Grand Escapades’ Budget Guide To Colombia

Cheap To Travel, But Not Everywhere!

View of the Café del Mar, on the City Walls, Cartagena de Indias

Type Of Travel

My two visits to Colombia were quite different: in summer 2009, shortly after my first Round The World Trip, I was traveling on a (tight) budget. In 2016, I was back for 7 weeks to Colombia, and was actually “Flashpacking”: sleeping in nicer hostels or even some more upscale guesthouses, indulging quite a few activities and local tours, partly flying instead of long bus drives and also going to areas Off The Beaten Track like La Guajira (actually no longer a well kept secret), El Chocó (Pacific Coast) and especially Caño Cristales, which turned out to be very expensive…

Itinerary & Time Of The Visit

In 2007, I spent 7 weeks in Colombia and discovered Salento & the Zona Cafetera; Popayan, San Agustin, Tierradentro & the Desierto de Tatacoa; Bogota; Villa de Leyva, San Gil, Barichara & Bucaramanga; Medellin (during the Feria de las Flores); Santa Marta, Taganga & Tayrona National Park; Rioacha & La Guajira (up to Punta Gallinas) and last but not least Cartagena de Indias.

In 2016, I also traveled 7 weeks there and visited Villa de Leyva, Monguí, Barichara & San Gil; Riohacha & La Guajira (up to Punta Gallinas); Medellin (during the Feria de las Flores) & Jardín; El Chocó (Bahia Solano); Bogota; Caño Cristales; Popayan & San Agustin; and last but not least Cartagena de Indias.

Global Budget

Colombia is a cheap country to travel, though there is a significant difference between the main touristic areas, where is infrastructure is good (transport, accommodation…) & hence costs low and areas that are more Off The Beaten Track, which can be significantly more expensive!

As a consequence, for 2016 I took out El Chocó (105,5 € per person per day) and especially Caño Cristales (155+ € per person per day) from the budget: both places would have completely distorted the overall image…

The difference between 2009 and 2016 can mostly be explained by a different standard of travel: we chose a much higher level of comfort in 2016, which resulted in higher costs for accommodation, for transport (both local and long distance) and for various activities. Maybe worth mentioning is that back in 2009, with tourism in a very early stage in Colombia, a more comfortable type of travel was mostly impossible, as the infrastructure simply did not exist back then (at least in lesser popular parts of the country). This has changed tremendously!

Hostels & Hotels

Back in 2009, the hostel infrastructure was, apart from a few places, really basic, and it was quite a challenge to find somewhat pleasant places to stay! Things have changed tremendously, though… The hostel infrastructure is now well developed, catering for every budget and every expectation, even in more remotes parts of the country. We even enjoyed some of the nicest places we have experienced in South America, far from the bad souvenirs we had in 2009, when we were desperate to find something reasonable…

Restaurants & Food

In Jardín, Antioquia

With many hostels offering a well-equipped kitchen, we actually had only relatively few meals at restaurants. The infrastructure is now, as it is the case for hostels, well developed, ranging from simple “Comida Corrientes” (only lunch) to restaurants for Gringos in need of some international food (a welcome change once in a while, we are no exceptions there) to some quite fancy places. So the choice is yours to make, and prices are comparatively low.

Drinks & Going Out

At the Café Havana, Getsemani, Cartagena de Indias

Depending on where you have a drink, a beer will cost you on average 1.1 €, quite a bargain! If you want to switch to cocktails or especially wine, prices are much, much higher, though! Especially wine is considered a luxury product here…

Transport

Bus between Pereira & Pitalito

Travel time is significant in Colombia, and is even greater when you move further south. So plan accordingly, and consider flying some legs to save time!

Note that transports have significantly improved over the last years, and that you partly find extremely comfortable buses at least on some legs, like those “Doble Piso”, with a great “VIP zone” on the ground floor. But beware of icy temperatures on long distance busses, and take warm clothes along!

Tours & Activities

Compared to other countries, tours & activities are relatively cheap in Colombia:

• Costs for museums and cultural sites belong to the lowest I have seen so far, and many things are actually free! The only noticeable exception was San Agustin, and especially guides are absurdly expensive there…
• Many day-tours (like horseback riding, boat tour in the Pacific or on the Caribbean Coast…) are also absolutely reasonably priced, at least if you shop a little around and avoid touts.
• San Gil is an invitation for all “Adrenaline-Pumping Activities” (but there are other places in Colombia for many of those activities, without the crowds and at lower prices), and offers also (comparatively) very cheap opportunities – White Water Rafting on Rio Suarez was great, Paragliding in the Canyon de Chicamocha was unique, and all in all not expensive. Yes, Colombia is definitely a good place to be a little crazy!

Horseback Riding in San Agustin

Nonetheless, some places can only be reached on a tour (La Guajira, Caño Cristales), and those can turn very expensive… So check prices carefully before you decide to go there (though it is definitely worth it!)

Splurge At Reasonable Costs?

No matter what your standards are, Colombia is an ideal place to upgrade a little your style of travel, as costs will comparatively remain quite low:

• There is a wide range of hostels / guesthouses / hotels now, and many of them are fairly priced.
• There is an even wider range of restaurants, at least in more popular areas and larger cities, and if you are fed up with the “Comida Corrientes”, you have a large number of alternatives, up to very fine dining possibilities in places like Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena de Indias…
• Buses are now partly very comfortable, and on many routes you find those “Doble Piso”, with a VIP area in the first floor, offering beautiful seats where you can have a decent night of sleep. And if you do not feel like spending a night on a bus, flights are comparatively quite cheap, frequent and reliable in Colombia, at least on most routes.

At La Gaucha, Getsemani, Cartagena de Indias

Reduce Costs?

The largest impact on your budget will maybe not be how you travel (standard of travel) but where you travel: if you stick to the more popular areas, Colombia is an ideal place for people on a budget, and you can reduce the expenditures given above by one third quite easily!

However, reaching some areas more Off The Beaten Track, like La Guajira (up to Punta Gallinas), El Chocó (Pacific Coast) or Caño Cristales will be a major drag on your budget, and costs of traveling will go through the roof.

So consider wisely where you want to travel before you take the decision… At least if budget is a major concern for you!

Beach in Bocagrande, Cartagena de Indias