29 Adventurous Things To Do In Colombia South America
Looking For Inspiration On Fun And Adventurous Things To Do In Colombia During Your Trip To South America?
During my time living in Colombia, I was out exploring as much as I could of this region in South America, and finding some of the most adventurous activities wherever I went. It’s the perfect place to fall in love with nature, be fascinated by history, and have an incredible adventure, so hopefully you can find a few things from this list to add to your itinerary!
🏔 29 Adventurous Things To Do In Colombia South America
To me, adventurous things can be anything from exploring nature and making history come alive, to spotting wildlife or making friends in a foreign land, and Colombia is one of the best countries in South America for all of that.
Moving to Colombia was one of the most adventurous things I’ve ever done, especially with all the amazing things I got to experience here (all but four on this list, which I still plan to do someday).
1. Hike Up + Over A Palm Tree Valley
One of my very first adventures during my time living in the Coffee Region of Colombia was taking the bus over to the small town of Salento so I could hike the famous Valle de Cocora trail.
It’s one of the most beautiful places in Colombia in my opinion, and a must see for any hiking or nature lovers. There are also plenty of tours available to make the trip to this small town even easier.
2. Descend Into A Salt Mine Cathedral
When I first arrived in Colombia, I had an orientation in Bogota but it didn’t leave me hardly anytime to explore this area so I had to return before I moved back to the US, and one particular activity I had to do was descend into the Catedral de Sal (the salt cathedral mine).
It’s technically just outside of Bogota in the town of Zipaquira (there are plenty of tours available so it’s easy to get to), and although it is a mine, it’s pretty wide and open under there, so those with claustrophobia might be okay giving it a try.
3. Visit An Archeological Park (that’s older than Machu Picchu)
Another one of my top adventures in Colombia was trekking my way to the archeological town of San Agustin (I traveled by bus, truck, motorcycle, and horse for around 13+ hours).
Of course you can get there in less time than me if you fly into Pitalito, but if you love history, this ancient area is mysterious and fascinating (even though Machu Picchu-size construction hasn’t been discovered here, yet), and a good chunk of the statues are conveniently located all together at the Archaeological Park.
4. Climb Up To A Glacier
I lived in the Coffee Region town of Pereira, which is one of the closest cities to the Los Nevados National Park where you can hike up to the border of a glacier that sits just above 15,000 feet.
Some tours are multi-day, but I chose just to do a day trip hike up to the glacier, which was difficult, but amazing.
5. Relax At A Mountainside Hot Spring
Although I lived in the bigger city of Pereira, the school where I taught English was in the hot springs town of Santa Rosa de Cabal (my school was actually the last one on the road up to the hot springs).
I ended up having quite an adventure with my roommates trying to hike up to one of the hot springs, but one roommate got us lost with his “short cut” so it was a little scary. Otherwise, the hot springs are great, especailly the one with the Cascada Santa Helena view (the waterfall pictured above).
6. Ride Horses Through Ancient Ruins
Although San Agustin, Colombia doesn’t have massive ancient ruins like other countries in South America, the ruins they do have are said to be even older than those of Machu Picchu, and one of the most adventurous ways to explore them is on horseback.
I loved riding a horse through this area not only for the history, but also because it had some of the most beautiful views, especially at the La Chaquira site.
7. Explore The Amazon River
Although it doesn’t have quite as big of a section as other countries in South America, Colombia does get a little sliver of the Amazon River down at the southernmost tip.
This is still one of the adventures I have on my bucket list, but I know that I want to go with Oxígeno Amazonas since they provide eco-friendly and sustainable tours.
8. Try Tejo
One of Colombia’s signature games, called Tejo, is a lot like corn hole, but much more explosive. You typically don’t have to pay to play Tejo, but you do have to buy a crate of beer in order to get a lane to play the game.
There are also Tejo tours available in case it feels too awkward walking in alone.
