What comes to mind when you think of Colombia? The dense forests of the Andes? Drug trafficking? Amazon rainforest replete with waterfalls and countless species of frogs? Political unrest? You’ll find all of that in Colombia. The landscape is stunning and the people are friendly. Colombian relations with the United States have generally been good and the crime rate has been coming down in recent years. All these details make now an excellent time to discover the beauty of Colombia, but make sure to do some research on the political situation before your departure. Many people are starting to figure this out though, 1.4 million foreigners visited in 2010, so if you want to get to Colombia before it gets too touristy, it’s time to go.

Colombia is home to over fifty natural reserves, sanctuaries, national parks, and other preserved natural areas. The Andes Mountains cut across Colombia, the country has Caribbean and Pacific coastline, and is encompasses part of the Amazon rainforest. What more could a naturalist ask for?

As part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of the world prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, Colombia is prone to violent natural disruptions. There are fifteen large volcanoes in Colombia, some of which are still active. You can hike on and around many of these volcanoes.

You can also combine hiking with history by trekking through the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the Lost City. The trek is three days to the city of Teyuna, the name of the Lost City, and three days back with a guide. You’ll trek and camp in dense jungle to arrive at the ruins of a Tairona settlement. Several indigenous tribes today are thought to descend from the Taironans, but no Tairona people are known to exist at present. With coastline on both the Pacific and Caribbean, Colombia also has many beautiful beaches. The coral reef that borders Islas del Rosario is an excellent site for diving and snorkeling.

Colombia is known a center of the cocaine trade. North America alone consumes 40% of cocaine in the world. Despite continued efforts by the United States and Colombia, who have formed a government partnership to eradicate cocaine trafficking, over 90% of the cocaine in the United States comes from Colombia.

Some of the complex political situation in Colombia is related to the drug trade and drug trafficking brings in a significant amount of money. The situation is complex and is worth researching for a better understanding of Colombia before traveling there.

All images are used via Creative Commons Attribution rights. View the original images on Flickr at: Image 1, Image 2, Image 3, Image 4