Places to Avoid in Colombia.

Coastal complications.

The other area the magazine warns against

is the Pacific Coast region of Colombia.

Except for the port shipping city of

Buenaventura, IL finds the Pacific Coast of

Colombia to have little of interest for Expats.

¨The majority of the coastal area is rural with

a few scattered villages and poor roads.

You can only access this area by

domestic flights.  There are essentially

no Expats living in this very remote part

of Colombia.¨

@cccmedia  and I'm considering Bogota because of the cooler temperatures I've heard it's not a great city but that's where the girl is I've been talking to the last couple years I know she won't leave the city or her mom. As well I'm sure there's nice areas in Bogota like any city

Dear Brett,

Bogota has some pleasant areas .. and a large

choice of them due to its expanse.

Like the Coffee Zone capitals and Medellin,

the national capital gets a fair share of rain.

The difference is that it's cool and rainy,

not so much mild and rainy as in the Paisa

capital or the Coffee cities.

As an international capital, there is a wide

range of restaurants, entertainment and

other activities.  Also, BOG is a major

South American hub for travelers.

Health care services are excellent as a rule ..

which is another bonus for Expats.

You may be overdue to plan a trip to

the Colombian capital.

cccmedia

Just a note to everyone who reads articles about "Best Places To Live" or "Best Vacation Spot", etc: be mindful of the AUTHOR and their UNIQUE VIEWPOINT. Experiences and level of hospitality shall vary based on the traveler, because not all demographics are welcome everywhere.

For example, a country and city that is "wonderful" for a Caucasian, "conventionally attractive" female in her late-20s, might be a nightmare for a non-Caucasian, unremarkable-looking male in their early-50s. That's just a basic example, there are dozens of other factors that might affect how a tourist/expat is regarded, tolerated, or accepted.

And no, it's not about "Well, it depends on the energy that the traveler is putting out". No, please for the love of God, no! 😆 It has nothing to do with "energy"... Let's leave the Politically Correct stuff aside for a moment... Let's not kid ourselves nor try to deny Base Human Psychology... Demographics DO matter in Tourism and Migration, so take all these articles with a huge grain of salt.

That's my humble 2 cents. Disfruta, y buen viaje!

Just a note to everyone who reads articles about "Best Places To Live" or "Best Vacation Spot", etc: be mindful of the AUTHOR and their UNIQUE VIEWPOINT. Experiences and level of hospitality shall vary based on the traveler, because not all demographics are welcome everywhere.

Is that why you migrated to Barranquilla rather than cities CCC prefers: Medellín and Bucaramanga. Of course, according to the Quindio Influencer, CCC may be a better fit for the Coffee triangle, if it weren't for the lack of heated pools.

I ways heard Tumaco Nariño was the most dangerous place in Colombia, but on a recent trip to Pasto, I was told the Pastusos go there for Beach vacations..

Same thing I heard.about Buenaventura area. Depends whereyou go, ehen you go and who you go with. A private tour group always better though.

Sure wouldnt want to live in those places though

@N.Barley Honestly I don't even know haha! All I know is, melanated people aren't truly welcome everywhere in Colombia. Sometimes we are merely tolerated due to our dollars, but never truly "welcome".

Hello rojodiablo,

I think ChineduOpara is merely sharing his experience and what he felt in Colombia here...

Different people have different experiences. We should not discredit his experience.

Thanks,

Yoginee

Expat.com team

@Yoginee have you deleted my reply?

@ChineduOpara thats nonsense,and you know it.

Dear Rojodiablo,

Obviously, the boundaries were stretched and

one of your posts had to be moderated by the

Home Office.

A word to the wise... Don't test the Home Office

in order to make a point about racial sensitivities

in Colombia.  Moderating one post is the least

of their prerogatives.

cccmedia, member, Expat.com experts team

Wow, I'm truly shocked at the overt control exercised by the moderators here.

I read the posts, no biggie, no name calling, no baiting, nada. Let folks breath a little please.

Wow, I'm truly shocked at the overt control exercised by the moderators here.
I read the posts, no biggie, no name calling, no baiting, nada. Let folks breath a little please.
-@EasyPZ

It's a cliche but in this forum, if you don't agree with a post, try to "disagree without being disagreeable".  Not too hard to do.  The purpose is to share information and help each other, and to do so without casting aspersions.

And since it's Colombia - one person's experience may be and often is, completely different from someone else's.  Both can be valid although seemingly contradictory.

@OsageArcher Thank you. You'd think this would be common sense by now, but I think some people are very much attached to the idea of needlessly hurling negative energy (or straight-up insults) at strangers from behind a screen. People need to remember that this isn't Facebook 😂

Ok, so you guys see all of this as casting aspersions and hurling negative energy? My mistake then.