9. Climb 740 Steps To The Top Of A Famous Rock
Guatape is one of the most popular places to take a day trip to from the big city of Medellin, and climbing up the Piedra del Peñol is the most famous thing to do here. It’s a lot of stairs, but the panoramic views are fantastic.
It’s pretty easy to get to Guatape on your own riding the bus, but there are lots of great tours available from Medellin too.
10. Wander The Cobblestone Streets Of A Colonial Town
When the Spanish came to South America in the 1500s, one of the towns they settled in Colombia that still has its colonial charm is the quaint town of Villa de Leyva.
It takes a little more effort to get to than some other destinations in Colombia, but it was totally worth it in my opinion. I highly recommend wandering around the town center really early in the morning when its more deserted and maybe even a little cloudy like the picture above.
11. Find A Waterfall
Colombia is full of beautiful nature (this is one of the main reasons I suggest visiting Colombia), and waterfalls can be found all over. Sometimes I would see them on the side of the road while taking a bus in between destinations or while out hiking, particularly in the Coffee Region.
12. Salsa Dance In The Salsa Capital Of Colombia
I only took a day trip to the hot and dry valley town of Cali, but my day included learning all about Salsa music and dancing, since this city claims the title of the Salsa Capital.
There is even a museum and trumpet sculpture that plays salsa music endlessly (pictured above) here in Cali, and of course trying out this Latin dance is very popular here, but I do think you only need a day or two in Cali.
13. Visit The Cathedral In A Gorge
I didn’t have time to make it down to the Colombian/Ecuadorian border area when I was living here, but I still plan to go back and make it to the Santuario de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Las Lajas church that beautifully sits in a gorge not far from the border town of Ipiales.
14. See Dinosaur Bones Right Where They Found Them
On my visit to the colonial town of Villa de Leyva, I thought about doing one of the popular ATV rides, but the tour companies seemed way too pushy and slimy, so I decided to rent a mountain bike instead and go out exploring on my own.
I didn’t know what I would see when I started the day, but it turned into one of my most adventurous experiences, which included stopping at the fossil museum where they dug up a dinosaur and built a museum around it instead of moving it.
15. See The Bogota Home Of A Revolutionary Hero
All the revolutionary history of Colombia fascinated me (I studied a lot of it in college), so seeing everything I could related to the revolutionary hero, Simón Bolívar, was at the top of my list.
I really enjoyed visiting his former Bogota home turned museum, and loved imagining what it was like here 200 years ago.
16. Ride A Bike To A 17th Century Monastery
On my Villa de Leyva mountain biking adventure, I decided to go all in and ride all the way uphill to the colonial monastery (Monasterio de Santo Eccehomo), which was about 8 miles from the town center.
Sometimes the best adventures are the ones you don’t expect to have when you wake up that morning, and visiting this monastery was definitely one of those for me.
17. Ride A Jet Ski In The Caribbean Sea
Cartagena was not my absolute favorite destination in Colombia, but one of the nicest things about this coastal area of South America was the nearby white sandy beach of Playa Blanca.
Riding jet skis out on the water is a fun way to spend the day here.
18. Go To A Colombian Soccer Game
The soccer league in Colombia might not be the top league in South America, but Colombians sure do love their soccer (futbol) so going to a professional game is a great way to really experience the culture here, especially when the national team is playing.
19. Trek To The Lost City
Possibly the most adventurous thing you can do while visiting Colombia is make the multi-day trek through the jungle to the ancient South America site of The Lost City.
I didn’t have the chance to do this when I lived there, and I’m still a little anxious about the thought of trekking through the jungle for multiple days, but it’s still on my bucket list.
20. Visit The Death Place Of A Revolutionary Hero
More than 600 miles from the Bogota home he inhabited, the great revolutionary war hero, Simón Bolívar, died on the northern coast of Colombia in the city of Santa Marta.
