Sights of Colombia

According to Calculatorinc, the oldest city in Colombia, Santa Marta, was founded in 1525. The location of the city is explained by the fact that here is the most convenient place for a port, a beautiful harbor served as a parking lot for many years, and the tribes that once lived were known as excellent workers with gold. Some precious pieces made by local craftsmen can be seen in the Museo del Oro museum in Bogotá. The descendants of these people now live not far from here in the mountains, but their tribes are quite isolated. For a very long time, Santa Marta was used as a transshipment base for corsairs. Within the city there is a villa of the famous hero Simon Bolivar in these regions and a small museum named after him. The Bolivar Museum now exhibits donations made by the peoples of those countries whose independence he advocated. The surroundings of Santa Marta are much richer in interesting places. For example, just 50 km from the city is the Sierra Nevada del Santa Marta National Park, which is known for having a huge set of ecocenoses, ranging from rainforests to dry plateaus. In the valley of Buritaka there is a large network of paths and stairs made of stone. The city of Cartagena was founded in 1533 and it was the first place where the Spaniards settled. From here, numerous wealth “leaked” to Europe. An eyewitness to these events can serve as a sunken 50 km. from here the San Jose galleon, lying at a depth of 750 meters. On this ship, production was transported, which by modern standards is estimated at $ 3 billion. Unfortunately, the city, rich in historical sights, did not reach its original form, but what remains can tell a lot about this colorful place. The most interesting is the “Old Town”, surrounded by a wall. This place is truly replete with beautiful colonial-style buildings. You should definitely visit such places as: the fortress of Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas towering over the city, the Cathedral of Cartagena, a former convent that looks more like a fortress, and on its territory there is a wonderful Historical Museum. The San Andres island group, which lies 750 km from the coast of the Caribbean Sea, can certainly be considered a natural landmark of Colombia. San Andres is made up of 25 small coral islands divided into two parts, one clustered around the seahorse-like island of San Andres and the other around the mountainous island of Providencia. This place is perfect for scuba diving: untouched nature, clear turquoise water, rich marine life. Unlike the island of San Address, Providencia has not been affected by the tourist boom, so here you can escape from the hustle and bustle. In its original form, the culture of the local people, the original English language, is preserved here. There are no hotels familiar to a modern tourist, they are more reminiscent of 18th century taverns, there are also no bars and restaurants, but untouched nature and a quiet measured life are the main pearl of this place. The capital of Colombia and at the same time the largest city, Bogotá, was founded by the Spanish conquistador in 1538. The city lies at an altitude of more than 2500 meters. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, this area was inhabited by indigenous Indian tribes. Bogota is very contrasting, at the same time it is intellectual, architectural, political and commercial center of the country, but at the same time, poverty thrives here, and some areas are filled with slums. The main square of the capital is Plaza Bolívar, it houses the most famous statue of the country’s first president in the country. Going south from the square, you can come to the Presidential Palace, where every day at 17.00 you can watch an unusual action – the changing of the guard of honor. On the north side of the square is the building of the Palace of Justice, which was destroyed by the rebels in 1985, and completely restored in 1999. The best place to stay in Bogota is the El Salitre area, where there are many parks and green squares. The most famous parks here are the Jardin Botanico botanical gardens and the Simon Bolivar Central Park, the largest park in the city. A significant number of museums are concentrated in Bagot, the most famous of which is considered the Museum of Gold, which is located in the eastern part of the Parque de Santander. The museum exhibits about 35,000 exhibits in the form of a variety of gold jewelry. Of all this amount of jewelry made of precious metal, only one third of it is exhibited in the museum.

National cuisine of Colombia

Over the years, Colombian cuisine has managed to “absorb” traditions traditional for European, Asian and indigenous people of the country. First of all, legumes are popular here, which, like in most neighboring countries, form the basis of the local diet. Rice, corn, potatoes and spices are also often used. Meat dishes are quite popular, the national dish using meat is “pandeha paisa” which uses a huge number of ingredients: beef, pork, legumes, rice, fried bananas, avocados, eggs and an original mixture of spices. Fried bananas, legumes and rice usually serve as a side dish. All this can be prepared in the most unusual form. The proximity to the sea coast provided the Colombians with a large selection of seafood. Colombian lobsters are the most famous all over the world. A characteristic feature of the local cuisine is that the bread that we are used to seeing on our tables is practically absent here; instead, various flat cakes are made that are prepared without the use of salt. The options for preparing such “arepa” flatbreads in each region of the country are different, so do not be surprised when they bring you an unleavened flatbread instead of bread. The favorite drink of any Colombian is, of course, coffee. They most often complete the meal. It is surprising that, despite the country’s status as the largest exporter of coffee, many local eateries serve not the best coffee. You can find the best varieties only in specialized coffee shops. In addition to coffee, traditional mate tea and other herbal drinks are also popular.

Sights of Colombia