and-a-half millennia. Eons ago, the Muiscas people, the original settlers of the land that is now Bogotá, began mining salt here.

As you descend into the belly of this place of worship, you'll come across 14 different chapels, each built entirely from salt and illuminated in a combination of colors. Finally, you'll arrive at the main chamber, which is astonishing.

On Sundays when the cathedral hosts a service for some 3,000 people.

Catedral de Sal isn't just a place of worship, though. There is also a climbing wall, a 3D movie of the area's history, a museum, a light show, and – if you're feeling brave – the 'walk of the miner.'

Even if you're not religious, visiting Colombia's salt cathedral is an unforgettable day trip.

Caño Cristales, ‘El Rio de los 5 Colores’, the liquid rainbow. Widely proclaimed to be the most beautiful river in the world. Caño Cristales owes its rich hues to the seasonal bloom of Macarenia Clavigera. This aquatic plant grows on the bedrock of the river. It is a unique ecological phenomenon.

Visiting the river is a fantastic experience, no doubt about it. Though it's not a year-round experience. The plants that give Caño Cristales its rich colors are seasonal, blooming between May and December each year.

If you're desperate for the best possible experience of Caño Cristales, try to plan your trip between August and September, when the plants are in full bloom.

Nestled in the Parque Nacional Natural Sierra de la Macarena, the area surrounding Caño Cristales is special. The national park represents a rare confluence of three distinct ecosystems. The Amazon to the south, the Lanos to the north, and the Andes to the West.

Based in an isolated, sparsely populated part of Colombia, getting to the river is a bitch.

The only practical and, more importantly, safe way to reach it is flying to La Macarena from Bogotá.

Luckily, Caño Cristales is one of the few places where guided tours work out cheaper than solo endeavors. Generally speaking, multi-day tours will include accommodation, meals, and flights in your booking price. Tours are still expensive but well worth the cost.

Once upon a time, the landscape circling Villavieja was a lush forest. Today, the vast majority of that is extinct. What remains is the Tatacoa Desert, a dry tropical forest.

Calling Tatacoa a desert is misleading. It isn't. Instead, it's a 330 square kilometer arid landscape which owes its namesake to a now-extinct species of rattlesnake.

Though you may think of the Tatacoa Desert as one place, that's not the case. The Tatacoa Desert has three distinct destinations.

First off, there is Cuzco, the red section of the Tatacoa Desert. If you've ever wondered what it'd feel like to step out on the surface of Mars, Cuzco is a pretty good gauge. Hiking through the desert is far from challenging. The terrain is mostly flat. Here, the climate will prove your worst enemy. If you don't begin your hike early in the morning, it's not uncommon to stagger through 40ºC heat come midday.

Second, there is Los Hoyos. In stark contrast to Cuzco, the greys of Los Hoyos look distinctly lunar. As if you've stepped out from an Apollo mission. The distance between Cuzco and Los Hoyos is eight kilometers. Be sure to stop at several landmarks in Los Hoyos, namely Valle de logs Fantasmes, the Valley of Wishes, and the Piscinas.

Finally, there is the Tatacoa Astronomic Observatory. Located in the Cuzco. The Tatacoa Desert is over 40 kilometers from the nearest major city. Light pollution is practically non-existent, making the area a hotspot for stargazers.