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The Special Appeal of Adventure Tourism in Colombia
Adventure tourism has been increasingly becoming an attractive option for travelers worldwide. But what is adventure tourism? It consists of seeking environments outside of cities and unconventional recreational spaces. This has become the combination of traditional tourism - with its cultural and leisure component - with physical activity, majestic landscapes, contact with nature, and the added thrill of maximum adrenaline, resulting in an unforgettable experience.
In this regard, Colombia has a particular charm due to the immense variety of its natural resources (including plains, jungles, rivers, and mountains) and because it is also an expanding sector, driven by the opportunity it represents for local tourism entrepreneurs, and committed to environmental sustainability.
Scenery and adrenaline await to be discovered by you in Colombia, the ideal destination if you seek to connect with nature and live an unforgettable adventure. Therefore, we bring you a selection of 5 destinations to experience adventure tourism that you cannot miss when visiting the world's most welcoming country.
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5 Destinations to Experience Adventure Tourism in Colombia
1. Malpelo Island, Valle del Cauca
Arriving by cruise to an unexpected island is one of the most charming experiences you will have in Colombia. Malpelo Island, located 500 km off the coast - accessed through the port of Buenaventura - hides a colossal treasure in its waters. Under the vastness of the sea and the powerful waves lives one of the largest populations of sharks in the world. Hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, marlins, silky sharks, eagle rays, sailfish, and tunas are some of the species that can be found in this maritime paradise.
The flagship activity of the island is diving with the kings of the ocean. Malpelo is considered the world capital of this practice, offering an unparalleled diving experience in Colombia where tourists can dive surrounded by 200 or 300 sharks, a gem of adventure tourism. Additionally, it is one of the focal points of the famous "hammerhead shark triangle", which is located between Malpelo, the Galápagos Islands, and Cocos Island.
In this triangle, water currents are much stronger and the concentrations of hammerhead sharks are massive, making the diving experience reserved for adventurers with a thirst for adrenaline and epic adventures. It is also one of the few places where you can see the smoothtooth blacktip shark, a globally threatened species.
Without a doubt, a scene that seems taken from an animation and action movie, in Colombia you live an adventure that surpasses fiction.
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2. San Francisco, Antioquia
Charm is immersing yourself in adrenaline and adventure just a few hours from major cities. Like the case of San Francisco, located 2 hours (96 kilometers) from Medellín, the capital of the Antioquia department, it offers its visitors not only a temperate climate, lush landscapes, and a rural culture with its ancient customs intact without the influx of large crowds, but also immense stretches of tropical rainforest along with mountains and rivers.
All of the above makes this adventure tourism destination highly sought after for hiking, where you can explore the valley of waterfalls or engage in disciplines like trekking, passing through the famous "crystal rivers" (Melcocho River and Verde River), and hiking through the mountains.
3. Ciudad Perdida, Magdalena
The destination that seems to be taken from the mind of the most imaginative scriptwriter in the world. Ciudad Perdida was built by the Tayrona indigenous people and abandoned in 1650. It is an archaeological site located in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta composed of terraces excavated on the mountainside with rocky paths around them.
Embarking on the adventure of entering the heart of Ciudad Perdida is an experience that requires persistence, as the complete journey lasts at least 4 days, and to get there you ascend about 1200 stone steps, defying, in the process, the immense tropical jungle of the region, with its steep hills, narrow corridors, and humid climate, as well as the vast nature, having to cross the Buritaca River several times.
This is a challenge worthy of a Joseph Conrad novel for those who are not satisfied with conventional extreme sports and want to take their tourist experience to the next level, a true charm.
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4. Suesca, Cundinamarca
Charm is deciphering the meanings behind the names of each destination and combining it with adrenaline. Suesca gets its name from Sueica, which means "Rock of the Birds".
Surrounded by ancestral indigenous culture, stories, imposing landscapes, and pictograms, Suesca offers visitors a unique adventure tourism experience through its rock climbing, which combines extreme adventure with tradition.
Located just an hour by land from Bogotá, it is one of the favorite areas for climbing enthusiasts. For the visitor, it represents a challenge both physical and mental, as although no climbing experience is necessary to enjoy the practice - local guides are trained to teach tourists the basic techniques for climbing - those who decide to take on the challenge must battle against nature and against themselves for the heights reached while climbing. The plan includes, in
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4. Suesca, Cundinamarca
It's enchanting to decipher the meanings behind the names of each destination and combine it with adrenaline. Suesca gets its name from Sueica, which means "Rock of the birds".
Surrounded by ancestral indigenous culture, stories, imposing landscapes, and pictograms, Suesca offers a unique adventure tourism experience for those who visit, with rock climbing combining extreme adventure with tradition.
Located just an hour by land from Bogotá, it's one of the favorite areas for climbing enthusiasts. For visitors, it represents a challenge both physically and mentally. Although no climbing experience is necessary to enjoy the practice - local guides are trained to teach tourists the basic climbing techniques - those who decide to take on the challenge must battle against nature and themselves for the heights reached while climbing. The plan includes, in addition to rock climbing, a tour of the area and spelunking.
5. Amazonas
The Amazon region, characterized by its vast biodiversity and immense expanse of nature and tradition, also offers extreme adventures of various kinds, such as climbing gigantic trees or hiking, water skiing, and sport fishing in Lake Tarapoto, where the mythical Piracucú fish - the largest freshwater fish - lives.
Furthermore, experiences like canoeing on Monkey Island, while living with monkeys and the diversity of birds that inhabit the place, and camping in the treetops to experience the challenge and spend a night contemplating a sunset and a sunrise in the jungle at its best, are the kind that create enchanting memories that last forever in the minds of those who experience them.
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This guide to destinations to discover the charm behind adventure tourism in Colombia is just some of the possibilities, as throughout the Colombian territory there is a wide and diverse catalog for tourists who want to experience much more of the best adrenaline and nature connection live unmatched adventures. And you, do you dare to try it?
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