I've lived in Colombia for over 15 years, married to the finest woman I've ever met, (a Colombian) for 21years and have  never been on any type of social media other than this and expatexchange.

Apparently, I'm better suited for the real world. Take care now!

@ChineduOpara and some people even  invent racism in colombia!.....a country where none exists,it makes one wonder if certain people have an agenda,other than trying to be genuinely helpful to other forum members....

@rojodiablo With all due respect, racism is in effect in almost ALL countries on Earth. Colombia is no different, no matter how much the locals claim it doesn't exist.

Meanwhile, the same dark-skinned people complain about not being picked for decent-paying jobs, even when they are technically overqualified.

Meanwhile, during Carnaval or certain events, they have literal BLACKFACE on full display.

Meanwhile, Colombian police brutalize dark-skinned Colombians at FAR higher rates than whites.

There are several more indicators, but I won't go into details here.

Sometimes it takes foreigners/visitors to see certain things in a country, which the locals don't see. Same with people visiting the good ol' dUSA.

I mean, YOU can believe whatever you want, it's your prerogative - as a staunch believer in Freedom of Thought, I will defend with my last breath your Right to believe whatever you want - so I'm not going to argue with you over things that are happening in plain sight of any sane person who's paying attention. But we can all agree that the human race is not a hive-mind... different demographics navigate life differently. I hope that THAT fact is not in dispute in your mind.

Cheers.

@ChineduOpara I spent six months in Colombia,never did  I see on hear of any incidents of racism.....mind you,i wasn't looking for it,whereas,I think you were.If I looked hard enough,maybe I could find some too.....

@rojodiablo Yeah you basically underscored my point, thanks. You don't see the racism, because you're not affected by it. And no, victims of discrimination do NOT "go looking" for it... it comes looking for US. Whether we want to or not, it is part of our lives, we have to navigate around it (or deal with it) in ways that you clearly don't understand. And that's fine... nobody actively chooses the body or brain into which they're born, so I'm not gonna crap on anyone for being born into a body that aligns with social privilege. De hecho, I'm genuinely happy for you (and others) who don't have to deal with the crap that people of my demographic have to deal with on a daily basis!

All we ask, is that The Privileged recognize that they have said privilege, try to understand those that don't, and maybe even develop Human Empathy along the way.

That is, try thinking outside your own self and your own reality... I heard it's a really good way to be a More Well-Rounded Human 🙂

Racism exists in Colombia, yes. It's usually not as overt as it is in some other countries. But, for instance, some feel that blacks, and costeños in general, are lazy. Many still think that indígenas are not even fully human. A good book to read is Colombia amarga, a series of short essays by Germán Castro Caycedo, who sadly left us in 2021. Many Colombians do not like this author and this book in particular because it exposes true stories of the ugly underbelly of Colombian society.

But in many if not most places in Colombia you can see people of all shades and colors from coal black to lily white working, living and playing side by side in harmony, in a way just not seen in most developed and supposedly more civilized countries.

@rojodiablo how do you know its nonsense?

I dont want to get into details, but I waa exposed to gross racism at a fútbol game in Cali 14 years ago. I was disgusted..and I am not a person of colour.

Everybody talks about the US and Canada, but racism existe everywhere, and is actually worse in the non Woke  non liberal countries

@brettfairweather   I am an expat living in Guatape and the weather here is  great ..check it out for yourself on Google. It is not EnPenol but Guatape. 14000 cop to Rio Negro 19000 to Medellin. So much to do

If you must live at the coast, where land is

by its nature at low elevation, consider the

effects of coastal breezes.

If your budget allows, rent or (not usually

recommended) buy as close to the

oceanfront or seafront as possible to

take advantage of the breezes.

Most Expats arriving in Colombia do better

to search for a home in the Andean region,

at elevations of 3100 feet (Bucaramanga),

5000 feet (Medellin, Armenia) or

7000 feet (Manizales) because of the

mild temperatures. Armenia and Manizales

are in the Coffee Zone.

cccmedia in Santander

cccmedia in Santander

I guess you are in the preferred department of influencer Geno Perez, who happens to be in New Mexico, U.S. currently, but normally resides in San Gil, CO.

@brettfairweather I would avoid Bogotá. The weather isn't great and the altitude beats the breath out of your body  I stayed in the right part of town in an upscale apartment building, gates and guards and all. Still, the streets weren't safe late at night for a “gringo”.

