Not to miss

Caribbean Coast (Colombia)

The Caribbean Coast around Cartagena features a handful of impressive Spanish forts, including the 17th-century Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, undoubtedly the greatest and strongest fortress ever built by the Spaniards in their colonies.

The Islas del Rosario, 35km (22mi) offshore southwest of Cartegena, have magnificent coral reefs and abundant marine life, making them popular with snorkellers and scuba divers. The L-shaped peninsula south of the old town contains the upmarket holiday resorts of Bocagrande and El Laguito.

Cartagena

Cartagena de Indias is legendary both for its history and its beauty. It has been immortalized on countless canvases, glorified in hundreds of books and photographed a zillion times - as Colombia's most fascinating city and a World Heritage Site, it deserves every one of these tributes.

The walled Old Town of this fortified Spanish colonial port is a gem. It's packed with churches, monasteries, plazas, palaces and noble mansions with overhanging balconies and shady patios. Simply wandering through the narrow cobbled streets reveals endless wonders, but some of the highlights are the Palacio de la Inquisición, the gold-filled Museo del Oro and Muelle de los Pegasos, the lovely old port of Cartagena on the Bahía de las Ánimas.

Outside the Old Town sit the Spanish fortresses that once defended Cartagena from pirates, including Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, the largest in the Americas.

Ciudad Perdida

Ciudad Perdida, aka Lost City, was built between the 11th and 14th centuries and is one of the largest pre-Columbian towns discovered in the Americas. There are about 150 stone terraces, which once served as foundations for houses. It's hidden deep in thick forest amid rugged mountains, far from any access roads - the return hike to the city takes six days.

Although the city was built between the 11th and 14th centuries, its origins are much older, going back to perhaps the 7th century. Spread over an area of about 2 sq km (1.2 sq mi), it is the largest Tayrona city found so far, and appears to have been their major political and economic center. Some 2000 to 4000 people are believed to have lived here.

During the Conquest, the Spaniards wiped out the Tayronas, and their settlements disappeared without a trace under lush tropical vegetation. Ciudad Perdida lay hidden for four centuries, until its discovery by guaqueros (treasure hunters) in 1975.

Archaeological digs have uncovered some Tayrona objects (fortunately, the guaqueros didn't manage to take everything) - mainly various kinds of pottery (both ceremonial and utensil), goldwork and unique necklaces made of semiprecious stones. Some of these objects are on display in the Museo del Oro in Santa Marta and Bogotá.

Laguna de Guatavita

This famed sacred lake and ritual center of the Muisca Indians is a cradle of the myth of El Dorado. Once an object of worship, gold pieces and emeralds were offered by the Muiscas to their gods here. Despite efforts by the Spanish, and then the Colombians, to bring the fabled treasures to the surface, very little has actually been recovered.

Permits are required to visit the lake and these are given on a very limited basis - 20 people are allowed to visit each Saturday and Sunday. Contact the Corporación Autónoma Regional de Cundinamarca in Bogotá.

Isla Gorgona

Colombia's largest Pacific island is a mountainous, volcanic blip in the ocean, covered with lush tropical rainforest and sheltering monkeys, lizards, turtles, snakes and bird species. Gorgona has some beaches and coral reefs, and the surrounding waters seasonally host dolphins, humpback whales and sperm whales (usually in November).

Once a high-security prison and now a national park, Gorgona is best visited on an organized tour or diving safari. If going it alone, you'll need a permit from the national park office in Bogotá - all visits are fixed four-day/three-night stays, which must be paid for in advance.

You can get to Isla Gorgona by cargo boat (10-12hr) from Buenaventura or by tourist boat (2hr) from Guapí, a seaside village that can only be reached by air.