Colombia is stunningly beautiful, with vast regions of unimaginable biodiversity. On a short trip you can enjoy snow tipped mountains, green rolling hills, cloudy highland plateaus, steamy tropical beaches, hot tangled jungles, emerald lakes, verdant river valleys and unique ecosystems like the páramos. Located in the northwest of South America, it borders to the northwest with Panama, to the east with Venezuela and Brazil, and in the south with Ecuador and Peru. Its rich geography is characterized by its six main natural regions which each possess unique characteristics: The Andes Mountains, the Pacific Coast, the Caribbean Coast, the Plains, the Amazon Rainforest region, and the Insular region made up of islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  All this without mentioning some geographic complexities that evolve in an isolated manner throughout the country, makes of Colombia rich in landscapes, biodiversity and culture. 

The Andes mountains are divided into three branches, known as “cordilleras” (mountain ranges). The Western Cordillera (Western Andes) which runs adjacent to the Pacific coast with an influence of the Pacific Rainforest which dominates in low-lying areas.  The Cordillera Central (Central Andes) has its origin in still-active, currently snow-capped volcanos and is flanked by the valleys of the Cauca river and the Magdalena river (to the west and east respectively).  Along this Central range is where the heart of the country’s coffee region is located, highly productive due to the volcanic ash deposited over millions of years.  The Cordillera Oriental (Eastern Andes) is the newest and widest, extending to the northeast crossing into Venezuela.  The highest peaks in the Andes exceed 5,000m (15,000 ft) above sea level and represent dominated by beautiful and particular landscapes. To the east of the Andes, the Savannahs (known as llanos), part of the Orinoco River basin is dominated by extensive plain grasslands and riparian forests.  In the far southeast, the Amazon Rainforest can be found, representing the most important continuous rainforest on the planet, a green blanket that extends for millions of hectares and provides home to incredible natural diversity.   

The richness of Colombia is also represented by its cultural diversity: mixed-race, Afro-Americans, gypsies, farmers, European and Arab immigrants and indigenous tribes that live in the most isolated parts of the country, all live here converting it into multi-ethnic society.  In the same sense, within Colombia there are 84 indigenous towns and 60 native languages still spoken. Over the years and as a result of this cultural and social history, important expressions can be found that range from the architectural to the artistic, many of which have been declared as World Heritage sites.