Right in the middle of the city, you can visit the museum and monument dedicated to the hero, and even see the room he died in on December 17th, 1830.
21. Stand Atop A Mountainside Homemade Prison
The subject of Pablo Escobar is best avoided in most situations in Colombia (many are still very traumatized by the events of the 80s and 90s), but as a history major, seeing historical locations related to this controversial man was important to me.
The former homemade prison of Escobar located on the outskirts of Medellin has one of the most beautiful views of the city, plus it was turned into a monastery with a large mural encouraging the study of history to avoid repeating history.
22. Ride The Cable Car Up To Monserrate
You can either hike or ride the cable car up to the top of the mountain peak, Monserrate, that overlooks this massive capital city. Lots of Bogota city tours also include this as a stop.
23. Climb An Orange Spiral Staircase To The Top Of A Cathedral
Manizales isn’t typically one of Colombia’s top must see destinations, but if you’re nearby in the Coffee Region or are passing through on the way to other destinations, you’ve got to climb the orange spiral staircase up to the top of the Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Manizales church.
24. Spend Semana Santa In The Most Religious City In Colombia
Popayan is also a less traveled destination in Colombia for foreigners, but it’s one of the most religious places in South America with a beautiful white walled city center, and lots of religious celebrations.
Semana Santa is definitely one of their top holiday celebrations, but I visited on a random weekend, and they happened to have a parade that I was happy to get to enjoy!
25. Get Into Extreme Sports In San Gil
I never made it the Santander region of Colombia (it’s one of the few areas I didn’t explore here), but it’s known as one of the most adventurous and extreme sports kind of destinations in South America.
Among others, you can find extreme adventures like rafting, paragliding, rappelling, bungee jumping, zip lining, and canyoning.
26. Spend The Day At A Coffee Theme Park
As far as I know, there aren’t many places you can find an entire theme park dedicated to coffee, like the Colombian Coffee Region one. It’s nothing overly spectacular, like American theme parks, but I had a good time riding some rides and learning more about coffee (which I don’t even drink).
27. Really Get To Know The Locals
The biggest adventure you can’t miss out on while visiting this part of South America is really getting to know the wonderful people of Colombia.
I know it was easier since I lived here, but I highly recommend getting to know the amazing people in Colombia by playing sports with them (I joined a womens soccer group), playing games (some places have games like chess in parks or city centers), or even volunteering in local communities (Accion Pereira organizes lots of volunteer days).
28. Visit A Museum Filled With The Thing That Brought So Many To Colombia
Museums are all over the place in Colombia, from big cities to small towns, but one I think is definitely worth visiting since it’s the reason so many tried to conquer this region of South America, is the Gold Museum in Bogota.
29. Tour One Of The Previously Most Dangerous Neighborhoods
If you know anything about the drug war history of Colombia, you’ll know that the entire country was one of the most dangerous places in the world, and one of the most dangerous cities was Medellin.
The Comuna 13 neighborhood of Medellin was one of the most dangerous parts of the city, but fortunately things have changed and many locals now offer tours of their neighborhood to educate and show just how much change has occurred.
📆 How Many Days Do You Need In Colombia?
How many days you need in Colombia really depends on what you want to see here. Family and friends that have gone to visit Colombia ask for suggestions, but they typically just end up picking locations like Medellin or Cartagena.
I honestly always suggest the smaller towns in Colombia, like Salento or Villa de Leyva, and Bogota for a big city destination. I think you could easily spend months traveling around the country, or at least fully enjoy two to three destinations on a two week trip.
🔁 Sum Up: Adventurous Things To Do In Colombia South America
Although I haven’t visited other countries in South America (yet), Colombia is my top recommendation for the perfect place to go and have amazing adventurous experiences, plus have them at a pretty decent price (compared to the US or Europe). If you only have time to choose one location in Colombia, my top suggestion is the Coffee Region for beautiful nature, fantastic hikes, and a slower lifestyle (compared to the big cities).
