The Andes Region Overview

Perhaps the area of most interest to visitors, the Andes mountain range boasts some of the most beautiful attractions in the country, from colonial towns to ancient ruins.

The range splits into two parts, east and west, with a lush valley in between the two.

The Eastern highlands, home to the capital city, also boasts Villa de Leyva, a small colonial town that is fairly quiet during the week, although it tends to fill up with weekending Colombians on Saturday and Sunday. Completely free of modern architecture, it has retained its 17th-century feel and is a charming step back in time. Its climate is pleasant too – at 2,140m above sea level it’s like spring all year around. Hiking trips can be arranged in the nearby countryside.

Not far from Villa de Leyva is another, bigger colonial town, Tunja. There’s not much to do here besides wander around and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, but it’s a nice place to spend a couple of days.

On the slopes of the Western Highlands, Medellín is a charming modern city that travellers rave about. With seven million inhabitants, it is Colombia’s second-largest city, and has all the same services as Bogotá, but is considered far more safe and friendly than the capital. Nearby, Santa Fe makes a good day or weekend trip from Medellín. It is famous for its whitewashed colonial buildings and abundance of churches.

Towards the south of the Andes mountain range, Popoyán is considered by many to be Colombia’s most beautiful town. It is characterised by whitewashed buildings, narrow streets, and there are plenty of pavement cafés to sit in and soak up the atmosphere. To the west and east of Popoyán respectively, there are two fascinating archaeological sites, San Agustín and Tierradentro. The former features hundreds of free-standing stone statues from a pre-Inca civilisation, although little is known about their history. The latter is best known for its underground burial chambers, the only example of their kind in the Americas. Unfortunately, due to a spate of robbery, theft and kidnappings around the ruins, tourists are currently advised not to visit either of the sites.