Across the street was a ghetto with concrete walls topped with concertina wire.  Yuppies and street people all mixed together.  Fascinating to visit, but no place to live. Cali is a suburb to the north. Safer, more upscale and close enough to her family if that's a deal breaker.

Steven.

According to sleepadvisor . com:

For most adults, the best temperature for sleep is 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit1 (15 to 19 degrees Celsius)

And according to Weatherspark . com:

The climate in Bucaramanga is warm, muggy, and overcast. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 69°F to 81°F and is rarely below 65°F or above 86°F.

The climate in Armenia is warm and overcast. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 62°F to 79°F and is rarely below 60°F or above 83°F.

Conclusion:  Unless you are planning to stay in a hotel, you may be better off crossing Bucaramanga off your retirement list and adding Armenia, because you may not find an airbnb or rental with an air conditioner in Buca.

Really I have never felt extremely unsafe in Bogota. I have gotten myself into an issue there once however that was my own fault. I feel more unsafe in where we live I the states when we are Stateside in GA.. I have walked Zona Rosa all around Calle 82 and up at Parque 93 at night alone. Over around the Farmers Market by the Mederi Clinc I did feel slightly uncomfortable. But all in all I don't think very much about tons of Danger in Bogota. When we first started coming everyone warned me of Plaza De Bolivar area but I have always met friendly faces 98% of the time. Now I do not go into places like Santa Fe ( Tolerance Zone) alone or even with anyone. I wouldn't go in a Housing Authority back home either..lol

@ChineduOpara While there may be racism in all countries, the type and degree varies. In the US, IMO, racism reached a low point maybe in the late 80s and has rebounded.  My bother  in-law is black here and his Nickname is Negrito among many others.  You can not do that in the US I am betting. Racism is present here along with classism, but it is a difference of degrees from many other countries.  I go out with my brother in-law and it is nothing like in the US in many areas.

@StevenStapleton It is different for everyone. My wife is Colombian and I live in an area tht they have never seen a Gringo in, ja ja. I watch myself and keep my phone in my pocket and dress in  moderate cost clothing and with 3 years  ( 1 ourside Bogota) I have only had someone grab at my cell phone once and nothing else. I was still new in Colombia and was unsure where a store was a pulled ou my phone near the street. The morotcyclist dropped my phone and taught me a lesson, that I have never forgotten

As I said, I learned a few lessons, learned from them and changed my behavior. The benefit is I have seen a different side of living here than nearly any blue eyes light haired gringo and most of it is very good. That said , Taxis are becoming less safe it seems, be careful

@kantoquad Where in Colombia have you been that they have never seen a gringo?

lpd

@ChineduOpara why then is the problem you speak of world wide as you say .  Must be a reason.  I would ask the question WHy .The answer is to find the solution before condemning the entire world .As the signs say on the poles in Medellin ,Gringos go home and it does not specify race, religion,or political views. People of all races need to see all thee sides of the fence. Their side, your own side and what the actual goings on are . Has ones ever noticed there are many different groups of people that live in  different parts of the city  because of  race,  or ethic back ground . All have something to say something negative about each other..Comedians can turn it around and make it funny to whatever side of the fence your on. So if one can not laugh at  the comedians jokes because the truths hurt we all should be shameful. Gracias mi Amigo

I have lived in Bogota for over 15 years.  Prior to that I lived in Villavicencio for several months.  I had heard the rumors of how dangerous Colombia is for Gringos but I found it like anywhere in Texas.  You are more likely to be up the creek in Oak Cliff than in Bogota.  But I noticed that most of the Colombians respect Gringos that walk confidently and do not cower.  In all my time in Colombia I only had one incident that caused my girlfriend to be alarmed.  It was on a trip from Cartagena to Isla Baru.  I took a wrong turn and wound up driving through a very seedy ghetto and at an intersection a group of young men tried to get me pulled over.  Again if they had AK 47s I would have complied.  However I noticed all they had was sticks, stones and a couple of bats which they used to beat on my rent a car a bit.  They tried to roll a boulder in front to block the car.  They were surprised when I used the Ford bumper to move them gently out of the way.  I mean Ford bumper vs tennis shoes, not much of a challenge.  Two thugs did pursue me for about 2 miles on a motorcycle, but I slowed down enough to communicate with them.  I promised that if I pulled over I would kill them both.  It worked fine.  They got to look at a pissed off Texas up close and personal so I would say that sometimes, we are the predator and not the prey.  Anyhow other than that incident, I have lived in comfort and complete bliss the entire time I have been in Colombia.  I do think attitude is a good place to start.  Respect all others but do not accept disrespect either and like I said, it is important to know what you are up against.  A 14 year old with a cocked AK 47 is a real badass if he wants to be.

***